King Philippe is the current ruler of Belgium. His reign began in 2013.

He was born on April 15, 1960, at Belvedere Castle, in Laeken. His father was Prince Albert, and his mother was Paola, Princess of Liége. The reigning monarch when Philippe was born was his grandfather, Leopold III.

By the time that Philippe was born, his father and grandfather had returned to their home country. Leopold III had surrendered to Germany during World War II and then had unsuccessfully negotiated for a reconciliation with his government, who continued to operate in exile from afar. The Allied liberation of Belgium, in 1945, did not coincide with the return of the king or his family; that had to wait another five years and even then Leopold was on the throne only a year longer before giving way to his older son, Baudouin, who ruled for four decades, dying in 1993. At that point, Philippe's father, Albert, became king and Philippe became the heir apparent.

Philippe had attended secondary school in Flanders and then enrolled at the Belgian Royal Military Academy, where he spent four years and left with the rank of second lieutenant. He then attended Trinity College, Oxford, and for his graduate schooling attended Stanford University, earning a master's degree in political science in 1985. A keen aviator, he also earned his fighter pilot's wings and gained training certificates in parachute and commando work.

Back home in Belgium, Philippe married Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, who came from a Belgian noble family. They married on Dec. 4, 1999 in Brussels. They have four children: Elisabeth (2001), Gabriel (2003), Emmanuel (2005), and Eléonore (2008).

Albert II abdicated on July 3, 2013. At that point, Philippe became king. One of his most significant acts came in 2020, when he announced regret for atrocities committed in Belgian Congo, which his ancestor Leopold II had set up as what amounted to a hard labor camp the production requirements of which resulted in the deaths of millions of people.