King Albert and Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant, eldest son and heir of the Belgian Monarch.

75th Birthday of King Albert II of the Belgians

Better than I could ever praise King Albert II of the Belgians one of his loyal subjects did this on the Monarch's birthday. The blog The Cross of Laeken celebrates the 75th birthday of this very popular King.

Here are just two excepts:

"Today, Belgium's reigning monarch, H.M. King Albert II, celebrates his 75th birthday. He was born June 6, 1934, the second son and third child of King Leopold III and Queen Astrid of the Belgians. He was named after his illustrious grandfather, King Albert I, tragically deceased in a climbing accident only a few months before. At the age of 14 months, Prince Albert (titled "Prince of Liège") lost his mother, equally tragically, in a car crash. He would know no mother until his father's re-marriage, amidst World War II and Nazi occupation, with Lilian Baels, a lovely young Flemish commoner.

"The royal family's captivity in Germany and Austria from 1944-1945 was a terrible ordeal for Prince Albert. The lack of food caused him to develop hunger edema. A leg injury treated perfunctorily by an SS guard turned into gangrene, but, fortunately, Lilian's vehement insistence on obtaining proper medical attention saved the leg of the future King."

I do highly recommend to read the whole posting on The Cross of Laeken.

Happy birthday, Your Majesty!

Bon anniversaire, Sire!

Gelukkige verjaardag, Majesteit!