Belgian Royal Birthdays

The King of the Belgians celebrates his 54th birthday on April 15th. Philippe was born at the Chateau de Belvedere in Brussels in 1960, the eldest child and son of former King Albert II and Queen Paola.

The infant Prince was baptised with the names Philippe Léopold Louis Marie at the Church of Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg near the Royal Palace in Brussels. Chosen as his godparents were his paternal grandfather, former King Leopold III of Belgium, and his maternal grandmother, Luisa Gazelli di Rossana e di Sebastiano, Duchess of Guardia Lombarda.

Following the accession of his father to the Belgian Throne in 1993, Philippe was created the Duke of Brabant. In December 1999, Philippe married the Belgian-Polish noble Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels. The royal couple have four children: Elisabeth, Gabriel, Emmanuel and Éléonore. The Duke and Duchess of Brabant were well-known faces at most European royal weddings and various other celebrations.

In July 2013, King Albert II abdicated and Philippe succeeded him as the 7th King of the Belgians. This birthday will be Philippe’s first one as King!

The King’s younger daughter, Princess Eléonore, celebrates her 6th birthday tomorrow, April 16th. She was born at the Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht in 2008.

The infant Princess was baptised with the names Eléonore Fabiola Victoria Anne Marie on June 14th, 2008 at the chapel of Château Royal de Ciergnon in Southern Belgium. The baptism was performed by Cardinal Godfried Danneels, her godparents included Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Princess Claire of Belgium and Count Sébastien von Westphalen zu Fürstenberg.

Currently Princess Eléonore is fourth in line to the Belgian throne; she has three older siblings: Elisabeth, Gabriel and Emmanuel. The Princess was present at last summer’s abdication ceremony of her grandfather, Albert II, and the enthronement of her father,  King Philippe.

Filed under Belgium
Tagged Birthday, King Philippe of the Belgians, Princess Eléonore of Belgium.