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68-467: Formally, executive power is vested in the king , who formally appoints the ministers. However, under the Constitution of Belgium , the king is not politically responsible for exercising his powers, but must exercise it through the ministers. The king's acts are not valid unless countersigned by a minister, and the countersigning minister assumes political responsibility for the act. Thus, in practice,

136-564: A national holiday for Belgium and its citizens. As a hereditary constitutional monarchy system, the role and operation of Belgium's monarchy are governed by the Constitution . The royal office of King is designated solely for a descendant of the first King of the Belgians, Leopold I. Since he is bound by the Constitution (above all other ideological and religious considerations, political opinions and debates and economic interests)

204-661: A breakdown in the moral ties founded on reciprocal affection without which a family would be like any other fragile association" According to Arango, Leopold III of Belgium shared these views about the Belgian monarchy. In 1991, towards the end of the reign of Baudouin , Senator Yves de Wasseige, a former member of the Belgian Constitutional Court , cited four points of democracy which the Belgian Constitution lacks: The Belgian monarchy

272-594: A caretaker role until the new government is sworn in. This process is based largely on constitutional convention rather than written law. The king is first consulted by the President of the Chamber of Representatives and the President of the Senate . The King also meets a number of prominent politicians in order to discuss the election results. Following these meetings, an Informateur is appointed. The Informateur has

340-424: A debate on the declaration of government. Following this debate, a vote of Confidence takes place. If the prime minister obtains the confidence of the majority, he can begin implementing the government agreement. Catholics and later Christian Democrats have led most of the governments in Belgian history. However, from 1999 until 2007, liberal Guy Verhofstadt led two "purple" governments of liberals and socialists,

408-438: A family, "Regarding the moral mission of the king, it is permissible to point to a certain analogy between his role and that of a father, or more generally, of parents in a family. The family is, of course, a legal institution as is the state. But what would a family be where everything was limited among those who compose it to simply legal relationships? In a family when one considers only legal relationships one comes very close to

476-585: A feeling of national unity by representing the country in public functions and international meetings. In addition, the monarch has a number of responsibilities in the process of the formation of the Government. The procedure usually begins with the nomination of the " Informateur " by the monarch. After the general election the Informateur officially informs the monarch of the main political formations which may be available for governance. After this phase,

544-933: A gift from the palace and Burgomaster of the city. Similar traditions are attached to the Russian Tsar and the President of Argentina . Another tradition is the centuries-old ceremonial welcome the new king receives in the country during the Joyous Entry ; this tradition apparently dates back to the Dukes of Brabant . Popular support for the monarchy had historically been higher in Flanders and lower in Wallonia . The generally pro-monarchy Catholic Party and later Christian Social Party dominated in Flanders, while

612-399: A joint session of the two Houses of Parliament . The joint session has to be held within ten days of the death or abdication of the previous monarch. The new Belgian monarch is required to take the Belgian constitutional oath, "I swear to observe the Constitution and the laws of the Belgian people, to maintain the national independence and the integrity of the territory," which is uttered in

680-613: A minister to be valid. In turn, the countersigning minister assumes political responsibility for the order. Its implementation usually begins on the date that it is published in the Belgian Official Journal . In Spain , a Royal order ( Real orden in Spanish ) was a legal document with the force of law issued by the Spanish sovereign. They were issued by sovereigns from Philip II in the 1550s to Alphonso XIII . With

748-467: A monarch is de facto appointed by the people as a nominal figurehead rather than being an authoritarian ruler. Belgium is the only extant European monarchy in which the heir to the throne does not ascend immediately upon the death or abdication of his or her predecessor. According to Article 91 of the Belgian constitution , the heir accedes to the throne only upon taking a constitutional oath before

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816-569: A part in the running of the State. The Belgian historian Jean Stengers wrote that "some foreigners believe the monarchy is indispensable to national unity. That is very naive. He is only a piece on the chessboard, but a piece which matters". The monarchs of Belgium originally belonged to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha . The family name was changed by Albert I in 1920, to the House of Belgium and

884-582: A possible failure to lay down the limits of the royal prerogatives 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?" For Raymond Fusilier, the Belgian monarchy had to be placed—at least in the beginning—between the regimes where the king rules and those in which the king does not rule but only reigns . The Belgian monarchy

952-476: 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 constitutional monarchy and were steps leading to its establishment." 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 ministers began to govern through

1020-501: Is "King of the Belgians " rather than "King of Belgium " as is common for other monarchies throughout Europe. The title is linked to a concept of popular monarchy as defined by Kingsley Martin in his work The Evolution of Popular Monarchy , published in 1936. According to Martin, the term is meant to emphasize the bond and connection to the people of the land over the territory the state controls. His work further implies that such

