Monarchy of Belgium

7/27/2019 Monarchy of Belgium

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Monarchy of BelgiumFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thetemplatebelow (Infobox monarchy) is being considered for merging. Seetemplates for discussionto help reach a

consensus.

King of the Belgians

MONARCHY

Coat of arms of Belgium

Incumbent:

Philippe

since 21 July 2013

Style: His Majesty

Heir apparent: Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant

First monarch: Leopold I

Formation: 21 July 1831

Website: The Belgian monarchy
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Belgium

This article is part of the series:

Politics and government of

Belgium

Constitution

Monarchy[show]

Federal Parliament[show]

Federal Government[show]

Federal Judiciary[show]

Elections[show]

Subdivisions[show]

Related subjects[show]

Other countries

Atlas

Politics portal

V

T

E
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Monarchy in Belgium isconstitutionalandpopularin nature. The hereditarymonarch, at

presentPhilippe, is thehead of stateand is officially called King of the Belgians(Dutch:Koning der

Belgen,French:Roi des Belges,German:Knig der Belgier).

Contents

[hide]

1 Origins

2 A hereditary and constitutional system

o 2.1 A constitutional monarchy from the beginning

2.1.1 Leopold I, Leopold II, Albert I

2.1.2 Leopold III, Baudouin I

o 2.2 Constitutional, political, and historical consequences 3 List of Kings of the Belgians

4 Title

5 Constitutional role

6 Inviolability

7 Royal Household

8 Members of the Belgian Royal Family

o 8.1 Others descendants of Leopold III

9 Deceased members

10 Royal consorts

11 See also

12 References

13 External links

Origins[edit]

WhenBelgiumbecame independent in 1830 theNational Congresschose aconstitutional

monarchyas theform of government. The Congress voted on the question on 22 November 1830,

supporting monarchy by 174 votes to 13. In February 1831, the Congress nominatedLouis, Duke of

Nemours, the son of theFrenchkingLouis-Philippe, but international considerations deterred Louis-

Philippe from accepting the honour for his son.

Following this refusal, the National Congress appointedErasme-Louis, Baron Surlet de Chokierto be

theRegentof Belgium on 25 February 1831, thus becoming the first head of state of independent

Belgium.Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gothawas designated as King of the Belgians by the National

Congress[1]

and swore allegiance to the Belgian constitution in front of Saint Jacobs Church

atCoudenbergPalace inBrusselson 21 July. This day has since become anational holidayfor

Belgium and its citizens.
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ancehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Philippe_of_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Philippe_of_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Philippe_of_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erasme_Louis_Surlet_de_Chokierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erasme_Louis_Surlet_de_Chokierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erasme_Louis_Surlet_de_Chokierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_I_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_I_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_I_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coudenberghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coudenberghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coudenberghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brusselshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brusselshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brusselshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_dayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_dayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_dayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_dayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brusselshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coudenberghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_I_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erasme_Louis_Surlet_de_Chokierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Philippe_of_Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis,_Duke_of_Nemourshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis,_Duke_of_Nemourshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_of_governmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Congress_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium?veaction=edit&vesection=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Royal_consortshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Deceased_membershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Others_descendants_of_Leopold_IIIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Members_of_the_Belgian_Royal_Familyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Royal_Householdhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Inviolabilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Constitutional_rolehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Titlehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#List_of_Kings_of_the_Belgianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Constitutional.2C_political.2C_and_historical_consequenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Leopold_III.2C_Baudouin_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Leopold_I.2C_Leopold_II.2C_Albert_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#A_constitutional_monarchy_from_the_beginninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#A_hereditary_and_constitutional_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#Originshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Philippe,_Duke_of_Brabanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_monarchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchy


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A hereditary and constitutional system[edit]

Theneutralityof this section isdisputed. Please do not remove

this message until thedispute is resolved.(April 2011)

As ahereditaryconstitutional monarchy system, the role and operation of Belgium's monarchy is

governed by theConstitution. The royal office of King is designated solely for a descendent of the first

King of the Belgians, Leopold I.

