Belgium King Philippe took the oath before parliament to become Belgium’s seventh king on Sunday after his father Albert abdicated as the head of this fractured nation.
Earlier Sunday, the 79-year-old Albert signed away his rights as the kingdom’s largely ceremonial ruler at the royal palace in the presence of Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, who holds the political power in this 183-year-old parliamentary democracy.
Less than two hours later, the nation of 6 million Dutch-speaking Flemings and 4.5 million Francophones got a new king when Philippe, 53, pledged to abide the laws and constitution of the nation.
In protest, one Flemish separatist party boycotted the ceremony while the biggest opposition party, the N-VA New Flemish Alliance, sent only a limited delegation without its leader Bart De Wever.
Belgium’s King Albert abdicated on Sunday after a 20-year reign, clearing the way for his son.
The 79-year-old Albert signed away his rights as the kingdom’s largely ceremonial ruler at the royal palace in the presence of Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, who holds the political power in this 183-year-old parliamentary democracy.
“Belgium is modernising itself and it gives me joy,” Albert said. He also called for continued “cohesion” between the nation’s 6 million Dutch-speaking Flemings and 4.5 million French-speakers.
Under crystal chandeliers in a gilded hall at the royal palace, Di Rupo called Albert “a great head of state” and told the outgoing king, “You are closing an important page in the history of our country.”
Early in the day, both Albert and Philippe mingled with the crowds under a royal blue sky following a Catholic ceremony that set off the festivities.
Albert announced his abdication plans less than three weeks ago, so there was little time to turn the occasion into a huge international event. No foreign royals were at the ceremony. Since the royal transition coincides with Belgium’s national day celebrations, a military parade had already been planned.
Philippe will face a tough task in the coming months. The fractious nation, divided by language, holds parliamentary elections in June 2014 amid calls for even more autonomy for the language groups.
After the last elections in 2010, it took a record 541 days before a government could be formed amid bickering about how much more power should be sapped from the central state to profit the separate language groups.