King Philippe of the Belgians, born Philippe Léopold Louis Marie on 15 April 1960 in Brussels, is the reigning King of the Belgians since 21 July 2013.
He is the eldest child of King Albert II and Queen Paola. He succeeded his father upon Albert’s abdication for health reasons.
Philippe is married to Queen Mathilde, formerly Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz, whom he wed in 1999.
The couple have four children: Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant and heir to the throne; Prince Gabriel; Prince Emmanuel; and Princess Eléonore.
Siblings
King Philippe has two full siblings and one half-sibling. His sister is Princess Astrid, born on 5 June 1962.
She is married to Prince Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este, and they have five children: Amedeo, Maria Laura, Joachim, Luisa Maria, and Laetitia Maria.
Astrid has taken on significant public duties, including leading Belgium’s economic missions abroad since her brother’s accession and involvement in humanitarian and health-related initiatives.
His brother is Prince Laurent, born on 19 October 1963.
Laurent married Claire Coombs in 2003, and they have three children: Princess Louise and the twins Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric.
Laurent has focused on environmental and animal welfare causes while maintaining a more independent public profile.
Philippe also has a half-sister, Princess Delphine of Belgium, born in 1968 from a relationship of his father outside marriage; she was officially recognized and titled in 2020.
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Career
Philippe received a bilingual education in Dutch and French in Belgium before attending the Royal Military Academy.
He trained as a fighter pilot, parachutist, and commando, later rising to the ranks of lieutenant general in the army and air force and vice admiral in the navy.
He continued his studies at Trinity College, Oxford, and earned a master’s degree in political science from Stanford University in 1985.
Upon the death of his uncle King Baudouin in 1993 and his father’s accession, Philippe became heir apparent with the title Duke of Brabant.
From 1993 he served as honorary chairman of the Belgian Foreign Trade Board (later Agency), leading dozens of economic missions abroad to promote Belgian business and trade.
He also chaired the National Council for Sustainable Development and held a seat in the Senate.
On 21 July 2013 he took the constitutional oath as King of the Belgians.
During his reign he has focused on fostering dialogue among Belgium’s communities, supporting economic diplomacy, and addressing social and environmental challenges.
Accolades
As King of the Belgians, Philippe is Grand Master of the Order of Leopold and other Belgian national orders.
He has received numerous foreign decorations, including the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour from France and high ranks in the orders of various European and other nations.
Earlier in his career he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
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