Saxe Appeal: King of Belgium Reintroduces German Lineage

THE GUARDIAN: Belgian royals, like the British, dropped the name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha after first world war

A century after emulating the British royals by removing vestiges of its German lineage in the wake of the first world war, the Belgian monarchy has reintroduced the shield of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, a former surname, to its coat of arms.

The family name was changed in 1920 to van België, de Belgique or von Belgien (“of Belgium”) in the country’s three official languages as a response to fierce anti-German sentiment.

The German army had killed more than 6,000 Belgian citizens during its invasion and occupation in 1914, in what came to be known as the ”viol de la Belgique”, or rape of Belgium.

As well as ridding the Belgian monarchy of its German name – as did the British royal family, who replaced Saxe-Coburg-Gotha with Windsor in 1917 – Albert I removed the shield of his German ancestry from the royal coat of arms. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Friday, August 2, 2019

Philippe Becomes New Belgian King as Albert II Abdicates

BBC: Crown Prince Philippe has been sworn in as the new Belgian king after the emotional abdication of his father Albert II.

The Oxford- and Stanford-educated, trained air force pilot took the oath as the country's seventh king in a ceremony in parliament.

To warm applause, King Philippe, 53, promised to uphold the constitution.

Belgium has a constitutional monarchy in which the king plays a largely ceremonial role.

One of the duties the monarch does have is trying to resolve constitutional crises.

In his final address before signing a legislative act to step down, 79-year-old King Albert said his country must remain a "source of inspiration" to Europe.

He stressed his wish that Belgium - split between the Dutch-speaking north and the French south - remained united.

His resignation on the grounds of ill-health came after nearly 20 years on the throne and was timed to coincide with Belgium's national day. (+ video) » | Sunday, July 21, 2013


THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Divided Belgium has a new King Philippe: Belgium has a new King Philippe of the Belgians after his father Albert II abdicated after making an emotional exhortation for his countrymen to "work tirelessly" to hold their divided country together. » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Sunday, July 21, 2013

ARD: TAGESSCHAU: Thronwechsel in Belgien: Philippe ist König » | Sonntag. 21. Juli 2013

LES ECHOS.fr: La Belgique célèbre son nouveau roi Philippe: Albert II a abdiqué dimanche en faveur de son fils Philippe, qui a prêté serment comme nouveau roi des Belges dans un pays divisé. » | dimanche 21 juillet 2013


Crying Queen of Belgium breaks down as she watches her husband abdicate and hand over the throne to their son » | Stuart Woledge | Sunday, July 21, 2013

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