On This Day: Belgian Royal Family

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by Countessmeout

But since she has been legally acknowledged as Albert's

She hasn't yet been legally acknowledged as King Albert's daughter. She and her attorneys will file an application for legal acknowledgement, which will be heard by the court on September 10.

https://www.sudinfo.be/id199788/arti...u-10-septembre

[CyrilVladisla]

On this day, September 19, 1902 ~ Demise of Queen Marie Henriette of Belgium, wife of King Leopold II

[Countessmeout]

September 27, 1275 the birth of John II, Duke of Brabant. He was known as the peaceful.


He was the son of John the Victorious, Duke of Brabant who was venerated as a folk hero, the perfect example of a chivalric prince. His mother was Margaret of Flanders, daughter of Guy of Dampierre, Count of Flanders. John was the second of four children. His elder brother Godfrey died though in 1283 at 9. His sister Margaret married Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor with whom she had three children including Marie of France (wife of Charles IV). His sister Maria married Amadeus V, Count of Savoy as his second wife and bore him 4 daughters.

John succeeded his father as Duke in 1294. He worked to help support a fight against French expansion.

In 1309 the Crusade of the Poor came into the borders of Brabant. It was a group of poor men who had assembled a militia of sorts from France, England, Germany and Brabant. Along their way to join the Papal army they started looting, getting into conflict with local authorities and persecuting Jews. Over 100 Jews had been massacred by the 'brothers of the cross' when they had tried to seek refuge in the castle of Born in Guelders.

The Jews of Leuven and Tienan sought sanctuary after the massacre in Guelders. They sought refuge in the castle of Genappe. John sent his troops to Genappe to drive the crusaders away from the castle, to protect the Jews who he believed he owed protection to in his lands. The crusaders suffered heavy casualties at the hands of John's troops.

In 1312 John signed the Charter of Kortenberg in an attempt to secure a peaceful transition to his son. A charter of rights like the Magna Carta, it was far more democratic, giving rights not simply to the Barons like in England.

He died October 27 of that years in Tervuren. He had been suffering from kidney stones for some time. He was buried at St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral in Brussels.

John had been married in July 1290 at the age of 15 to Margaret of England. Margaret was the daughter of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile. Among her full siblings were Edward II and Joan of Acre. They were married in London at Westminster. Margaret was a few months older then her husband. They attended the wedding of Edward II and Isabella, and later the coronation of the couple. His wife bore him only one child, a son.

-John: would succeed his father as John III. He married Marie d'Évreux with whom he had six children. He was succeeded by his eldest daughter Joanna.

He had at least four known bastards. The House of Glyme was founded by one of these bastards, Jan Cordeken. He was legitimized by emperor Louis IV. They held quite a few positions of power over time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Glyme

Margaret out lived her husband by 22 years. She was the last surviving and longest surviving child of her father. She died during the reign of her nephew Edward III.

[CyrilVladisla]

On this day, October 10, 1903 ~ Birth of Prince Charles of Belgium, Count of Flanders

[An Ard Ri]

And possibly the only Prince Regent of Belgium which he served as from 1944-1950

[CyrilVladisla]

On this day, November 3, 1901 ~ Birth of King Leopold III of the Belgians

[Countessmeout]

November 23, 1965 death of Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Belgium.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-XIttXA_Co

She was born in Possenhofen Castle in Bavaria. Her father was Karl-Theodor, Duke in Bavaria. Her father was the younger brother of Empress Sissi. He named his daughter after his Imperial sister. Her father as well as being a royal, actually practiced medicine as an ophthalmologist. Her mother was Maria Josepha of Portugal, a daughter of Miguel I. Her mother was her father's second wife. He had originally been married to Sophie of Saxony with whom he had a daughter Duchess Amalia. Elisabeth was the second of five children born to her parents. As well as her half sister Amalia, she had 2 sisters and 2 brothers. Her younger sister married the Crown Prince of Bavaria.

Elisabeth grew up with a deep passion for art and music thanks to her father. But she also learned about the suffering of others. Like her mother, Elisabeth often helped her father out in her clinic and saw the suffering of others.

October 2, 1900 she was married to Prince Albert of Belgium, who was at the time second in line to the throne. He was the grandson of Leopold I of Belgium. His father was Leopold's third son Philip, Count of Flanders (2nd to reach adulthood as his eldest brother died in infancy). At the time of their marriage, his Uncle Leopold II was on the throne (he had inherited it from his father in 1865). Though Leopold II and his wife Marie-Henrietta had four children, their only son Leopold had died in 1869 at age ten. In absence of a son, his heir was Albert's father Philip. Albert was the youngest of his parents five children, but his only brother had died on influenza in 1891. Albert's mother Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmarion was a sister of King Carol I of Romania.



Her husband became first in line for the throne on the death of his father in 1905. The couple ascended the Belgian throne in 1909 on the death of Leopold II. Elisabeth was far more active as queen then any of the queens before her. She became very involved with charity work and the arts.


During WWI she helped found the Symphony Orchestra of the Field Army. She often brought messages to the British government from her husband under the guise of visiting her children who were at school in the UK. She and her husband stayed in De Panne during the war. She became well known and loved for visiting the front lines during the war, and sponsoring a nursing unit.

She was widowed February 17, 1934 when her husband died in a mountaineering accident. Her husband was succeeded by their eldest son who became Leopold III.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsgPqoVRY2g

Elisabeth would live to see Leopold abdicate the throne, her younger son serve as regent for a time, and the ascension of her grandson to the throne.


Elisabeth is one of several royal women who was rewarded the honor of 'Righteous Among the Nations' by the state of Israel for her actions in WWII. She had used her position and German connections to prevent hundreds of Jewish children from being deported by the Nazis during the war.


She died at the age of 89 in Belgium from a heart attack. She was buried in the Church of Our lady of Laeken.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DorbK84_S_I

She and her husband had three children:

-Leopold: succeeded his father as Leopold III. He was married twice. He married Princess Astrid of Sweden with whom he had three children: King Baudouin, King Albert II and Josephine Charlotte of Luxembourg. His second marriage was to Lilian Baels with whom he had a further three children: Alexandre, Marie-Christine, and Marie-Esmerelda.He abdicated in favor of his eldest son in 1951.

-Charles: Count of Flanders like his grandfather. Served as regent of Belgium from 1944-1950. He had a natural daughter Isabelle and there was some speculation he was married but no evidence. He died several months before Leopold died.

-Marie-Jose: Married Umberto II of Italy. Had three daughters and a son with Umberto. After being exiled from Italy in 1946 her and her husband separated though never divorced, Umberto living in Portugal and her in Switzerland.

[An Ard Ri]

One of the longest lived Belgian royals and what a life queen Elisabeth lived.

[Countessmeout]

December 5, 2014 death of Queen Fabiola of Belgium.


Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón was born June 11, 1928 in Madrid. She was the daughter of Don Gonzalo de Mora y Fernández y Riera y del Olmo, 4th Marqués de Casa Riera, 2nd Count of Mora. Her maternal grandmother was the 6th Marchioness of Casa Torres. Queen Victoria Eugenie was her godmother.

She was the 5th of 6 children in her family. Her brother Jaime was an actor.

Prior to her marriage she worked as a nurse in Madrid. And even published a book of fairy tales. Her fairy tale 'The Indian Water Lilies' had its own pavilion in the Efteling Theme park in 1966.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jelz7uKGaYA

December 15, 1960 she was married to King Baudouin of the Belgians. She was 32 and her groom was 30. He had come to the throne 10 years prior. The couple were married for 33 years. Sadly despite 5 pregnancies, the couple had no children.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf78otQu9V8

Sadly her husband died from heart failure in July 1993, while they were in Spain. Her husband was succeeded by his brother Albert II.


