Statue of King Albert I of Belgium (1875-1934) and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium (1876-1965) on the facade of the cloth hall in Ypres, Belgium
Albert I (Dutch: Albert Leopold Clemens Maria Meinrad; French: Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad; German: Albert Leopold Clemens Maria Meinrad; 8 April 1875 - 17 February 1934) reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 to 1934. He ruled during an eventful period in the history of Belgium, which included the period of World War I (1914-1918), when 90 percent of Belgium was overrun, occupied, and ruled by the German Empire. Other crucial issues included the adoption of the Treaty of Versailles, the ruling of the Belgian Congo as an overseas possession of the Kingdom of Belgium along with the League of Nations mandate of Ruanda-Urundi, the reconstruction of Belgium following the war, and the first five years of the Great Depression (1929-1934). King Albert died in a mountaineering accident in eastern Belgium in 1934, at the age of 58, and he was succeeded by his son Leopold III (r. 1934-1951). He is popularly referred to as the "Knight King" (roi-chevalier or koning-ridder) or "Soldier King" (roi-soldat or koning-soldaat) in Belgium in reference to his role during World War I. Queen Elisabeth of Belgium (born Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria; 25 July 1876 – 23 November 1965) was Queen consort of the Belgians as the spouse of King Albert I, and a Duchess in Bavaria by birth. She was the mother of King Leopold III of Belgium and of Queen Marie-José of Italy, and grandmother of kings Baudouin and Albert II of Belgium, and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg.
Size: 3840px × 5760px
Location: Grote Markt, 8900 Ypres, West Flanders, Belgium, Europe
Photo credit: © DE ROCKER / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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