1088-404: Is a federal government decree implementing legislation, or exercising powers the legislature has delegated to the crown as secondary legislation . Under the Constitution of Belgium , the king cannot act alone. While the monarch is vested with executive power, it is exercised through his ministers . Hence, while Royal Orders are issued with the king's signature, they must be countersigned by

1156-581: Is a key feature of the country's political system, designed to protect the monarch and preserve the stability of the constitutional monarchy. The Court still keeps some old traditions, most famous is the tradition that the Reigning King of the Belgians becomes the godfather of a seventh son and the Queen the godmother of a seventh daughter. The child is then given the name of the Sovereign and receives

1224-575: Is also one of the three components of the federal legislative power, in accordance with the Belgian Constitution, together with the two chambers of the Federal Parliament : the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate . All laws passed by the Federal Parliament must be signed and promulgated by the monarch. Previously, children of the King were entitled to a seat in the senate ( Senator by right ) when they were 18. This right

1292-533: Is appointed by the king on the basis of the informateur's report. The task of the Formateur is to form a new government coalition and lead the negotiations about the government agreement and the composition of the government. If these negotiations succeed, the Formateur presents a new Federal Government to the king. Usually, the Formateur also becomes the Prime Minister . In accordance with article 96 of

1360-725: Is assisted by the Deputy and Legal Adviser, the Press Adviser and the Archivist. The incumbent Chief of Cabinet is Baron Frans Van Daele, former Chief of Cabinet of President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy. The Head of the King's Military Household assists the King in fulfilling his duties in the field of defence. He informs the King about all matters of security, defence policy, the views of Belgium's main partner countries and all aspects of

1428-410: Is called "Princess of Belgium " as the title "Prince of the Belgians" does not exist. She is also Duchess of Brabant , the traditional title of the heir apparent to the Belgian throne. This title precedes the title "Princess of Belgium". In the other official language of German, monarchs are usually referred to by their French names. The same is true for English with the exception of Leopold, where

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1496-468: Is closer to the principle "the King does not rule", but the Belgian kings were not only "at the head of the dignified part of the Constitution". The Belgian monarchy is not merely symbolic, because it participates in directing affairs of state insofar as the King's will coincides with that of the ministers, who alone bear responsibility for the policy of government. For Francis Delpérée , to reign does not only mean to preside over ceremonies but also to take

1564-449: Is intended to ensure that the monarch can perform their duties without fear of political interference or retribution. However, it is important to note that the principle of inviolability does not extend to the actions of the monarch outside of their official duties. If a monarch commits a crime or engages in unlawful activities outside of their role as head of state, they can still be held legally accountable for their actions. In Belgium,

1632-399: Is officially exempt from this quota, no francophones held the post from 1979 to 2011. Some of the ministers are also deputy prime ministers; but in addition to taking the position of acting prime minister, they are also the link between the government and their political parties. A deputy prime minister is the voice of their political party within the federal government, and is also the voice of

1700-488: Is responsible for dealing with political and administrative matters and for maintaining the relations with the government, trade unions and industrial circles. In relation to the King, the Chief assists in keeping track of current events; informs regarding all aspects of Belgian life; proposes and prepares audiences; assists in preparing speeches and informs the King about developments in international affairs. The Chief of Cabinet

1768-674: Is the Commander-in-Chief of the Belgian Armed Forces and makes appointments to the higher positions. The names of the nominees are sent to the monarch by the Ministry of Defence. The monarch's military duties are carried out with the help of the Military Household which is headed by a General office. Belgians may write to the monarch when they meet difficulties with administrative powers. The monarch

1836-433: Is the constitutional and hereditary institution of the monarchical head of state of Belgium . As a popular monarchy , the Belgian monarch uses the title king/queen of the Belgians and serves as the country's head of state and commander-in-chief of the Belgian Armed Forces . There have been seven Belgian monarchs since independence in 1830. The incumbent, Philippe , ascended the throne on 21 July 2013, following

1904-635: The Belgian Armed Forces . He organises the King's contacts with the Armed Forces, advises in the fields of scientific research and police and coordinates matters with patriotic associations and former service personnel. The Military Household is also responsible for managing the Palace's computer system. The Head of the Military Household is a General Officer , currently General Jef Van den put and assisted by an adviser, currently Lieutenant-Colonel Aviator Serge Vassart . The King's Aides-de-Camp and

1972-483: The Belgian Constitution , the king appoints and dismisses his ministers. However, since all royal acts require the countersignature of a minister, the outgoing prime minister countersigns the royal order appointing the new prime minister, who then countersigns the royal order accepting the resignation of his predecessor. The prime minister then countersigns the royal orders appointing the other members of