Following the death of her husband's grandmother Queen Elisabeth in 1965 she served as honorary president of the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition. And after her husband's death she became president of the King Baudouin Foundation which had been started in 1976 to mark 25 years on the throne. She established the Queen Fabiola Fund for Mental Health.


After her husband's death she retired to Château du Stuyvenberg and reduced her public role as not to over shadow Paola. But she remained a constant in her devotion to her charity work.


Fabiola had been in ill health for some years when she died. She had suffered a long bout of pnemonia in 2009 which she never fully recovered, and suffered from osteoperosis. She died at her home.


Members of every European monarchy but Britain and Monaco attended her funeral. As well the Empress of Japan, Farrah of Iran and Maha Chakri of Thailand were in attendance. The Empress of Japan had a special relationship with Fabiola and her husband as Baudouin had played a key role in helping her and Akihito fall in love. He sent messages between the two of them, and helped negotiate their marriage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArCB0Javb-0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZgHyC6h3Xo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wcXONdo4Fg

[Moonmaiden23]

I miss Queen Fabiola. She and Baudouin would have celebrated 60 years of happy marriage next week.

[Countessmeout]

January 8, 1930 wedding of Princess Marie Jose of Belgium to Umberto II of Italy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho2bCBnNrBk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gxB7fI-QkQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz0paPmDT3s

Marie Jose was born August 4, 1906. The 24 year old bride was the daughter of Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. She was their youngest child and only daughter. Her brothers were the future King Leopold III and Prince Charles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-...n_of_Italy.jpg

Umberto was born September 15, 1904.The 26 year old groom was CP of Italy at the time of their wedding. He was the son of Victor Emmanuel III and and Princess Elena of Montenegro. Umberto was the 3rd of 5 children, with all sisters. His sister Giovanna would become Queen consort of Bulgaria.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbert...o_II,_1944.jpg

The couple were married at the Quirnal palace in Rome. Marie Jose's famous turqoise set was a gift from her parents for the wedding. She first wore them to a ball two days before her wedding.

Queen Marie-Jose's Turquoise Parure | The Court Jeweller

They were linked in the press as early as 1923. Marie Jose being a Catholic royal and one educated in Italy made her a perfect potential bride for Umberto. Their engagement had been announced October 24, 1929 (better known as Black Friday in the history books).

Guests of the wedding included

-Leopold and Astrid (brother and sister in law of the bride)
-Duke of York (future George VI)
-Manuel II of Portugal
-Sophie of Greece
-King Amanullah Khan and Queen Soraya of Afghanistan
-King Boris III of Bulgaria
-Princess Xenia of Montenegro (maternal aunt of the groom)
-Grand Duchess Militza of Russia (maternal aunt of the groom)
-Prince Kyril and Princess Eudoxia of Brazil
-Prince and Princess Paul of Yugoslavia
-Prince Kyril of Bulgaria
-Crown Princess Antonia of Bavaria

They had an attendance with the pope following the ceremony at the Vatican before they joined their guests at the reception.


They were queen and king of Italy for a month, in 1946 before they were forced into exile with other members of the royal family. The couple moved to Portugal but they eventually seperated with Marie Jose moving to Switzerland. They remained married until his death in 1983. Umberto died in Switzerland while unsuccessfully petitioning to be allowed home to Italy to die. Marie Jose spent some time in Mexico with her daughter and grandchildren. Unlike her husband she was allowed to return to Italy for visits after his death. She would die in Geneva in 2001 at the age of 94. She was burried with her husband in Hautecombe Abbey in Savoy. She outlived her brothers and many other members of her family.


The marriage produced four children:

-Maria Pia: Has been married twice. Her first marriage was to Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia with whom she had two sets of twins, three sons and one daughter. She has four grandchildren from her two younger children. Her second marriage was to Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma. She has no children with Michel. It was a second marriage for both. Michel had five children with his first wife Princess Yolande de Broglie-Revel. Both her first and second husbands died, Alexander in 2016 and Michel in 2018.

