Prince Alexander of Belgium
Encyclopedia
Prince Alexander of Belgium (French
: Alexandre Emmanuel Henri Albert Marie Léopold, Dutch
: Alexander Emanuel Hendrik Albert Maria Leopold; 18 July 1942 – 29 November 2009) was the eldest child from the second marriage of King Leopold III of Belgium
. His mother was Lilian, Princess of Réthy. The late King Baudouin of Belgium, and King Albert II of Belgium
, the current reigning monarch, were his two older half-brothers. Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte
of Luxembourg was his older half-sister.
. He had two younger full sisters: Marie-Christine and Maria-Esmeralda
. His godmother
was his elder half-sister, Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium
.
Held under house arrest by the Germans until 1944, upon the invasion in Normandy
, Léopold, his second wife, and his four children were transferred to Germany and Austria where they remained under house arrest, first in a fort at Hirschstein
in Saxony
during the winter of 1944-45, and then at Strobl
, near Salzburg
. They were freed by the U.S. Army in May 1945. After the war, the Royal Family was unable to return to Belgium and was forced to spend some years in Swiss
exile before finally being able to return to Belgium in 1950 after a national referendum. Alexander studied medicine for a while, later pursuing a career in trade.
, Suffolk
, on 14 March 1991 Alexander married Léa Inga Dora Wolman
, who had been twice-divorced. The marriage was kept secret until 1998 because the Prince apparently feared his mother would disapprove. The initial secrecy surrounding this marriage has parallels with his father's wedding to his mother fifty years previously, in 1941. The Prince had two stepchildren, Laetitia Spetschinsky and Renaud Bichara, from Léa's previous marriages.
and those of his second marriage. Eventually, however, Alexander and the dynastic descendants of the first marriage seemed to have made their peace, and the Prince and his wife joined the rest of the Royal Family in public appearances. This does not appear to extend to the two younger children of the second marriage, Princess Marie-Christine of Belgium and Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium.
Although it has been assumed that the children of King Léopold's second marriage were barred from the Belgian throne, some constitutional scholars maintain that there was no legal ground for Alexander's exclusion. Even if that is the case, Alexander's secret marriage in 1991 contravened Article 85 of the Belgian constitution
, which deprived of the right of succession
to the Throne any descendant of King Leopold I
who marries without the Sovereign's permission.
Nonetheless, in a May 2008 interview with Point de Vue, Alexander's wife noted, "...the children of the second marriage of King Leopold -- Prince Alexandre, the Princesses Maria Esmeralda and Marie-Christine -- have been raised in a certain manner: Prince and Princesses of Belgium, accorded the style of Royal Highness, yet excluded from the succession to the throne." She added, "Alexandre received a very solid intellectual education...He waited to assume some official responsibilities. They never came."
. His funeral was held on Friday, December 4, 2009, at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken
.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Alexandre Emmanuel Henri Albert Marie Léopold, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
: Alexander Emanuel Hendrik Albert Maria Leopold; 18 July 1942 – 29 November 2009) was the eldest child from the second marriage of King Leopold III of Belgium
Leopold III of Belgium
Leopold III reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of the Heir Apparent,...
. His mother was Lilian, Princess of Réthy. The late King Baudouin of Belgium, and King Albert II of Belgium
Albert II of Belgium
Albert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
, the current reigning monarch, were his two older half-brothers. Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte
Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium
Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium was Grand Duchess of Luxembourg as spouse of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg...
of Luxembourg was his older half-sister.
Background and youth
Alexander was born in Laeken in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. He had two younger full sisters: Marie-Christine and Maria-Esmeralda
Princess Maria-Esmeralda of Belgium
Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium is a member of the Belgian Royal Family.-Family:...
. His godmother
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
was his elder half-sister, Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium
Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium
Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium was Grand Duchess of Luxembourg as spouse of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg...
.
