Albert I of Belgium - Early Life

Early Life

Belgian Royalty
House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Leopold I
Children
Crown Prince Louis-Philippe
Leopold II
Philippe, Count of Flanders
Charlotte, Empress of Mexico
Grandchildren
Prince Baudouin
Princess Joséphine Marie
Princess Henriette, Duchess of Vendome and Alençon
Joséphine Caroline, Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
Albert I
Leopold II
Children
Louise-Marie, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Leopold, Duke of Brabant
Stéphanie, Crown Princess of Austria
Clémentine, Princess Napoléon
Albert I
Children
Leopold III
Prince Charles
Marie-José, Queen of Italy
Leopold III
Children
Joséphine-Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Baudouin
Albert II
Prince Alexander
Princess Marie-Christine
Princess Maria-Esmeralda
Baudouin
Albert II
Children
Philippe, Duke of Brabant
Astrid, Archduchess of Austria-Este
Prince Laurent
Grandchildren
Princess Elisabeth
Prince Gabriel
Prince Emmanuel
Princess Eléonore
Princess Louise
Prince Nicolas
Prince Aymeric

Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad (in German Albrecht Leopold Clemens Marie Meinrad) in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Prince Philippe was the third (second surviving) son of Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians, and his wife, Marie-Louise of France, and the younger brother of King Leopold II of Belgium. Princess Marie was a relative of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and a member of the non-reigning, Catholic branch of the Hohenzollern family. Albert grew up in the Palace of Flanders, initially as fourth in the line of succession to the Belgian throne. When, however, the only legitimate son of his uncle, Leopold II, died as a child, and Albert's older brother, Prince Baudouin of Belgium, who had been subsequently prepared for the throne, also died young, Albert, at the age of 16, unexpectedly became second in line (after his father) to the Belgian Crown.

Retiring and studious, Albert prepared himself strenuously for the task of kingship. In his youth, Albert was seriously concerned with the situation of the working classes in Belgium, and personally traveled around working class districts incognito, to observe the living conditions of the people. Shortly before his accession to the throne in 1909, Albert undertook an extensive tour of the Belgian Congo, which had been annexed by Belgium in 1908 (after having been previously owned by King Leopold II of Belgium as his personal property), finding the area in poor condition. Upon his return to Belgium, he recommended reforms to protect the native population and to further technological progress in the colony.

He was the 1,152nd Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Austria and the 851st Knight of the Order of the Garter in 1914.

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