2040-455: The Federal Parliament , the submission of bills to the Federal Parliament and the management of international relations. The monarch sanctions and promulgates all laws passed by Parliament. In accordance with Article 106 of the Belgian Constitution, the monarch is required to exercise his powers through the ministers. His acts are not valid without the countersignature of the responsible minister, who in doing so assumes political responsibility for

2108-575: The League of Nations mandate in Ruanda-Urundi . In 1934, Albert died under mysterious circumstances as he climbed solo on the Roche du Vieux Bon Dieu at Marche-les-Dames . Louis Wodon (the chef de cabinet of 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

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2176-548: The armorial bearings of Saxony from the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha were removed from the Belgian royal coat of arms. In 2019, the King Phillippe codified the coats of arms of himself and those of his family through a Royal Decree . The personal arms of the reigning monarch was modified to include the Saxonian escutcheon. The arms of other members of the royal family was similarly modified. The reinstatement of

2244-508: The Chamber. An important de facto body is the "inner cabinet" ( kernkabinet ; conseil des ministres restreint or kern ), consisting of the prime minister and the deputy prime ministers. They meet to make the most important political decisions. After the elections, the prime minister of the former government offers his resignation to the king, and the formation process for a new government starts. The incumbent government remains in office in

2312-469: The Chamber. No single party or party family across linguistic lines holds an absolute majority of seats in Parliament. Under current practice, no party family can win enough seats to govern alone, let alone win a majority. The number of ministers is limited to 15, equally divided between French-speaking and Dutch-speaking ministers, according to Article 99 of the Constitution. Although the prime minister

2380-675: The Flemish-speaking northern region of Flanders far-right Vlaams Belang party made major gains. In the French-speaking southern area of Wallonia the Socialists were strong. The moderate Flemish nationalist party the N-VA remained the largest party in parliament. Belgium’s first female prime minister Sophie Wilmès led the caretaker government since October 2019. The parties finally agreed on federal government 16 months after

2448-737: The Free State to be taken over by the Belgian Government. Many Congolese were killed as a result of Leopold's policies in the Congo before the reforms of direct Belgian rule. The Free State scandal is discussed at the Museum of the Congo at Tervuren in Belgium. On several occasions Leopold II publicly expressed disagreement with the ruling government (e.g. on 15 August 1887, and in 1905, against Prime Minister Auguste Beernaert ) and

2516-403: The King can also appoint a second Informateur or appoint a royal mediator. The task of a royal mediator is to reach an agreement on contentious issues, resolve remaining obstacles to the formation of a Federal Government and prepare the ground for a Formateur . On 5 July 2007 King Albert II appointed Jean-Luc Dehaene as royal mediator to reach an agreement on a new State Reform. The Formateur

2584-433: The King is intended to act as an arbiter and guardian of Belgian national unity and independence. Belgium's monarchs are inaugurated in a purely civil swearing-in ceremony . The Kingdom of Belgium was never an absolute monarchy . Nevertheless, in 1961, the historian Ramon Arango, wrote that the Belgian monarchy is not "truly constitutional". King Leopold I was head of Foreign Affairs "as an ancien régime monarch",

2652-483: The King of the whole Kingdom and of all Belgians".;. The national Coat of arms of Belgium remains unchanged, i.e. it does not incorporate the Saxon arms. Since the 2017, Carnet Mondain , the title "Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha", along with "of Belgium" is again in use for all the descendants of Leopold I, with the exception of King Philippe , his wife , his sister and his brother who keep their title "of Belgium"; therefore

2720-750: The King on his trips except for those of a strictly private nature. The Intendant of the King's Civil List is responsible for managing the material, financial and human resources of the King's Household. He is assisted by the Commandant of the Royal Palaces, the Treasurer of the King's Civil List and the Civil List Adviser. The Intendant of the Civil List also advises the King in the field of energy, sciences and culture and administers

2788-479: The King's Equerries are also attached to the Military Household. The King's aides-de-camp are senior officers chosen by the monarch and charged with carrying out certain tasks on his behalf, such as representing him at events. The King's Equerries are young officers who take turns preparing the King's activities, informing him about all the aspects that may be important to him and providing any other useful services such as announcing visitors. The equerry accompanies

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2856-776: The King's hunting rights. The Commandant of the Royal Palaces is mainly in charge, in close cooperation with the Chief of Protocol, of the logistic support of activities and the maintenance and cleaning of the Palaces, Castles and Residences. He is also Director of the Royal Hunts. Royal order (Belgium) Philosophers Works In Belgium , a royal decree (RD) or royal order ( Koninklijk Besluit in Dutch , Arrêté Royal in French , or Königlicher Erlass in German )

