Philippe (1960-…) became the monarch of Belgium in 2013. He succeeded his father, Albert II , who abdicated (gave up the throne). Philippe’s official title is King of the Belgians. In Belgium, the monarch’s duties are mostly ceremonial.
Philippe is the oldest child of Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium. He was born in Brussels , the Belgian capital, on April 15, 1960. His full name is Philippe Léopold Louis Marie (Filip Leopold Lodewijk Maria in Dutch). He became Duke of Brabant—heir to the Belgian throne—upon his father’s accession to the throne in 1993.
After completing his secondary education, Philippe graduated from Belgium’s Royal Military Academy in 1981. He later trained as a commando, fighter pilot, and paratrooper in the Belgian armed forces. He currently holds the ranks of lieutenant-general and vice-admiral.
Philippe studied at Trinity College, Oxford, and Stanford University in California, where he earned an M.A. degree in political science in 1985. Since 1993, Philippe has served as honorary chairman of a number of organizations, including the Belgian Foreign Trade Board (now the Board of the Foreign Trade Agency). He is also a Belgian senator and helicopter pilot.
In 1999, Philippe married Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz, a trained speech therapist and philanthropist. She became Princess Mathilde after their marriage, and, in 2013, became queen of Belgium. The couple have had four children: Elisabeth, the Duchess of Brabant; Gabriel; Emmanuel; and Eléonore.
