In this photo released by the Belgian Prime Ministers Office, Belgium's King Albert II, right and his son Prince Philippe listen to comments prior to the King signing the Act of Abdication during a ceremony at the Palace of the Nation in Brussels on Sunday, July 21, 2013. Philippe will take the oath before parliament to become Belgium's seventh king after his father Albert II abdicated as the head of this fractured nation. Earlier Sunday, the 79-year-old Albert signed away his rights as the kingdom's largely ceremonial ruler at the royal palace in the presence of Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, who holds the political power in this 183-year-old parliamentary democracy. (AP Photo/Belgium Prime Ministers Office, HO)
In this photo released by the Belgian Prime Ministers Office, Belgium's King Albert II, right and his son Prince Philippe listen to comments prior to the King signing the Act of Abdication during a ceremony at the Palace of the Nation in Brussels on Sunday, July 21, 2013. Philippe will take the oath before parliament to become Belgium's seventh king after his father Albert II abdicated as the head of this fractured nation. Earlier Sunday, the 79-year-old Albert signed away his rights as the kingdom's largely ceremonial ruler at the royal palace in the presence of Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, who holds the political power in this 183-year-old parliamentary democracy. (AP Photo/Belgium Prime Ministers Office, HO)
In this photo released by the Belgian Prime Ministers Office, Belgium's King Albert II, left, signs the Act of Abdication as Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, right, looks on during a ceremony at the Palace of the Nation in Brussels on Sunday, July 21, 2013. Belgium's Prince Philippe will take the oath before parliament to become Belgium's seventh king after his father Albert II abdicated as the head of this fractured nation. Earlier Sunday, the 79-year-old Albert signed away his rights as the kingdom's largely ceremonial ruler at the royal palace in the presence of Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, who holds the political power in this 183-year-old parliamentary democracy. (AP Photo/Belgium Prime Ministers Office, HO)
People hold balloons in the Belgian colors and carry a Facebook inspired banner of Belgium's Prince Philippe as they stand outside St. Gudule cathedral in Brussels on Sunday, July 21, 2013. Belgium's King Albert II was set Sunday to relinquish the throne in a concession to his age and health, paving the way for his eldest son to become the country's seventh monarch. (AP Photo/Ezequiel Scagnetti)
BRUSSELS (AP) ? Here is a brief look at the state of Belgium's monarchy as King Albert abdicates, making his son Prince Phillipe the country's seventh king.
NO RULING QUEENS?
Not yet. For years, only men were entitled to the top royal job, until 1991 when laws were changed to allow princesses to take the throne. That means that Philippe's eldest daughter, Princess Elisabeth, becomes first in line to the throne after he becomes king.
WHO IS PRINCE PHILIPPE?
He is the eldest of Albert's three children ? two sons and a daughter ? and husband of Princess Mathilde, with whom he has two sons and two daughters. For a man seen as lacking charisma and political savvy, he has an impressive resume. He is a trained fighter pilot, went to Oxford University and Stanford grad school, and has led dozens of trade missions boosting Belgian business around the world.
NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GE IT?
Being king might sound like a dream job, but in Belgium the monarch has to serve as a unifying figurehead of a nation increasingly divided between Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia. The rift is so deep that it took more than 500 days to build a new ruling coalition after the last general election.
WHAT'S THEIR PROBLEM?
Well, it's mainly about money: The Dutch-speaking Flemings argue that their prosperous region has for decades been economically propping up the more impoverished French-speaking Wallonia.
DIDN'T ANOTHER EUROPEAN ROYAL JUST QUIT?
Indeed. In neighboring the Netherlands, Queen (now Princess) Beatrix abdicated in May and her son Prince (now King) Willem-Alexander took the throne at a lavish ceremony attended by princes and princesses from around the world.
SO IS BELGIUM HOSTING A BIG PARTY, TOO?
Yes and no. Sunday is a national holiday in Belgium, so it's always a party and with the changing of the royal guard it's going to be even bigger than usual. But the guest list is low key, with no foreign royals attending the festivities. Also missing the party are Flemish nationalist lawmakers of the Flemish Interest party who are boycotting the new king's swearing-in ceremony to highlight their republican sympathies and desire for an independent Dutch-speaking Flanders.
WHAT BECOMES OF THE ROYAL TITLES?
Once a king, always a king, applies to Albert. And once a queen, always a queen, applies to his wife, Paola. In a nation so ambivalent about royalty, Belgium will have two kings and three queens on Monday. The ruling couple of Philippe and Mathilde to start with, followed by the retired couple of Albert and Paola. Plus Queen Fabiola, the widow of Baudouin, Albert's predecessor.
ANY ROYAL SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET?
After Albert succeeded his brother Baudouin, he became embroiled in a major royal scandal when he acknowledged he'd had a daughter out of wedlock, throwing his marriage with Queen Paola into a major crisis. The issue came to the fore again this spring when the daughter, Delphine Boel, opened court proceedings to prove Albert is her father.
Associated Presslamichael james acl earthquake los angeles unemployment 2012 nfl draft grades young justice d rose
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.