Figure 1.--Prince Philippe is seen here, probanly about 1969 in his Belgian Cub uniform. Like many European they use the cap popularized in England. The boys look to be wearing cord short pants. |
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Their eldest son and heir apparent was born on April 15, 1960. Prince Philippe. He grew up with his brother and sister in the more tranquil and prosperous post-World War II era. I have no information on his childhood at this time, other than he was a keen Cub and Scout. I have no information on the clothes Philippe wore as a boy. Prince Philippe was educated at the Collège Saint-Michel in Brussels and the Abdijschool van Zevenkerken in Sint-Andries-Brugge. Afterwards he attended British and American universities. Prince Philippe lived as a bachelor for many years, thrilled Belgians when he mairred Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, a beautiful Belgian of nobel descent in 1999.
Philippe is the son of King Albert II and Queen Paola. As
the eldest son and heir, he also bears the title of Duke of Brabant.
Philippe has a brother and sister:
Princess Astrid: The princess was born on June 5, 1962. Princess
Astrid married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este, who became Prince of
Belgium. They have four children: Prince Amedeo (born on February 21, 1986), Princess Maria Laura (born on August 27, 1988), Prince Joachim (born on December 9, 1991) and Princess Luisa Maria (born on October 11, 1995).
Prince Laurent: Their youngest son was born on October 19,
1963.
I have no information on Prince Philippe's childhood at this time, other than as can be seen here that he was a keen Cub and Scout.
I have no information on the clothes Philippe wore as a boy.
Prince Philippe was eduvated at the Collège Saint-Michel in Brussels and the Abdijschool van Zevenkerken in Sint-Andries-Brugge. He also attended the Royal Military Academy. Following training as a pilot and then as a paratrooper in the Belgian Armed
Forces, he studied Constitutional History at Trinity College, Oxford in the UK (September 1983 - June 1985) and Political Science at Stanford University, California where he received his Master of Arts. According to some reports he is well versed, even having a sophisticated knowlefge, about the major issues confronting Belgium.
The Prince attended the Royal Military Academy in 1978-80. He served as a fighter pilot in the Belgian Air Force. He received training as a paratrooper in 1982-83. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in 1983 and to the rank of Colonel in 1989.
The Belgian people were enthralled in 1999 when their 39-year old crown prince, who many regarded as a confirmed bachelor, decided to mary a beautiful young country woman--Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz. Prince Philippe was a disappointment to many Belgians who criticised him for being too timid. It was rumored that he had no desire to marry. His matrimonial failure was widely seen as a symbol for the decline of the monarchy in Belgium. But Mathilde has changed all of this.
In a country sharply divided by linguistic and ethnic differences where few agree on anything about their country, almost everyone thinks the royal match was brilliant. The princess is a 26-year old speech therapist. She is beautiful, poised, bright, dignified, and just about every Belgian has fallen in love with her. She is of nobel descent and the first future queen actually from Belgium. All of Belgium's other kings beginning in 1830 were mairred to foreigners--including Germans. Philippe's mother Queen Paola, for example, is Italian. Despite her poised, relaxed demenor, Mathilde is the perfect tonic for this sharply divided country because she personifies the compromise that holds together the countries two major groups. Mathilde's family comes from Flemish-speaking Flanders in the north, but they moved to French-speaking Wallonia in the south where she grew up. One Belgian exclaimed, "She's perfect! The bionic princess!," referring to her dual background.
The last royal mairrage took place in Belgium during 1960 when King Baudouin was mairred, but eventually failed to provide an heir. A lot of Europeans link themselves to the royal weddings of their era. It has been about 40 years since the Belgians have had such a mairrage. The wedding has helped to polish the royal image which has been tarnished in recent years with sandelous press reports about Philippe's parents, King Albert and Queen Paola.
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Prince Philippe's wedding with Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz in 1999 was a royal extravaganza. The Belgian people were entralled with the marriage. The ceremopny was conducted with the upmost formality and the wedding party wore elaborate dresses and costumes. Mathilde was beautiful in her traditional white dress. Crown Prince Phillip wore a military uniform. The pages and flower girls wore matching red velvet outfits with frilly lace collars. The girls wore red dresses. The boys wore knicker suits with white stockings. The velvet and lace outfits were not unlike those worn by Belgian royals in the early 20th century.
The Princess was born in Uccle, Brussels on 20th January 1973 of an ancient
noble Belgian family. Her father is the count Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz and her
mother the countess Anne Komorwska. Princess Mathilde spent her childhood in the Ardennes in Villers-la-Bonne-Eau. Her primary schooling was in Bastogne and she furthered her studies in Brussels. She graduated with distinction from the Institut Marie Haps as a
speech therapist in 1994. Since her marriage to Prince Philippe, Princess Mathilde is Princess of Belgium and Duchess of Brabant.
As Crown
Prince, he also bears the title of Duke of Brabant and must keep himself in touch
with all aspects of Belgian society from students and universities to the social,
cultural, economic and commercial institutions, as well as being closely informed
on European Union matters and international issues.
Succeeding his father, as Honorary President of the Belgian Foreign Trade Office
in August 1993, the Prince leads trade and economic missions abroad and is an
enthusiastic promoter of the country's image. He works closely with the
Ministers, and company leaders involved with these missions and makes regular
visits to companies, encouraging greater exports.
Prince Philippe has a personal House and has received a civil list since 1992.
He was appointed Honorary President of the Belgian Foreign Trade Office in August 1993, succeeding his father in this role. In October 1993, he was also appointed President of the National Council for Sustainable Development. As Honorary President of the Belgian Office of Foreign Trade, the Prince leads economic and trade missions abroad and prepares these missions by regular meetings with the Ministers and the representatives of all companies and institutions involved in these missions, as well as numerous visits to export-oriented
companies.
The Prince also attaches particular importance to encouraging private and public initiatives aimed at promoting the image of the country abroad. In addition to these specific roles, the Prince, as Crown Prince, has to keep himself informed about all aspects of Belgian society. He therefore maintains a wide variety of contacts, not only with representatives of commercial and economic institutions, but also with students, universities, schools and social or cultural institutions. He carries out a self-planned programme of visits to various parts of the country and to major cities. He focuses on being in touch with all sections of the population, in particular young people.
The Prince also made several study tours to the Americas, Africa, Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. His travels abroad also included working visits to various
international institutions, such as UN agencies in New York and Geneva, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The Prince takes a keen interest in
developments in Europe and keeps himself closely informed about European Union matters. Through on-site personal participation at projects of non-governmental
organisations, he has shown his strong commitment to humanitarian and international cooperation.
Palace sources insist that Prince Philippe has been underestimated by many of his countrymen because he is fundamentally serious and discrete. He is more likely to be seen bicycling in the countryside than dancing and drinking at a disco or frolicking at seluded Mediterranean beaches. One source says, "Laeken Palace is not Monaco."
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