Belgium’s King Albert’intended to divorce’

17 May 2005

BRUSSELS – Belgium’s King Albert II once planned to divorce his wife and renounce his royal title, it was claimed this week.

The revelation was made on Sunday by Delphine Boel – the king’s illegitimate daughter – in a 10-minute interview on France 3’s TV programme “On ne peut pas plaire a tout le monde” (You can’t please everyone).

The Belgian public has known about the existence of Boel, born in 1968, since October 1999 when Mario Danneels published a biography on Queen Paola.

Danneels revealed that Albert had had a child through his affair with Sybille de Selys Longchamps.

King Albert implicitly acknowledged the truth of the book in his Christmas speech that year, stating that he and Paola had undergone a crisis.

“A long time ago now, together we were able to overcome our difficulties and rediscover our understanding and profound love,” he said.

“That period of crisis was recorded recently.”

During her interview with France 3, Boel spoke of her childhood living with her mother, recounting that Albert, who was then the Prince of Liege, used to pay regular visits to see them, especially at the weekend.

When Boel was nine-years-old, her mother decided they should leave Belgium to live in the UK.

It was at that moment that King Albert wanted to leave his wife, said Boel.

“He wanted to divorce Paola,” she said.

“He had completed the paperwork. The government and the palace agreed to the divorce of Albert and Paola. He was going to have to abdicate.”

Boel said that even after the pair went to the UK, her mother and the king remained in contact.

They remained in contact for 18 years, she stated.

Albert II became King in 1993.

[Copyright Expatica 2005]

Subject: Belgian news