Albert I of Belgium

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Albert I
Albert wearing his characteristic Adrian helmet, c. 1919
King of the Belgians
Reign	23 December 1909 – 17 February 1934
Predecessor	Leopold II
Successor	Leopold III
Prime Ministers	See list Frans Schollaert Charles de Broqueville Gérard Cooreman Léon Delacroix Henri Carton de Wiart Georges Theunis Aloys Van de Vyvere Prosper Poullet Henri Jaspar Jules Renkin Charles de Broqueville (2nd time)
Born	(1875-04-08)8 April 1875 Brussels, Belgium
Died	17 February 1934(1934-02-17) (aged 58) Marche-les-Dames, Namur, Belgium
Burial	Church of Our Lady of Laeken
Spouse	Elisabeth of Bavaria ​ ​ (m. 1900)​
Issue	Leopold III, King of the Belgians Prince Charles, Count of Flanders Marie-José, Queen of Italy
Names Dutch and German: Albert Leopold Clemens Maria Meinrad French: Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad
House	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (until 1920) Belgium (from 1920)
Father	Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders
Mother	Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature

Albert I (8 April 1875 – 17 February 1934) was King of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 until his death in 1934. He is popularly referred to as the Knight King (Dutch: Koning-Ridder, French: Roi-Chevalier) or Soldier King (Dutch: Koning-Soldaat, French: Roi-Soldat) in Belgium in reference to his role during World War I.

Albert was born in Brussels as the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Albert succeeded his uncle Leopold II to the Belgian throne in 1909. He married Elisabeth of Bavaria, with whom he had three children.

Albert ruled during an eventful period in the history of Belgium, which included the period of World War I (1914–1918), when most of Belgium was occupied by German forces. Other crucial events of his reign included the adoption of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, the ruling of the Belgian Congo as an overseas possession of Belgium along with the League of Nations mandate of Ruanda-Urundi, the reconstruction of Belgium following the war, and the first five years of the Great Depression (1929–1934).

Albert died in a mountaineering accident in eastern Belgium in 1934, at the age of 58, and he was succeeded by his son Leopold III (r. 1934–1951).