Since he is bound by the Constitution[2]

(above all other ideological and religious considerations,

political opinions and debates and economic interests) the King acts as an arbiter and guardian of

Belgium's unity and independence. Belgium's monarchs are inaugurated without the blessing of

theCatholic Churchin a purely civil swearing-in ceremony. These words (above all other ideological

and religious considerations, political opinions and debates and economic interests ) are not written in

the Belgian constitution: nevertheless, they conform with the spirit of this Constitution. There have

been occurrences, however, of Belgian monarchs not always respecting this spirit.[citation needed]

A constitutional monarchy from the beginning[edit]

The Kingdom of Belgium was never anabsolute monarchy. Nevertheless, in 1961, the historian

Ramon Arango, wrote that the Belgian monarchy is not truly constitutional.[3]

Leopold I, Leopold II, Albert I[edit]

Leopold I of Belgiumwas head of Foreign Affairs as anancien rgimemonarch, the foreign ministers

having the authority to do so only as ministers of the king.[4]

Leopold I quickly became one of the

most important shareholders of theSocit Gnrale de Belgique[5]

In many circumstances

Leopold's son,Leopold II of Belgium, publicly expressed opinion against that of the Government (on

15 August 1887, against Prime MinisterAuguste Marie Franois Beernaert), or some MPs (again

against Beernaert in 1905).[6]

For Yvon Gouet this behavior was not in compliance with the

parliamentary system.[7]

Also, at the start ofWorld War I,Albert I of Belgiumstated he was in

command of theBelgian armycontrary to hisPrime MinisterCharles de Broquevilleand, according

to Raymond Fusilier, also against the Belgian Constitution[8]

Luc Schepens wrote similar

opinions:"The two main casualties of World War I are the Constitution and the parliamentary regime.

The king had a role out of proportion with the spirit of the Constitution".[9]

For instance, on 17 May

1926, in a public letter, Albert stated he had faith in theHenri Jaspargovernment, before the

Parliament passed a vote of confidence in this government.[10]

Leopold III, Baudouin I[edit]

Louis Wodon (thechef de cabinetof Leopold III from 1934 to 1940), thought the King's oath to the

Constitution implied a royal position over and above the Constitution. He compared the King to a

father, the head of a family

[11]

According to Arango,Leopold III of Belgiumshared these views aboutthe Belgian monarchy. In 1991, towards the end of the reign ofBaudouin I, Senator Yves de
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ium#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium?veaction=edit&vesection=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium?veaction=edit&vesection=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium?veaction=edit&vesection=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Staffhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Staffhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Staffhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baudouin_I_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baudouin_I_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baudouin_I_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baudouin_I_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Staffhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium?veaction=edit&vesection=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Jasparhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_de_Broquevillehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Ministerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_I_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Marie_Fran%C3%A7ois_Beernaerthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9_G%C3%A9n%C3%A9rale_de_Belgiquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancien_R%C3%A9gimehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_I_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium?veaction=edit&vesection=4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_monarchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium?veaction=edit&vesection=3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Churchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hereditaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:NPOVD#What_is_an_NPOV_dispute.3Fhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:NPOV_disputehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_viewhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium?veaction=edit&vesection=2


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Wasseige, a former member of theBelgian Constitutional Court, cited four points of democracy

which the Belgian Constitution lacks: 1. the King chooses the ministers, 2. the King is able to

influence the ministers when he speaks with them about bills, projects and nominations, 3. the King

promulgates bills, and, 4. the King must agree to any change of the Constitution[12]

Constitutional, political, and historicalconsequences[edit]

The Belgian monarchy was immediately a constitutional monarchy, patterned after that of theUnited

Kingdom.[13][14]

"It should be observed that all monarchies have suffered periods of change as a result

of which the power of the sovereign was reduced, but for the most part those periods occurred before

the development of the system of constitutionnal monarchy and were steps leading to its

establishment.".[15]

The characteristic evidence of this is in Great Britain where there was an

evolution from the time when kings ruled through the agency of ministers to that time when ministersbegan to govern through the instrumentality of theCrown.

Unlike the British constitutional system, in Belgium the monarchy underwent a belated

evolution which came after[16]

the establishment of the constitutional monarchical

system[17]

because, in 1830-1831, an independent state, parliamentary system and monarchy were

established simultaneously. Hans Daalder, Professor of political science at theRijksuniversiteit

Leidenwrote: "Did such simultaneous developments not result in a possible failure to lay down the

limits of the royal prerogratives with some precision - which implied that the view of the King as the

Keeper of the Nation, with rights and duties of its own, retained legitimacy?"[18]

For Raymond Fusilier, the Belgian monarchy had to be placed - at least in the beginning - between

the regimes where the king rules and the regime when the king does not rule but only reigns. The

Belgian monarchy is closer to the principle the King does not rule[19]

But the Belgian kings were not

only at the head of the dignified part of the Constitution.[20]

The Belgian monarchy is not merely

symbolic, because it rules as far as the King agrees with his ministers .[21]

ForFrancis Delpre, to

reign does not only mean to preside over ceremonies but also to take a part in the running of the

State.[22]

The Belgian historianJean Stengerswrote that some foreigners believe the monarchy is

indispensable to national unity. The King is but a piece over the political scene (in French literally

translated: on the chessboard), but a piece which matters.[23]
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Documents

Monarchy of Belgium