-Vittorio Emmanuele: Prince of Naples. Married to Marina Ricolfi-Doria with whom he has one son. He has been fighting with his cousin Amedeo, Duke of Aosta as to who is head of the royal family (got into a fight with him at the wedding of Felipe and Letizia).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMIHay3wQJc

-Maria Gabriella: married Robert Zellinger de Balkany with whom she had one daughter before they divorced in 1990. Her ex husband died in 2015.

-Maria Beatrice: she married Luis Rafael Reyna-Corvalán y Dillon. They divorced in 1998. She has three children and 2 grandchildren. Her ex was murdered in 1999 and her eldest son has died as well. It was with her that Marie Jose lived in Mexico for some time.

[CyrilVladisla]

On this day, January 23, 1890 ~ Demise of Prince Baudouin of Belgium, son of Philippe, Count of Flanders

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by CyrilVladisla

On this day, January 23, 1890 ~ Demise of Prince Baudouin of Belgium, son of Philippe, Count of Flanders

Prince Baudouin of Belgium was only 21 when he died following a bout of influenza. The Prince is buried at Notre-Dame de Laeken which is the principal burial site of the Belgian RF.

[An Ard Ri]

30th of January 1384 : Death of Louis II, Count of Flanders


Louis II was Count of Flanders Nevers and Rethel from 1346 until his death and was also Count of Artois and Burgundy by his marriage to Marguerite de Brabant.
Louis died at Lille and was buried at the Collégiale Saint-Pierre but this was looted and demolished by the French in 1794 and the tomb/burial also lost.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_...nt_of_Flanders

[An Ard Ri]

February 1st, 1248 : Death of Henri II ,Duke of Brabant and Count of Louvain


Henri II was Duke following the death of his father Henry I in 1235 until his own death in 1248.The duke was buried at the now ruined abbaye de Villers-en-Brabant ,the tombs were looted and destroyed by the French in 1796.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_II,_Duke_of_Brabant

[An Ard Ri]

7th of February 1259,Death of Thomas II, Count of Flanders , Hainaut & Piedmont.


Thomas of Savoy was born c1199 the son of Thomas I of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva.
In 1237 he married Joan, Countess of Flanders but the marriage was childless and she died in 1244.Thomas later remarried Beatrice Fieschi in 1251 by who he had several children.


The Count is buried at Aosta Cathedral in Italy where his tomb and burial have survived.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas,_Count_of_Flanders

[An Ard Ri]

February 10th,1280 : Death of Marguerite II, Countess of Flanders and Countess of Hainaut.

Marguerite was born in 1202 .Following the death of her older sister Jeanne in 1244 she became Countess of Flanders and Hainaut .Marguerite was married twice by her first marriage to Bouchard of Avesnes she had 2 sons ,however this union was dissolved and in 1223, she married William II of Dampierre by whom she had several children.

The Countess died at Ghent in modern day Belgium. Her remains were buried beside her second husband William II of Dampierre at the now destroyed l'abbaye L'Honneur Notre-Dame de Flines .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margar...ss_of_Flanders

[An Ard Ri]

February 13th, 1457 : Birth of Mary of Burgundy.


Mary was the daughter and heiress of Charles the Bold and Isabella de Bourbon. Following her father's death at the battle of Nancy in January 1477 Mary succeeded him as Duchess Regnant. In August 1477 she married Archduke Maximilian of Austria (future Holy Roman Emperor) at Ghent.The couple had 2 surviving children

Philip the Handsome (later Duke of Burgundy and King of Castile)
The Archduchess Margaret of Austria (later Princess of Asturias , Duchess of Savoy and Regent of the Low Countries)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_of_Burgundy

[CyrilVladisla]

On this day, March 24, 1837 ~ Birth of Philippe, Count of Flanders at the Royal Castle of Laeken

[CyrilVladisla]

On this day, April 3, 1812 ~ Birth of Louise-Marie of Orleans, Queen of the Belgians, wife of King Leopold I of the Belgians