Prince Philippe, Count Of Flanders

Prince Philippe of Belgium, Count of Flanders, was born on 24 March 1837 at the Château de Laeken near Brussels, Belgium. He was the third child and the second surviving son of King Leopold I of Belgium and Louise d'Orléans. His siblings included Leopold II of Belgium and Empress Carlota of Mexico.

He was granted the title Count of Flanders on 14 December 1840. In January 1869, following the sudden death of his nephew Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant, Philippe became the heir presumptive to the Belgian throne, succeeding his older brother Leopold II. Throughout his life, he received several offers for thrones, including Romania in 1866 after the abdication of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, which he declined. The Romanian throne was later accepted by his brother-in-law, Carol I. In 1862, he was also offered the crown of Greece, which he refused.

Prince Philippe married Marie Luise Alexandra Caroline, Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, on 25 April 1867 at St. Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin. She was born in 1845 and died in 1912. Marie was the daughter of Karl Anton von Hohenzollern and Josephine of Baden. Her siblings included the former Queen of Portugal and the future King of Romania.

The marriage produced several children:

- Prince Baudouin (3 June 1869 – 23 January 1891), who died of influenza at age 21.

- Princess Henriette (30 November 1870 – 28 March 1948), who married Prince Emmanuel, Duke of Vendôme, in 1896; they had four children.

- Princess Joséphine Marie (30 November 1870 – 18 January 1871), twin to Princess Henriette.

- Princess Joséphine Caroline (18 October 1872 – 6 January 1958), married Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern; they had four children.

- King Albert I (8 April 1875 – 17 February 1934), who married Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria; their children included Leopold III of Belgium and Marie-José, Queen of Italy.

Prince Philippe died on 17 November 1905 at his residence, the Palace of the Count of Flanders. He was interred at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken. Upon the death of his brother Leopold II in 1909, his second son succeeded as King Albert I of Belgium.

Throughout his life, Prince Philippe received numerous honours, including the Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (civil) on his 18th birthday, 24 March 1855. His foreign awards and decorations are documented but not specified here.

His ancestry includes connections to the Belgian, French, and German royal families. His lineage traces back through the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, with notable ancestors from European nobility.

Sources about his life include works by Stanley Weintraub and Damien Bilteryst, among others.