king Albert II, the former king of Belgium, was taken to the hospital where it is thought that the 89-year-old was “dehydrated.”. The palace stated he was brought in as a “precautionary measure,” and the former monarch is currently undergoing tests.
Albert is reportedly responding favorably to therapy, but it’s anticipated that he’ll stay in the hospital for the next few days. Other members of the Belgian royal family, such as Prince Laurent and King Philippe, have paid him visits. His wife, Queen Paola, is by his side. The Belgian king postponed his lecture at the University of Ghent so he could visit his father.
For “health reasons,” Albert renounced his throne in 2013. At that time, the 79-year-old stated: “My age and health no longer permit me to carry out my duties. The next generation must now take the throne after a 20-year reign.
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After King Baudouin’s death in 1993, Albert became the new monarch of Belgium, but Prince Philippe, who had been tipped since childhood for the throne, was the popular choice at the time. The Belgian Parliament chose to give Albert the title, though, due to linguistic and religious differences that surfaced.
Prior to his abdication, Albert ruled for 20 years. Between 2010 and 2011, a political crisis occurred that culminated with Albert swearing in a new government.
He is still referred to as His Majesty King Albert II. The former king has four children: King Philippe, age 63; Princess Astrid, age 61; Prince Laurent, age 59; and Princess Delphine, age 55, who was conceived as a result of his extramarital relationship with Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps.
In order to establish his paternity before his abdication, Delphine went to court with Albert and his sons. The court case took a while to resolve; it was initially dismissed in 2017 before Delphine was awarded a victory the following year by the Court of Appeal.
A DNA sample from Albert was taken in 2019, and the results were made public in 2020, establishing Delphine’s ancestry. The king will treat all of his children equally, it was declared in a statement at the time. King Albert has four kids at this time. “.
Despite a rocky start to their relationship, Delphine and Albert have reconciled, and the former King was seen hugging his daughter at a function earlier this year. This was the first time they had been spotted together in public since Delphine was given a royal title.
As the Belgian royals attended the annual mass at the Notre-Dame de Laeken church in Brussels in honor of the royal family’s deceased members, Wim Dehandschutter, a royal journalist, recorded the conversation between the two. Delphine also gave a warm embrace to her half-brother Philippe and Queen Mathilde.
Princess Josephine and Prince Oscar, two of Delphine’s children, were given royal titles but are not heirs to the Belgian throne.
