#King Albert I of Belgium

[fuckyeahhistorycrushes]

King Albert I of the Belgians (1875-1934)

I am very surprised that this man wasn’t brought up much in historical crush pages online—may I introduce you to King Albert I of the Belgians, the Soldier King (Le Roi-Cavalier). He was the king of Belgium during WWI, known for being one of the last few monarchs who fought in battle. Throughout the war he frequently visited the trenches and he was one of the allied commanders during the Hundred Days. After the war, up to his sudden death in 1934, he dedicated his life into rebuilding Belgium and the country became one of the most progressive and cosmopolitan countries in Europe in early 20th century. (Fun fact: he met Albert Einstein who was friends with his wife.) Besides being perhaps the best Belgian monarch ever, he was a very down to earth person and he loved rock climbing. In fact, despite all the rumours on him being murdered, he really died doing his favourite sport (see this news article).

My words can never do justice to his entire eventful life, but I would like to invite you all to appreciate this handsome man whose beauty has always been compared to Ryan Gosling. He always got that boyish look that I like in a man that makes him still very good-looking in his 50s—also he looks great in glasses. Despite being very tall (approximately 6’4/1.93m; my own estimate), also awkward, he looks very approachable and gosh, his personality just makes him even more charming.

Here’s one more picture of this beautiful man, hopefully to inspire you to learn about this underrated handsome boi.

This man really helped me start a lot of conversations just because he looks like Ryan Gosling and he is just too precious

[foreverinthepagesofhistoryy]

Albert I of Belgium was a complete unadultered badass and there should be a biopic made about him.

I actually don’t know much about him! My knowledge of the Belgian Royal Family revolves mostly around Leopold and Astrid and ofc the modern royal family but I would love to learn more about him!

Thank you for asking!

[elisabeth515]

@archduchessofnowhere I hope it’s okay to tag you as a fellow Albert et Elisabeth shipper; somehow Pinterest is such an interesting place that I can find loads of pics of this couple and I was like 🥺💖 soooo here are some more pics that I saved on my phone, enjoy!

1) this is me and my sleep paralysis demon 🧚✨💖

2) walk walk fashion baby (winter)

3) wheeee (one of the instances where Albert drags his wife along to rock climbing)

4) “darling let the paparazzi take a pic of us together” ((no

5) behind the scenes of that one family violin lesson pic that you can find in Getty images easily (meanwhile Albert is reading at the rate of 2 books in a day in the background)

6) scrunklies (apparently the tiara that Elisabeth is wearing in the picture was a gift from Albert on their 25th wedding anniversary)

They’re such a cute couple 🥺🥺🥺🥺

[drosera-nepenthes]

Future King Albert of Belgium and his fiancee Elisabeth of Bavaria, 1900

[beneluxroyalty]

Prince Albert (King Albert I) | 17/12/1892 Prince Léopold (Koning Leopold III) | 09/01/1923 Prince Albert (King Albert II) | 18/05/1953 Prince Philippe (King Philippe) | 26/09/1980 Princess Elisabeth | 26/09/2013

[mydaddywiki]

Albert II of Belgium

Physique: Average Build Height: 6'1"

Albert II (born 6 June 1934 -) is a member of the Belgian royal family who reigned as King of the Belgians from 1993 until his abdication in 2013. He is the son of King Leopold III and Queen Astrid, born princess of Sweden. He is the younger brother of Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg and King Baudouin, whom he succeeded upon Baudouin’s death in 1993. Albert II abdicate the throne for health reasons in 1993 and was succeeded by his son Philippe on 21 July 2013.

The former King is adorable. He definitely falls into the 'cute grandpa' category. Sure he’s getting on in years and a little past his best but I'd still do him in a heartbeat. And even if you think he is too old, he was a fucking king. You would fuck him and you know it.

He married Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria (now Queen Paola), with whom he had three children; King Philippe, Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent with twelve grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. During the 60s, King Albert had an 18-year-affair with Belgian aristocrat that produced a second daughter, Princess Delphine. If I were alive in the 60s, Albert could have slept with me and not have to worry about admitting he fathered a child out of wedlock. What? He isn’t getting me pregnant.

