|
|
Kings of the Belgians
AD 1831 - Present Day
Claiming descent from the Celtic tribes of the Belgae who were located in
the same region, from 1792 until
the end of the French
Napoleonic Wars, Belgium was directly part of France.
Before that it had been governed by the Austrian
Habsburgs, and after,
from 1814-1830, it formed part of the new kingdom of
Holland.
Dissatisfied with this, the Belgians split away in 1830, and declared their own kingdom
soon afterwards.
Leopold of
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was invited to become the
country's first king by the Belgian National Congress. He had been
married to Charlotte, daughter of George IV of
Britain, but she
had died in
labour. His sister married the king's younger brother, Edward, duke of Kent,
and gave birth to Victoria, queen of Britain from 1837. |
1831 - 1865 |
Leopold I |
Formerly
Prince Leopold of
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. |
|
Charlotte |
Daughter. Became consort to Emperor Agustin of
Mexico. |
1865 - 1909 |
Leopold II |
Brother. Son. |
1909 - 1934 |
Albert I |
Nephew.
Died in climbing accident. |
1914 - 1918 |
Belgium
is invaded and occupied by the German
empire. The act forces
Britain, France
and Russia to declare
war against Germany, and the small Belgian army eventually retreats into
France to join the Allies there on what becomes the trenches of the Western
Front. |
1920 |
Two years after the end of the war, just like his cousin in
Great Britain, the king quietly drops the name
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
No decree is issued, leading to some confusion for later chroniclers. The
family name is changed to 'of Belgium' in the three major languages of the
country. |
1934 - 1940 |
Leopold III |
Captured
and surrendered to Germany in 1940. Deported. |
1940 - 1944 |
Leopold
is captured by the Nazi Germans and surrenders Belgium. After liberation
in 1944 he is not allowed to return to home, and his brother rules as regent
instead. |
1944 - 1950 |
Charles |
Regent. Brother of Leopold III. |
1950 |
A
public referendum reveals that Leopold is still considered king. Left-wing
politicians cannot accept him and a constitutional crisis results. Leopold
abdicates on 16 July 1951 in favour of his son, Baudouin. |
1950 - 1951 |
Leopold III |
Restored. Abdicated (d.1983). |
1951 - 1993 |
Baudouin |
Son.
Died 31 July 1993. No heir. |
|
1960 |
The Democratic Republic of Congo achieves
independence from Belgium. |
1993 - Present |
Albert II |
Brother. |
|
Phillippe |
Heir. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Find us on Facebook
