Royal House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Wettin)

Country: Belgium

Royal House Name: Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Current Head: King Albert II (born June 6, 1934)

Reigned: August 1993-2013 July

King Albert II

Charles I of Spain, Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte and King William of the Netherlands had taken control of Belgium at one point but in the middle of the19^th century, this small country in Western Europe after so many years of economic and religious instability, finally had a King.

King Leopold I came to the Belgian throne in 1830 and his descendants ruled the country ever since. Leopold I was the maternal uncle of Queen Victoria of England and her husband, Prince Albert. He descended from the dukedom of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in Germany, Leopold first married in 1814 to Princess Charlotte, the only child of King George IV of England, but she died while giving birth to their first child. When Leopold was elected King of Belgium he married the French Princess, Marie of Orleans, whom he had six children.

King Albert II, who succeeded his childless brother, King Baudouin in 1993, made a surprise voluntary abdication last July 2013. The King cited his frail health as his mean reason for abdicating the throne, he was succeeded by his eldest son, Philippe. Albert (born June 6, 1934) is the youngest child of King Leopold III and Princess Astrid of Sweden, and a great grandchild of King Christian IX of Denmark. Queen Astrid died in a car crash while Albert was only 1 year old. His only sister, Princess Josephine Charlotte married Prince Jean, the ruler of Luxembourg. The King married Princess Paola Ruffo de Calabria from a princely family in Italy and has 3 children: King Philippe, Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent.

Royal Family of Belgium

His Majesty, King Albert II

Her Majesty, Queen Paola

   HRH The Duke of Brabant

   HRH The Duchess of Brabant

      HRH Princess Elisabeth

      HRH Prince Gabriel

      HRH Prince Emmanuel

      HRH Princess Eleonor

  HRH & HIH Princess Astrid 

  HRH & HIH Prince Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este

     HRH & HIH Prince Amedeo

     HRH & HIH Princess Maria Laura

     HRH & HIH Prince Joachim

     HRH & HIH Princess Luisa Maria

     HRH & HIH Laetitia Maria

HRH Prince Laurent

HRH Princess Claire

     HRH Princess Louise

     HRH Prince Nicolas

     HRH Prince Aymeric

Note: HIH means His or Her Imperial Highness. This is a style given to the Archduke of Austria-Este because it belongs to the former Imperial throne of Austria. The law on succession in Belgium was changed to equal from primogeniture that means daughters have equal right to the throne.

LINE OF SUCCESSION TO THE BELGIAN THRONE

The Duke of Brabant
HRH Princess Elisabeth

HRH Prince Gabriel

HRH Prince Emmanuel

HRH Princess Eleonor
HRH & HIH Princess Astrid 

HRH & HIH Prince Amedeo

HRH & HIH Princess Maria Laura

HRH & HIH Prince Joachim

HRH & HIH Princess Luisa Maria

HRH & HIH Laetitia Maria
HRH Prince Laurent

HRH Princess Louise

HRH Prince Nicolas

HRH Prince Aymeric