Royal House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Wettin)

Country: Belgium

Royal House Name: Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Current Head: King Albert II (born June 6, 1934)

Reigned: August 1993

King Albert II

Charles I of Spain, Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte and King William of the Netherlands had taken control of Belgium at one point but in the middle of the19^th century, this small country in Western Europe finally had a King after so many years of economic and religious instability.

King Leopold I came to the Belgian throne in 1830 and his descendants ruled the country ever since. Leopold I was the uncle of Queen Victoria of England and her husband, Prince Albert. He descended from the dukedom of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in Germany, Leopold first married in 1814 to Princess Charlotte, only child of King George IV of England, but she died while giving birth to their first child, when Leopold was elected King of Belgium he married the French Princess, Marie of Orleans, whom he had six children.

King Albert II and Queen Paola

The reigning King of Belgium is Albert II who succeeded his childless brother, King Baudouin in 1993. Albert (born June 6, 1934) is the youngest child of King Leopold III and Princess Astrid of Sweden, a great grandchild of Queen Victoria of England. Queen Astrid died in a car crash while Albert was only 1 year old. Her only sister, Princess Josephine Charlotte married Prince Jean, the ruler of Luxembourg. The King married Dona Paola Ruffo de Calabria from a princely family in Italy and has 3 children: Prince Philippe, Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent.

Royal Family of Belgium

His Majesty, King Albert II

Her Majesty, Queen Paola

   HRH Prince Philippe

   HRH Princess Mathilde

      HRH Princess Elisabeth

      HRH Prince Gabriel

      HRH Prince Emmanuel

      HRH Princess Eleonor

  HRH Princess Astrid 

  HRH Prince Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este

     HRH Prince Amedeo

     HRH Princess Maria Laura

     HRH Prince Joachim

     HRH Princess Luisa Maria

     HRH Laetitia Maria

HRH Prince Laurent

HRH Princess Claire

     HRH Princess Louise

     HRH Prince Nicolas

     HRH Prince Aymeric