‘I am old and sick’: Belgium's King Albert abdicates in favour of son

Belgium’s 79-year-old King Albert has announced that he would abdicate in favour of his son, Prince Philippe, in a surprise address to the nation that comes weeks after a woman claiming to be his daughter launched court proceedings to prove her paternity.

King Albert II will be the second European monarch this year to hand over the reins to the next generation, after the abdication of the Netherlands’ Queen Beatrix in April. But while Beatrix was following the tradition of her mother and grandmother, abdications are less common in Belgium, where the royal family is one of the few institutions uniting the French-speaking south and the Flemish-speaking north.

King Albert said he had decided to end his 20-year reign because “my age and health no longer allow me to carry out my duties as I would like to”. Speaking slowly and reading from notes, he told his 11 million subjects that his son Philippe, 53, was “very well prepared” to become the seventh king on 21 July.

It has been a trying year for the Belgian royals. In January, King Albert’s sister-in-law, Queen Fabiola, was accused of trying to shield some of her fortune from inheritance tax.



Then in June, Delphine Boël asked a court to order the king and two of his children to give DNA samples to prove her claim that she is the product of an affair between Albert and an aristocrat.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/i-am-old-and-sick-belgiums-king-albert-abdicates-in-favour-of-son-8686186.html

Belgium's King Albert II 'to announce July 21 abdication'
http://www.france24.com/en/20130703-belgiums-king-albert-ii-announce-july-21-abdication

Belgium's King Albert abdicates on grounds of ill-health
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/10158189/Belgiums-King-Albert-abdicates-on-grounds-of-ill-health.html

Crown Prince Philippe has been sworn in as king of the Belgians after the emotional abdication of his father Albert II.

The Oxford- and Stanford-educated, trained air force pilot took the oath as the country's seventh king in a ceremony in parliament.

To warm applause, King Philippe, 53, promised to uphold the constitution.

Belgium has a constitutional monarchy in which the king plays a largely ceremonial role.

One of the duties the monarch does have is trying to resolve constitutional crises.

In his final address before signing a legislative act to step down, 79-year-old King Albert said his country must remain a "source of inspiration" to Europe.

He stressed his wish that Belgium - split between the Dutch-speaking north and the French south - remained united.

His resignation on the grounds of ill-health came after nearly 20 years on the throne and was timed to coincide with Belgium's national day.

Balcony appearance
In a colourful ceremony topped off by trumpet fanfare and cannon-fire, Philippe took his oath in the country's three official languages - Dutch, French and German.

Flag-waving supporters gathered in the midday sun waiting for their new king and his wife, Mathilde, to greet them from the balcony of the nearby royal palace.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23393963

Belgium’s Albert II makes final king’s speech
http://www.euronews.com/2013/07/20/belgium-s-albert-ii-makes-final-king-s-speech/