Weighed down by the years, Belgium’s King Albert announced on Wednesday that he will hand the throne of his kingdom to his son Crown Prince Philippe on the country’s national holiday, July 21.
The move had been rumored for weeks and will end nearly two decades of steady reign over a country increasingly torn apart by political strife between northern Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking southern Wallonia.
Belying his frailty and 79 years of age, Albert stood upright and confident as he delivered the message to the cameras.
Albert said his age and health no longer allowed him to carry out his functions as he would want to.
Belgium has had six kings since independence and Albert is the first to voluntarily abdicate the throne.
However, he was the second European monarch to do so in barely two months. Beatrix of the Netherlands stepped down in April after a 33-year reign in favor of her eldest son, who was appointed King Willem-Alexander.
“After a reign of 20 years I believe the moment is here to hand over the torch to the next generation,” Albert said in a nationwide address carried by all of Belgium’s major broadcasters. “Prince Philippe is well prepared to succeed me.”
That has long been an issue of deep contention. When Albert’s brother, king Baudouin, died in 1993, it was widely expected that Philippe would take the throne instead of his father.
Yet, he was considered unprepared for the task at hand. Even now, at 53, the silver-haired Philippe has plenty of critics who see him as awkward and reclusive.
Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo said that Prince Philippe “has shown a great sense of responsibility in preparing” for the throne.
Under the reign of his father, Philippe was groomed for the job as a leader of foreign trade delegations. Married to Princess Mathilde, the couple has four children.
The hesitations about Philippe may well last past July 21.
The kingdom has increasingly become a divided nation, with the 10.5 million Belgians split into distinct Dutch-speaking Flemings and French-speaking Walloons.
Belgium found itself without a government for a record 541 days before the team of Di Rupo could take the oath in 2011.
Albert had to be involved in the talks because one of the few real powers a Belgian monarch has is to appoint government brokers.
Reflecting the strife, a few dozen protesters of the extreme right Flemish Interest party posted themselves in front of the royal palace on Wednesday with a huge banner that said “Flanders Independent.”
Belgium is enjoying something of a political lull as it prepares for potentially bruising nationwide and regional elections next spring, with the question of greater division expected to at the heart of debates. An abdication at that stage would have been inconceivable.
Reynebeau said that as Flanders and Wallonia drifted further apart, Albert’s “most important gift is that he provided a sense of stability.”
In his personal life, Albert has had his ups and downs.
After he succeeded his brother Baudouin, he became embroiled in a major royal scandal when he had to acknowledge he had a daughter out of wedlock, throwing his marriage with Queen Paola into a crisis.
The issue came to the fore again this spring when the daughter, Delphine Boel, opened court proceedings to prove Albert is her father.
After the formal and stiff Baudouin, Albert did bring some earthy and easygoing charm to the royalty.
Di Rupo said Albert won over people “thanks to enthusiasm, sense of humor and attitude.”
It was no secret that the years were taking their toll on Albert. The king had become increasingly frail, sometimes relying on a walking stick.
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese