King Albert I of The Belgians (1875-1934)

[jonnydep]

As for the King's death the story goes.....The king often liked to spend a couple of days rock climbing at Ardennes, but on this particular day, he had to attend a race meeting at six in the evening and it was decided that he was only to travel the one hours drive to the cliffs at Marche-les-Dames nr Namur. The exercise would keep him in trim for his more serious climbing in the Alps !!

The King and his Valet, had spent about an hours climbing and was returning to the car ready to depart back to Brussels, when the King decided it was still early and and told his valet to wait at the car and he would be back at 4pm, he would take one more ascent.But the King did not return at the appointed time, some hours passed and still no sign of the King. The valet phoned the palace and Captain Dixmude, the king's officier d'ordonnance set out at once followed by the Comte de Grunne and the King's doctor. The Queen was not told, as for as she knew, her husband was at the race meeting presenting prizes!.

For some four hours they searched for the king in the dark freezing conditons with no luck. at midnight they decided to involve four of Belgiums leading climbers in the search. Whilst waiting for their arrival, Captain Dixmude, tripped over a rope to which the King's body was attached. He was lying spread eagled with a deep dash to his head. The cause of the kings fall was due to the rock on which he rested had given way. The King had hit his head against the side of the pinnacle whilst he fell. Death was instantaneous.

When told of his death, the Queen (who knew by now he was missing), sat motionless with her eyes close for twenty minutes !

[maria-olivia]

Thanks Johnnydep to remember Albert the first's tragic death..

[CyrilVladisla]

When he was informed about the Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany's war plan, King Albert remarked:
"Belgium is a nation, not a road."

Albert I with the First World War

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB9AKQsdHQs

In 1919 the grave of President Theodore Roosevelt was visited by King Albert I.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAd2BzKfXl0

[Blog Real]

Prince Albert of Belgium in Madeira Island (1909)
http://hemerotecadigital.cm-lisboa.p..._branca_t0.jpg

[astridlimpens]

Does anyone know any good scientific books or articles about the death of Albert I and in particular the conspiracies about his death?

[rominet09]

Yes the most you can read about it is in the book (unfortunately in French)
LE ROI TUE written by Jacques a.m Noterman.
Jordan le Clercq Editions
ISBN 2-930359-06-4 2004
Plenty of texts and plenty of pix. Very interesting !

[Mbruno]

Footage of the funeral of King Albert I and the enthronement of King Leopold III.

https://youtu.be/CsgPqoVRY2g?t=16

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Albert was married to the excentric Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria, a niece of Empress Sissi of Austria. The marriage was fairly happy generally considered a love match. Previously it was the ambitious Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna who wanted Albert to marry her daughter Grand Duchess Helen (future Pricness Nicholas of Greece), but Albert already had his eyes on Elisabeth. The couple got three children:

According to La Libre, the then Prince Albert's marriage to Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria was never countersigned by the government (why not?) as required by the Belgian Constitution. He nonetheless succceded to the throne for lack of other successors.

Voici pourquoi le prince Amedeo devait demander la permission de se marier au Roi - La Libre.be

[maria-olivia]

This is an old story , the law was not the same.
The Countess de Flandres had a candate a Princess of Orleans , Leopold II refused about their bad health.
Strange thing , there is absolutely no picture from her wedding. Perhaps someone died in the Wittelsbach family and it was a law coast wedding ???

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

This is an old story , the law was not the same.
The Countess de Flandres had a candate a Princess of Orleans , Leopold II refused about their bad health.
Strange thing , there is absolutely no picture from her wedding. Perhaps someone died in the Wittelsbach family and it was a law coast wedding ???

Thank you, but which law?

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

This is an old story , the law was not the same.
The Countess de Flandres had a candate a Princess of Orleans , Leopold II refused about their bad health.
Strange thing , there is absolutely no picture from her wedding. Perhaps someone died in the Wittelsbach family and it was a law coast wedding ???

Isn't there a pic who is supposed to show her at her Wedding Day. But at that time this was wuiet often done. For example there are no pics showing the bridal couples at the wedding of the german-prussian Crown Princely Couple Wilhelm and Cecilie. And from the Wedding of Viktoria Luise of Prussia there are only a few sketches but no pics with the bridal Couple.

[MAfan]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

The Countess de Flandres had a candate a Princess of Orleans , Leopold II refused about their bad health.

The candidate was Princess Isabelle (1878-1961), later Duchess of Guise and mother among the others of the late Count of Paris. But didn't Leopold II oppose in order not to spoil the relationship with the French republican government, like he did when he opposed to the marriage of his daughter Clementine to Prince Napoleon?

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

Strange thing , there is absolutely no picture from her wedding. Perhaps someone died in the Wittelsbach family and it was a law coast wedding ???

I've only came across of one picture of Elisabeth in her bridal gown:
http://i63.tinypic.com/2cq1pgn.jpg
But it's true, it's quite odd that there aren't other pictures.

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

According to La Libre, the then Prince Albert's marriage to Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria was never countersigned by the government (why not?) as required by the Belgian Constitution.

As Evrard Raskin wrote in his biography of Queen Elisabeth, it was an oversight which went unnoticed by the media until after Albert I's inauguration as King of the Belgians.

[maria-olivia]

Thanks Marengo , I guided a lot this Exhibition are was volonteer.
We had no pictures of their wedding. MAfan provides the only one of the Princess.
For her sister who married Prince Rupprecht of Baviera they are plenty.

[Herta]

Is this the complete photografe of the royal family? I thougt i had seen the foto at my grandmothers house in a more completed scène. Sorry i do' speak English, but i do ly best😓

[eya]

DNA tests on blood-stained tree leaves show climbing accident DID kill Belgian King Albert I | Daily Mail Online

[maria-olivia]

We will never know . When the Police and Judges of Dinant came to this very place the late King's Royal Body was already in Laeken.

[Curryong]

An article below about the wedding of Prince Albert and Duchess Elizabeth in Munich, amid 'scenes of wild rejoicing'. Sadly, no photo, though.

The Cross of Laeken: Wedding of Albert & Elisabeth

Unusual that this couple met in 1897 at the funeral of an aunt of Elizabeth's. Wasn't it that of Elizabeth's aunt Sophie, once engaged to King Ludwig of Bavaria? I believe she perished in a dreadful fire in Paris that broke out when she was visiting a bazaar.

[maria-olivia]

Yes, Sophie, Duchesse d' Alençon who was first engaged to King Ludwig II of Bayern.
Our Queen Elisabeth Godmother was Empress Sissi.

[CyrilVladisla]

Originally Posted by Curryong

Unusual that this couple met in 1897 at the funeral of an aunt of Elizabeth's. Wasn't it that of Elizabeth's aunt Sophie, once engaged to King Ludwig of Bavaria? I believe she perished in a dreadful fire in Paris that broke out when she was visiting a bazaar.

Yes. Sophie Charlotte died in a fire at the Bazar de la Charité in Paris, France on May 4, 1897.