Albert I of Belgium
April 8, 1875 –February 17, 1934
Entomologist, Mountaineer, Military personnel, Politician, Rock climber, Monarch
Lived 58 years
- Born in
- Palace of the Count of Flanders
- Passed away in
- Rochers de Marche-les-Dames
Albert I (8 April 1875 – 17 February 1934) was King of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 until his death in 1934. He is popularly referred to as the Knight King (Dutch: Koning-Ridder; French: Roi-Chevalier) or Soldier King (Dutch: Koning-Soldaat; French: Roi-Soldat) in Belgium in reference to his role during World War I.
Albert was born in Brussels as the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Albert succeeded his uncle Leopold II to the Belgian throne in 1909. He married Elisabeth of Bavaria, with whom he had three children.
Albert ruled during an eventful period in the history of Belgium, which included the period of World War I (1914–1918), when most of Belgium was occupied by German forces. Other crucial events of his reign included the adoption of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, the ruling of the Belgian Congo as an overseas possession of Belgium along with the League of Nations mandate of Ruanda-Urundi, the reconstruction of Belgium following the war, and the first five years of the Great Depression (1929–1934).
Albert died in a mountaineering accident in eastern Belgium in 1934, at the age of 58, and he was succeeded by his son Leopold III (r. 1934–1951).
Awards: Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, Knight of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, Military Cross, Order of the Black Eagle, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown, Order of the White Eagle, Godfather promotion of Special Military School of Saint-Cyr, Order of Lāčplēsis
Source: Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_I_of_Belgium