Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant

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Prince Philippe,
Duke of Brabant,
Prince of Belgium
Born April 15, 1960 (1960-04-15) (age 48)
Other names Philippe Léopold Louis Marie
Title Duke of Brabant,
Prince of Belgium
Spouse Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz
Children Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel, Princess Eléonore
Parents Albert II of Belgium and Paola Ruffo di Calabria
Relatives Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent of Belgium
Belgian Royal Family
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Styles of
Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant
Reference style His Royal Highness
Spoken style Your Royal Highness
Alternative style Sir

Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant, Prince of Belgium (French: Philippe Léopold Louis Marie, Dutch: Filip(s) Leopold Lodewijk Maria), styled His Royal Highness (born 15 April 1960), is the eldest son and heir apparent of Albert II, King of the Belgians. His godparents were his paternal grandfather, King Leopold III of the Belgians and his maternal grandmother Donna Luisa, Princess Ruffo di Calabria.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Prince Philippe was educated at the Belgian Royal Military School. From 1978 to 1981 he continued his education at Oxford University's Trinity College and finally attended Graduate School at Stanford University, California where he graduated in 1985 with an MA in Political Science.

He was appointed as a Second Lieutenant in 1980 and obtained his fighter pilot's wings and his certificates as a parachutist and a commando. In 1989, the Prince attended a series of special sessions at the Royal Higher Defence Institute. The same year, he was promoted to Colonel. On 25 March 2001, the Prince was appointed to the rank of Major-General in the Land Component and the Air Component and to the rank of Rear-Admiral in the Naval Component.

Prince Philippe married Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, daughter of a Belgian noble family, on December 4, 1999, and they have four children:

If Philippe assumes the throne, Princess Mathilde will become the first Belgian-born Queen Consort.

Owing to the amendment to the laws of succession (the Lex Salica, or Salic Law) from eldest son to eldest child, Princess Elisabeth is next in the line of succession after her father, followed by her younger brothers, Princes Gabriel and Emmanuel and her younger sister Princess Eléonore.

Recently, the Prince has been a target of criticism within Belgium for his political and social conservatism. During his bachelorhood, vocal detractors had called for him to step out of the line of succession and to allow a more liberal member of the royal family (though the identity of that liberal member wasn't revealed) to take his place.

For some years, Philippe, though second-in-line to the throne, was treated as the likely heir of his childless uncle, King Baudouin. As Baudouin and his wife were unable to have children, they became very close to Philippe. However on Baudouin's premature death in 1993, Philippe's father, Albert, inherited the throne.

[edit] Titles

As differentiated from King Albert II's title, King of the Belgians, Prince Philippe is called Prince of Belgium, not Prince of the Belgians, a title that does not exist. He is also Duke of Brabant, the traditional title of the heir apparent to the Belgian throne. This title precedes the title Prince of Belgium.

His style currently is: His Royal Highness Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant, Prince of Belgium.

If Philippe succeeds to the throne, he will be known as either King Philippe I or, if he chooses, Leopold IV.[citation needed]

[edit] Ancestry

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16. Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8. Albert I of Belgium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 17. Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4. Leopold III of Belgium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18. Karl-Theodor, Duke in Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9. Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 19. Infanta Maria Josepha of Portugal
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2. Albert II of Belgium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 20. Oscar II of Sweden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10. Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21. Princess Sofia of Nassau
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5. Princess Astrid of Sweden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 22. Frederick VIII of Denmark
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 11. Princess Ingeborg of Denmark
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 23. Princess Lovisa of Sweden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1. Philippe, Duke of Brabant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 24. Fulco VI Ruffo of Calabria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12. Fulco VII Beniamino Tristano Ruffo of Calabria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 25. Eleonora Galletti di San Cataldo
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6. Fulco VIII Ruffo of Calabria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 26. Théodore Mosselman du Chenoy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13. Laura Mosselmann du Chenoy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 27. Isabelle Coghen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3. Princess Paola Ruffo di Calabria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 28. Calisto Gazelli di Rossana
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 14. Augusto Gazelli, Count Rossana e San Sebastiano
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 29. Francesca Cotti di Ceres
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7. Luisa Gazelli di Rossana e di Sebastiano
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 30. Félix, comte Rignon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 15. Countess Maria Cristina Rignon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 31. Luisa Perrone di San Martino
 
 
 
 
 
 

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant
Cadet branch of the House of Wettin
Born: 15 April 1960
Belgian royalty
Vacant
Title last held by
Baudouin		 Duke of Brabant
1993-		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Albert II
current monarch		 Line of succession to the Belgian throne
1st position		 Succeeded by
Princess Elisabeth
Titles in pretence
Preceded by
Albert II		 Line of succession to the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha throne
23rd position		 Succeeded by
Prince Gabriel