2924-745: The abdication of his father Albert II . When Belgium gained independence from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1830, the National Congress chose a constitutional monarchy as the form of government . The Congress voted on the question on 22 November 1830, supporting monarchy by 174 votes to 13. In February 1831, the Congress nominated Louis, Duke of Nemours , the son of the French king Louis-Philippe , but international considerations deterred Louis-Philippe from accepting

2992-595: The accent is removed for the purpose of simplicity. Because of the First World War and the resultant strong anti-German sentiment, the family name was changed in 1920, from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to van België, de Belgique , or von Belgien ("of Belgium"), depending upon which of the country's three official languages (Dutch, French, and German) is in use. It is this family name which is used on the identity cards and in all official documents by Belgium's royalty (e.g. marriage licenses). In addition to this change of name,

3060-514: The act in question. This means that federal executive power is exercised in practice by the Federal Government , which is accountable to the Chamber of Representatives in accordance with Article 101 of the Constitution. The monarch receives the prime minister at the Palace of Brussels at least once a week, and also regularly calls other members of the government to the palace in order to discuss political matters. During these meetings,

3128-609: The age of nine. Nevertheless, the Royal Decree published on 19 July and signed on 12 July 2019 by King Philip , reinstated the Saxonian escutcheon in the all royal versions of the family's coat of arms. The reinstatement of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha main royal arms occurred shortly after the visit of King Philip and Queen Mathilde to the ancestral Friedenstein Castle . The Belgian monarchy symbolises and maintains

3196-534: The armorial bearings of Saxony were removed from the Belgian royal coat of arms ( see above ). Other Coburgers from the multi-branched Saxe-Coburg family have also changed their name, such as George V , who adopted the family name of Windsor after the British royal family 's place of residence. Only Simeon Sakskoburggotski kept his Saxony-Coburg family name, but he was ousted from the Bulgarian throne in 1946 at

3264-500: The country's partition . The King's Household ( Dutch : Het Huis van de Koning , French : La Maison du Roi , German : Das Haus des Königs ) was reorganised in 2006, and consists of seven autonomous departments and the Court's Steering Committee. Each Head of Department is responsible for his department and is accountable to the King. The following departments currently make up the King's Household: The King's Chief of Cabinet

3332-414: The descendants of Astrid of Belgium do not bear this title, but that of "of Austria-Este" of their father . For completeness, the family tree should include Princess Delphine of Belgium (born 1968). Princess Delphine is the legally acknowledged half-sibling of King Philippe of Belgium , and her children are also recognised as members of the royal family. The proper title of the Belgian monarch

3400-642: The elections and The Flemish Liberal party politician Alexander De Croo became new prime minister in October 2020. The current De Croo Government , a seven-party cabinet since October 2020, consists of 14 Ministers in a coalition of the Flemish Open Vld , sp.a , CD&V and Groen , and the Walloon Mouvement Réformateur , Parti Socialiste and Ecolo . Monarchy of Belgium The monarchy of Belgium

3468-483: The federal government within their political party. Government meetings are conducted through simultaneous interpreters. The prime minister and his ministers administer the government and the various Federal Public Services (Dutch: Federale Overheidsdienst , French: Service public fédéral ); roughly equivalent to ministries in other countries' administrative organization. As in the United Kingdom , ministers must defend their policies and performance in person before

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3536-655: The first francophone to hold the post of prime minister since Paul Vanden Boeynants left office in 1979. The formation of the Di Rupo Government ended the period of political instability between 2007 and 2011 . During the 2014 elections , there was political consensus to not repeat this, and the Michel Government was relatively quickly formed, notably excluding socialists and including the Flemish nationalist N-VA . In May 2019 federal elections in

3604-467: The first of which also included greens. Afterwards, after difficult negotiations and an interim third Verhofstadt government, a government was eventually formed in 2008 led by Christian democrat Yves Leterme . New elections were called in 2010 after liberal Open Vld quit the government. After a record-breaking government formation , the Di Rupo Government was formed; Elio Di Rupo was

3672-619: The foreign ministers having the authority to act only as ministers of the king. Leopold I quickly became one of the most important shareholders of the Société Générale de Belgique . Leopold's son, King Leopold II , is chiefly remembered for the founding and capitalization of the Congo Free State as a personal fiefdom. There was scandal when the atrocities in the Congo Free State were made public, causing

