King of the Belgians
| King of the Belgians | |
|---|---|
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| Incumbent | |
 |
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Philippe since 21 July 2013 |
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| Details | |
| Style | His Majesty |
| Heir apparent | Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant |
| First monarch | Leopold I |
| Formation | 21 July 1831 |
| Website | The Belgian Monarchy |
The monarchy of Belgium is a constitutional, popular and hereditary monarchy whose incumbent is titled the King or Queen of the Belgians (Dutch: Koning(in) der Belgen, French: Roi / Reine des Belges, German: König(in) der Belgier) and serves as the country's head of state. There have been seven Belgian monarchs since independence in 1830.
The incumbent, Philippe, ascended the throne on 21 July 2013, following the abdication of his father.
When Belgium became independent in 1830 the National Congress chose a constitutional monarchy as the form of government. The Congress voted on the question on 22 November 1830, supporting monarchy by 174 votes to 13. In February 1831, the Congress nominated Louis, Duke of Nemours, the son of the French king Louis-Philippe, but international considerations deterred Louis-Philippe from accepting the honour for his son.
Following this refusal, the National Congress appointed Erasme-Louis, Baron Surlet de Chokier to be the Regent of Belgium on 25 February 1831. Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was designated as King of the Belgians by the National Congress and swore allegiance to the Belgian constitution in front of Saint Jacob's Church at Coudenberg Palace in Brussels on 21 July. This day has since become a national holiday for Belgium and its citizens.
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