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| Belgium's King Albert II to abdicate in favour of son | Belgium's King Albert II to abdicate in favour of son |
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| Belgium's King Albert II announced his abdication from the throne on Wednesday, ending months of speculation about an early end to his 20-year reign which has been marked by political strife between northern Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking southern Wallonia. | Belgium's King Albert II announced his abdication from the throne on Wednesday, ending months of speculation about an early end to his 20-year reign which has been marked by political strife between northern Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking southern Wallonia. |
Reading from notes, a frail looking Albert said his "age and health" no longer allowed him to carry out his functions. He thanked the nation for its "trust, kind gestures and support "and sometimes your criticism." | The live television announcement by Albert, 79, that he would step down in favour of his son, Crown Prince Philippe, 53, came just months after Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands handed power to her eldest son, bucking the trend of European monarchs who doggedly cling to their titles into old age. Reading from notes, a frail looking Albert said his "age and health" no longer allowed him to carry out his functions. He thanked the nation for its "trust, kind gestures and support "and sometimes your criticism." |
| Albert was sworn in as the sixth king of the Belgians on 9 August 1993, following the death of his childless brother, King Baudouin at the age of 62. The abdication will take effect on Belgium's national day, 21 July. | |
| The Belgian monarchy is largely a ceremonial position, but Albert had in recent years been forced into playing a mediator role when his increasingly divided kingdom of 10.5m people found itself without a government for a record 541 days during political deadlock between representatives in northern, Dutch-speaking Flanders and southern, French-speaking Wallonia. | The Belgian monarchy is largely a ceremonial position, but Albert had in recent years been forced into playing a mediator role when his increasingly divided kingdom of 10.5m people found itself without a government for a record 541 days during political deadlock between representatives in northern, Dutch-speaking Flanders and southern, French-speaking Wallonia. |
| Although increasingly frail, he was at times seen as Belgium's sole national figure in a fractured country. "His most important gift is that he provided a sense of stability," historian and author Marc Reynebeau told the Associated Press. | Although increasingly frail, he was at times seen as Belgium's sole national figure in a fractured country. "His most important gift is that he provided a sense of stability," historian and author Marc Reynebeau told the Associated Press. |
| But his family life was much more complex and controversial. His first royal scandal came a few years after he became king when Delphine Boël, a British-educated artist, came forward claiming she was his illegitimate daughter born out of an extra-marital relationship. | But his family life was much more complex and controversial. His first royal scandal came a few years after he became king when Delphine Boël, a British-educated artist, came forward claiming she was his illegitimate daughter born out of an extra-marital relationship. |
| This caused a major crisis in his marriage with Queen Paola and made headlines again this spring when Boël filed a court case to demand a paternity DNA test to prove she was his daughter. "A child does not ask to come into the world. Whether king or gamekeeper, you are responsible for the child you have fathered," Boël wrote in a memoir. | This caused a major crisis in his marriage with Queen Paola and made headlines again this spring when Boël filed a court case to demand a paternity DNA test to prove she was his daughter. "A child does not ask to come into the world. Whether king or gamekeeper, you are responsible for the child you have fathered," Boël wrote in a memoir. |
| Recently the royal family has come under pressure and seen its public popularity shaken by allegations of sleaze and lavish personal spending habits while the rest of the country struggles with financial crisis. Earlier this year when the dowager Queen Fabiola was alleged to have created a family foundation to funnel taxpayers money to her relatives and avoid death duties Albert issued a highly unusual statement confessing he had been "humbled" by the tales of financial impropriety. | Recently the royal family has come under pressure and seen its public popularity shaken by allegations of sleaze and lavish personal spending habits while the rest of the country struggles with financial crisis. Earlier this year when the dowager Queen Fabiola was alleged to have created a family foundation to funnel taxpayers money to her relatives and avoid death duties Albert issued a highly unusual statement confessing he had been "humbled" by the tales of financial impropriety. |
| The 84-year-old, the widow of his late brother and predecessor, had been paid an annual public stipend of over £1m since the death of her husband in 1993. "Recent events have pained me and dealt a lesson in humility. The royal family has to show an example in all circumstances," Albert said. Le Soir, the main French-language newspaper warned: "He knows how fragile is the institution he represents." | The 84-year-old, the widow of his late brother and predecessor, had been paid an annual public stipend of over £1m since the death of her husband in 1993. "Recent events have pained me and dealt a lesson in humility. The royal family has to show an example in all circumstances," Albert said. Le Soir, the main French-language newspaper warned: "He knows how fragile is the institution he represents." |
| In the wake of the row, the Socialist-led Government announced earlier this month that for the fist time since independence in 1830, members of the royal household would have to pay taxes and have their expenses closely monitored. | In the wake of the row, the Socialist-led Government announced earlier this month that for the fist time since independence in 1830, members of the royal household would have to pay taxes and have their expenses closely monitored. |
| King Albert kept his annual tax-free allowance of €11.5m, because the constitution did not allow for changing rules for the reigning royal. But the future king Prince Philippe, a trained fighter pilot, saw his salary reduced and will likely take the throne under much more financial scrutiny. King Albert is both the oldest Belgian king and the first to voluntarily relinquish his throne. The Belgian prime minister Elio Di Rupo said: "His decision deserves our admiration. Albert II was not born to be king. But thanks to his enthusiasm, empathy, humour, he became for 20 years fully our king." | King Albert kept his annual tax-free allowance of €11.5m, because the constitution did not allow for changing rules for the reigning royal. But the future king Prince Philippe, a trained fighter pilot, saw his salary reduced and will likely take the throne under much more financial scrutiny. King Albert is both the oldest Belgian king and the first to voluntarily relinquish his throne. The Belgian prime minister Elio Di Rupo said: "His decision deserves our admiration. Albert II was not born to be king. But thanks to his enthusiasm, empathy, humour, he became for 20 years fully our king." |
| In March, a poll in Le Soir found 46% of people felt King Albert should abdicate and 54% wanted him to stay. | In March, a poll in Le Soir found 46% of people felt King Albert should abdicate and 54% wanted him to stay. |
| • This article was amended on 4 July 2013. The original referred to "Hollande's Queen Beatrix" and described 21 July as Belgium's independence day. It also referred to Queen Beatrix's abdication "ending the tradition of European monarchs who doggedly cling to their titles into old age"; while that is the wider European trend, Beatrix's mother and grandmother both abdicated, and both were younger at the time than Beatrix was when she abdicated. | |
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