Philippe of Belgium

Early life Philippe was born on 15 April 1960 at the Belvédère Château in Laeken, northern Brussels. His father, Prince Albert, Prince of Liège (later King Albert II), was the second son of King Leopold III and a younger brother of Baudouin. His mother, Paola, Princess of Liège (later Queen Paola), is a daughter of the Italian aristocrat Fulco VIII, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda. His mother descends from the French House of La Fayette, and the king is a descendant of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, and Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles.

Philippe was baptised one month later at the Church of St. James on Coudenberg in Brussels on 17 May, and named Philippe after his great-great-grandfather Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders. His godparents were his paternal grandfather, King Leopold III, and his maternal grandmother, Donna Luisa, Princess Ruffo di Calabria.

Albert and Paola's marriage was unhappy, and they were usually absent from Philippe's life. The child neglect was so severe that child psychiatrist described it as "something that would justify intervention by social workers".

Philippe has a half-sibling, Princess Delphine of Belgium (born 1968).

He was also a fifth cousin of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom since they share a common ancestor, Francis (he was the grandfather of Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort and one of his sons, Leopold I would become the first King of the Belgians). Queen Elizabeth II and King Philippe had been 3rd cousins once removed through King Christian IX of Denmark.

Education As a child the future king was required to move from a French-language school which he liked to a secondary school in Flanders, where he found it difficult to make friends. "In my youth, I had many problems at school", Philippe told teenage dropouts in 2019. "I felt badly treated. It was not easy for me". From 1978 to 1981, Philippe was educated at the Belgian Royal Military Academy in the 118th "Promotion Toutes Armes" (Promotion All Weapons). On 26 September 1980, he was appointed second lieutenant and took the officer's oath.

Philippe continued his education at Trinity College, Oxford, and he attended graduate school at Stanford University, California, where he graduated in 1985 with an MA degree in political science.

In this capacity, Philippe has headed more than 60 economic missions. Upon his accession as seventh King of the Belgians, this role was taken over by his sister Princess Astrid.

Reign King Philippe during the swearing-in ceremony at the Palace of the Nation, 21 July 2013. King Albert II announced on 3 July 2013 that he would abdicate in favour of Philippe on 21 July 2013. Approximately one hour after King Albert II's abdication, Prince Philippe was sworn in as King of the Belgians. His eldest child, Princess Elisabeth, became his heir apparent and is expected to become Belgium's first queen regnant.

Philippe played a role in forming a coalition government after the 2014 Belgian federal election.

In 2020, Philippe announced regret for the "acts of violence and cruelty" committed in the Congo Free State under the rule of his great-great-granduncle King Leopold II.

In September 2024, Philippe, along with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo publicly criticised Pope Francis during their welcome addresses for him over sexual abuses committed by the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium.

In a speech on the eve of national day on 21 July 2025, Philippe described the war in Gaza as a disgrace to humanity and said: "I join all those who denounce the serious humanitarian violations in Gaza, where innocent people are starving and being killed by bombs while trapped in their enclaves. The current situation has gone on for far too long. It is a disgrace for all humanity. We support the UN Secretary General's call for an immediate end to this intolerable crisis.

Honours and arms

National honours

Foreign honours Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín (6 May 1994) Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (21 March 2022) Grand Cross of the Order of the Condor of the Andes (9 September 1996) Knight of the Order of the Elephant (28 May 2002) Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (30 March 2004) Grand Cross of the Order of Honour (1 February 2005) Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (18 April 2008) Collar and Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum (9 October 2016) Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali (18 May 2016) Grand Cross with Golden Chain of the Order of Vytautas the Great (24 October 2022) Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (15 March 1999) Member Special Class of the Order of Oman (3 February 2022) Knight of the Order of the White Eagle (13 October 2015) Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (18 October 2004) The reinstatement of the shield of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha into the royal arms occurred shortly after the visit of the king and queen to the ancestral Friedenstein Castle. The latest royal decree therefore reverses previous changes made to the Royal versions of the coat arms which removed the armorial bearings of Saxony during the First World War. By including the three official languages in the motto it reflects his wish "to be the King of the whole Kingdom and of all Belgians". year_adopted = 12 July 2019 coronet = Royal crown of Belgium torse = helm = A golden royal helm with the visor open escutcheon = Sable, a lion rampant or, armed and langued gules (Belgium), on the shoulder an escutcheon barry of ten sable and or, a crancelin vert (Wettin), with two crossed sceptres (a hand of justice and a lion) or behind a shield. supporters = Two lions guardant proper each supporting a lance or with two National Flags of Belgium (Tierced per pale Sable, Or and Gules). orders = Order of Leopold motto = other_elements = The whole is placed on a mantle purpure with ermine lining, fringes and tassels or and ensigned with the Royal crown of Belgium. previous_versions = Previously as monarch, Philippe used the royal coat of arms of Belgium undifferenced.