[theworldofwars]

Visit of King Albert I of Belgium to the British Western Front. The King made a tour of newly captured territory; Vimy Ridge, 17 May 1917.

[thebusylilbee]

currently reading an article about the struggle to deal with droughts and water restrictions in a small south-of-France village called Châteauneuf-Grasse and this place faces a particular challenge because among the inhabitants there you can find... ex-italian president Silvio Berlusconi, ex-king of Belgium Albert II and Henri Grand Duke of Luxembourg... and they're all guilty of depleting the place of its water on a massive scale :)))

from the mouth of the mayor there : "Some private owners consume more than a 200-person retirement home. We've had peaks of 2,000 m3 per week," he says. These are people who have 14 hectares of land and three swimming pools. They don't have a civic consciousness."

and here's the nightmare he has to deal with : "The elected official was asked to fine heavy consumers and to enforce the bylaws limiting water use. However, fines have no effect on "VIPs". That leaves diplomacy, an obscure science. "When I make a remark, they call the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the President. It's dealt with above me," says Emmanuel Delmotte. Often they have diplomatic immunity. It is difficult to intervene: the villas are guarded "by bodyguards", or in one case by "the military of another country"." [source in french]

like... rich people need to fucking GO for real, like we need to put a knife to their throat

[scotianostra]

Muriel Thompson a decorated Scottish World War I ambulance driver, racing driver and suffragist was born on this day 1875.

Thompson was born on 10th June 1875 in Aberdeen, Scotland to Agnes Marion Williamson, the second wife of Cornelius Thompson, a shipowner and marine architect. She was the fifth of eight children. Her grandfather George Thompson had been Lord Provost of Aberdeen and an MP for the city.

Thompson was an avid motorist, and from an early age she drove the family car. She and her brothers helped found the Brooklands Automobile Racing Club. On 4 July 1908 she won the first ladies’ motor race held at Brookland, the Ladies’ Bracelet Handicap, she caused quite a stir by beating the wife of the racetrack’s owner with metres to spare.

After the race, Muriel was greeted by cries of “women deserve the vote now!” She agreed, and was hired as a chauffeur by the Women’s Social and Political Union. Driving a green Austin with white wheels and purple stripes – the suffragette colours – she took Emmeline Pankhurst on her 1909 national tour

Her daredevil driving skills proved lifesaving during the First World War. In 1915, she signed up to the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, and us Scots must have a slight snigger at the acronym, FANY.

Three months later, she was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Leopold II by King Albert of Belgium for evacuating wounded soldiers under fire. Alongside her Calais convoy, in 1917, she became one of the first women to drive for the British Army, who had until that point refused FANY’s services.

Thompers, as her colleagues called her, kept meticulous diaries while abroad. They reveal the horrors of war, but also the camaraderie and independence she experienced.

Muriel saved hundreds of lives during the war. In January 1918, she became Commanding Officer of the newly-formed St Omer convoy, and was awarded the Military Medal and the Croix de Guerre for her fearless fight to evacuate the injured during air raids.

Muriel returned to Britain two months before the war ended and resigned from FANY in 1922 – she was one of the bravest and best they had. Muriel died a few months before the Second World War broke out.

Photos are of Muriel Thompson and her medals include: Military Medal 1914-18; 1914-15 Star; British War Medal 1914-20; Allied Victory Medal 1914-19 with oak leaf for Mentioned in Dispatches; Order of Leopold II, Belgium, 1914-18, Badge of the 5th Class; Croix de Guerre, France 1914-18.

[charlotte-of-wales]

Happy 16th birthday to Princess Eléonore of Belgium!

Born on April 16th 2008, Eléonore Fabiola Victoria Anne Marie is the youngest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, as well as the youngest grandchild of King Albert I and Queen Paola.

She was baptised on 14 June 2008 in the chapel of Ciergnon Castle and her godparents include Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Princess Claire of Belgium. She is currently fourth in line to the throne of Belgium.