Held under house arrest by the Germans until 1944, upon the invasion in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, Léopold, his second wife, and his four children were transferred to Germany and Austria where they remained under house arrest, first in a fort at Hirschstein
Hirschstein
Hirschstein is a municipality in the district of Meißen, in Saxony, Germany.The following villages belong to Hirschstein: Althirschstein, Bahra, Böhla, Boritz, Heyda, Kobeln, Mehltheuer, Neuhirschstein, Pahrenz, Prausitz and Schänitz....
in Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
during the winter of 1944-45, and then at Strobl
Strobl
Strobl is a municipality of the Salzburg-Umgebung District , in the northeastern portion of the Austrian state of Salzburg, right on the border with Upper Austria...
, near Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
. They were freed by the U.S. Army in May 1945. After the war, the Royal Family was unable to return to Belgium and was forced to spend some years in Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
exile before finally being able to return to Belgium in 1950 after a national referendum. Alexander studied medicine for a while, later pursuing a career in trade.
Marriage
In DebenhamDebenham
Debenham is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in Eastern England. In the 2001 census the population recorded was 1,728...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, on 14 March 1991 Alexander married Léa Inga Dora Wolman
Princess Léa of Belgium
Princess Léa of Belgium is the widow of Prince Alexander of Belgium, younger half-brother of King Albert II of Belgium, King Baudouin, and the Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg....
, who had been twice-divorced. The marriage was kept secret until 1998 because the Prince apparently feared his mother would disapprove. The initial secrecy surrounding this marriage has parallels with his father's wedding to his mother fifty years previously, in 1941. The Prince had two stepchildren, Laetitia Spetschinsky and Renaud Bichara, from Léa's previous marriages.
Royal status
There had been some friction between the children of the first marriage of King Leopold III of BelgiumLeopold III of Belgium
Leopold III reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of the Heir Apparent,...
and those of his second marriage. Eventually, however, Alexander and the dynastic descendants of the first marriage seemed to have made their peace, and the Prince and his wife joined the rest of the Royal Family in public appearances. This does not appear to extend to the two younger children of the second marriage, Princess Marie-Christine of Belgium and Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium.
Although it has been assumed that the children of King Léopold's second marriage were barred from the Belgian throne, some constitutional scholars maintain that there was no legal ground for Alexander's exclusion. Even if that is the case, Alexander's secret marriage in 1991 contravened Article 85 of the Belgian constitution
Constitution of Belgium
The Constitution of Belgium dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility for the government policy and the Trias Politica. The Constitution established Belgium as a centralised unitary state...
, which deprived of the right of succession
Line of hereditary succession
Successor to hereditary title, office or like, in case of the heritage being indivisible, goes to one person at a time. There are also other sorts of order of succession than hereditary succession .The hereditary line of succession may be limited to heirs of the body, or may pass also to collateral...
to the Throne any descendant of King Leopold I
Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
who marries without the Sovereign's permission.
Nonetheless, in a May 2008 interview with Point de Vue, Alexander's wife noted, "...the children of the second marriage of King Leopold -- Prince Alexandre, the Princesses Maria Esmeralda and Marie-Christine -- have been raised in a certain manner: Prince and Princesses of Belgium, accorded the style of Royal Highness, yet excluded from the succession to the throne." She added, "Alexandre received a very solid intellectual education...He waited to assume some official responsibilities. They never came."
Death
Alexander died on November 29, 2009 of a pulmonary embolismPulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream . Usually this is due to embolism of a thrombus from the deep veins in the legs, a process termed venous thromboembolism...
. His funeral was held on Friday, December 4, 2009, at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken
Church of Our Lady of Laeken
The Church of Our Lady of Laeken is a neo-Gothic Roman Catholic church in Laeken, Brussels. It was originally built in memory of Queen Louise-Marie, wife of King Leopold I to the design of architect Joseph Poelaert....
.
Ancestry
External links
- Royal House of Belgium
- A Royal Visit (documents Prince Alexander's visit to Palm Beach in 1965, with photo of the Prince.)
- HRH Prince Alexandre of the Belgians - Daily Telegraph obituary