3740-667: The honour for his son. Following this refusal, the National Congress appointed Erasme-Louis, Baron Surlet de Chokier to be the Regent of Belgium on 25 February 1831. Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld , since 1826 also called Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , was designated as King of the Belgians by the National Congress and swore allegiance to the Belgian constitution in front of Saint James's Church at Coudenberg Palace in Brussels on 21 July. This day has since become

3808-462: The instrumentality of the Crown . Unlike the British constitutional system, in Belgium "the monarchy underwent a belated evolution" which came "after the establishment of the constitutional monarchical system" because, in 1830–1831, an independent state, parliamentary system and monarchy were established simultaneously. Hans Daalder, professor of political science at the Rijksuniversiteit Leiden wrote: "Did such simultaneous developments not result in

3876-417: The ministers do the actual day-to-day work of governing. At the federal level, executive power is wielded by the federal government, whilst the prime minister is the head of the government . Each minister heads a ministry, and secretaries of state, who are deputy to a minister, help run these ministries. The government reflects the weight of political parties that constitute the current governing coalition for

3944-406: The monarch can appoint another "informateur" or appoint a " Formateur ", who will have the charge of forming a new government, of which he or she generally becomes the Prime Minister. Article 37 of the Constitution of Belgium vests the "federal executive power" in the monarch. Under Section III, this power includes the appointment and dismissal of ministers, the implementation of the laws passed by

4012-408: The monarch has the right to be informed of proposed governmental policies, the right to advise, and the right to warn on any matter as the monarch sees fit. The monarch also holds meetings with the leaders of all the major political parties and regular members of parliament. All of these meetings are organised by the monarch's personal political cabinet which is part of the Royal Household. The monarch

4080-428: The more industrialised Wallonia had more support for the Belgian Labour Party and later Socialist Party . For example, the 1950 referendum saw Flanders voting strongly in favour of King Leopold III returning, whereas Wallonia was largely against. However, in recent decades these roles have reversed, as religiosity in Flanders has decreased and the King is seen as protecting the country against (Flemish) separatism and

4148-430: The new Federal Government. The appointed ministers take the oath of office before the king. After they have taken the oath, the new Council of Ministers meets to draw up the declaration of government, in which the Federal Government sets out the main lines of the government agreement and outlines the government agenda. The prime minister reads the declaration of government to the Chamber of Representatives, which then holds

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4216-399: The principle of inviolability is seen as an important safeguard for the constitutional monarchy, which is a key component of the country's political system. It is also seen as a way to ensure that the monarch can act as a unifying figure for the country, representing all Belgians regardless of political affiliation or ideology. Overall, the principle of inviolability of the monarchy in Belgium

4284-408: The shield of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha into the royal arms occurred shortly after the visit of the king and queen to the ancestral Friedenstein Castle . The latest royal decree therefore reverses previous changes made to the Royal versions of the coat arms which removed the armorial bearings of Saxony during the First World War. By including the three official languages in the motto it reflects his wish "to be

4352-407: The task of exploring the various possibilities for the new Federal Government and assessing which parties can form a majority in the Federal Parliament . He also meets with prominent people in the socio-economic field to learn their views on the policy that the new Federal Government should conduct. The Informateur then reports to the King and advises him about the appointment of the Formateur. However

4420-412: The three official languages: French , Dutch , and German . Members of the Belgian royal family are often known by two names: a Dutch and a French one. For example, the current monarch is called 'Philippe' in French and 'Filip' in Dutch; the fifth King of the Belgians was 'Baudouin' in French and 'Boudewijn' in Dutch. In contrast to King Philippe's title of "King of the Belgians", Princess Elisabeth

4488-476: Was abolished in 2014 as part of the Sixth Belgian state reform . The Inviolability of Monarchy is a legal principle in Belgium that protects the King or Queen from legal prosecution, civil or criminal, during their reign. This principle is enshrined in Article 88 of the Belgian Constitution . According to this principle, the King or Queen cannot be held responsible for their actions as monarch, nor can they be subjected to legal proceedings during their reign. This

4556-399: Was accused by Yvon Gouet of noncompliance with the country's parliamentary system. Leopold II died without surviving legitimate sons. The line now descends from his nephew and successor, Albert I of Belgium , who ruled while 90% of Belgium was overrun by the forces of Kaiser Wilhelm II and is notable for his forays into colonial rule of the Belgian Congo and later, abeyant Wilhelm ,

4624-437: Was from the beginning a constitutional monarchy, patterned after that of the United Kingdom. Raymond Fusilier wrote the Belgian regime of 1830 was also inspired by the French Constitution of the Kingdom of France (1791–1792) , the United States Declaration of Independence of 1776, and the old political traditions of both Walloon and Flemish provinces. "It should be observed that all monarchies have suffered periods of change as

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