[stricklandvintagewatches]

In 1927, Isidore Ditesheim invented a unique mechanism for the watch known as 'Non-Stop,' which wound the movement when the case was opened and closed, eliminating the need for manual winding. This innovation contributed to the Ermeto winning the grand prize at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. By 1930, Huguenin Frères had introduced another patent for an automatic strut that deployed when the case was opened.

This work of tactile art and horological history was available in various metal cases (platinum, gold, silver, vermeil, steel) with finishes like lacquer, niello, enamel, and guilloché enamel. Although the case shape remained consistent, the style of dials and hands evolved, helping to date specific pieces. It could be used with or without a chain and often featured a folding strut to serve as a travel clock.

Notable owners included Pope Pius XI, King Albert I of Belgium, King Edward VIII, Clara Bow, Andy Warhol (who owned at least six), and His Majesty King Charles III, whose Ermeto was stolen and later returned in 1994. It’s also said that an early model was presented to Albert Einstein. 

We’re pleased to offer this Movado Ermeto in exotic skin over steel; offered in its own custom-fitted, velvet-lined maple presentation box. Circa 1930s.

[archduchessofnowhere]

Queen Victoria to her uncle King Leopold I of the Belgians, on the potential future husband of his daughter Princess Charlotte of Belgium:

September 19 of 1856: We are both [she and her husband Prince Albert] very desirous that dear Pedro [V, King of Portugal] be preferred by Charlotte. He is by far the most distinguished young Prince there is, and he is also as good, excellent and firm as one could desire, as one could wish for an only and beloved daughter. It would also be a great blessing for Portugal to have a kind and well-mannered Queen, this has never happened before. I am sure that you would be much calmer about Charlotte's happiness than if you gave her to one of these innumerable Archdukes or to Prince Georg of Saxony.

Pictured: Queen Victoria and other Royals watching Fra Diavolo, by Frances Elizabeth Wynne. From left to right: Queen Victoria, Leopold I of the Belgians, Princess Charlotte of Belgium, Prince Albert (standing), Victoria Princess Royal, Friedrich Prince of Prussia, Lady Frances Jocelyn.

[royal-confessions]

“I think that the Belgian royal family is really underrated. In my opinion, they have an interesting history that we don’t talk about enough, aside from the atrocities committed by Leopold II in Congo. Albert I was nicknamed “The Knight King” because of his heroic role during the WW1, Baudouin was also a great king, and Philippe was initially considered a prince incapable of leading a country, yet today he proves quite the opposite. Princess Elisabeth will become Belgium's first reigning queen, and that will certainly leave a mark in Belgian’s history. We don't often hear about the fact that the royal family volunteers to help people with disabilities, the elderly, children facing academic challenges and the homeless. They are known to be very close to their people.” - Submitted by Anonymous

[elisabeth515]

A new dose of memes

Some stuff I made while procrastinating

(Translation: In Thy justice free me; thank you @histoireettralala for the quote)

[romanovsonelastdance]

"Brothers in arms" WWI patriotic postcard featuring Belgium, France, the UK, and Russia.

Both the leaders (King Albert I of the Belgians, President Poincare of France, King George V of the UK, and Emperor Nicholas II of Russia) as well as soldiers from each country are shown, along with their flags.

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Albert Gräfle (German, 1809-1889) Princess Charlotte of Belgium, Empress of Mexico (1840-1927), Before March 1868 Royal Collection Trust, UK This painting is a copy of Winterhalter’s original portrait, painted in Paris in 1864. Princess Charlotte (1840-1927) was the only daughter of Leopold I, King of the Belgians. She was lively and intelligent as a child and much loved by her English relations. She married the in 1857 and her husband was created Emperor of Mexico in 1864. He was executed there in 1867. Queen Victoria wrote in 1863: ‘Charlotte dear…is very venturesome and would go with Max to the end of the world’. The Princess’ health deteriorated after her husband’s death and she lived in seclusion in Belgium until she died in 1927. Painted for Queen Victoria; recorded in a Bedroom in York Tower (Room no 335) at Windsor Castle in 1878.