Belgium. Latest Gold Proof Coins Released in Celebration of 65th Birthday of King Philippe

Belgium’s King celebrated his 65^th birthday on the 15^th April with both national and private family events marking the day. Philippe Léopold Louis Marie was born on the 15th April 1960 as the first child to HRH Albert, Prince of Liege and HRH Princess Paola of Liege. The Prince of Liege was the younger brother of the-then King of Belgium, Baudouin (1930 – 1993) and as the-then reigning King had no children, Philippe’s birth was welcomed with great enthusiasm by the Belgian nation. In terms of eventual succession, it was believed that someday Prince Philippe would succeed his uncle. However, with the unexpected death of King Baudouin in August 1993 at the age of 63, it was announced by the Palace that the late King’s 59 year old younger brother the Prince of Liege would succeed to the throne instead of Prince Philippe. With the accession of King Albert II (born 1933), Prince Philippe was elevated to that of Crown Prince of Belgium with the title, Duke of Brabant. Without the burdens and responsibilities of being head of state, Prince Philippe was able to enjoy a private life and hopefully pursue a meaningful relationship. This he did when he met Jonkvrouw or, Lady Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, a twenty three year old trained speech therapist while the two were playing tennis. The couple announced their engagement in September 1999 which came as quite a welcomed surprise to the country. On the 4th December 1999, the somewhat shy and reserved Prince married his fiancé which was celebrated throughout the country with great delight. Matilda became Princess of Belgium upon her marriage, and also the first Belgian-born consort of a Belgian monarch on the day of her husband’s accession. Together, they welcomed their first child, a daughter named Elisabeth who was born on the 25th October 2001 and was designated as Crown Princess of Belgium upon her father’s accession. The royal couple welcomed three more children, Prince Gabriel born in 2003, Prince Emanuel born in 2005 and Princess Eleanor born in 2008. 

HM King Philippe succeeded his father King Albert II upon his abdication on the 17^th July 2013. Aside from King Phipippe’s accession day, this particular date is celebrated in Belgium every year as the country’s national anniversary when it attained independence from the Dutch Crown in 1830. Since his accession to the throne thirteen years ago as the seventh King of the Belgians, King Philippe has presented himself as a modest and energetic monarch, who is accessible and remains close to the people. In his 65 years, he has not only taken on his royal role, but also that of a loving family man and promoter of Belgian culture and science. His dedication to the kingdom and his countrymen has remained a constant thread in his life.

Designed by engraver Iris Bruijns, the reverse side depicts a specially commissioned and detailed portrait of His Majesty facing to the right. On the left is his personal monogram featuring the intertwined letters ‘P’ and ‘F’ representing his name in both French (Philippe) and in Dutch (Filip) along with the number '65' in honour of his birthday. The obverse side includes an effigy of HM King Philip designed by Royal Belgian Mint artisan Luc Luycx, facing right along with his crowned monogram placed to the right and text surrounding the likeness of the King which reads BELGIE – BELGIQUE – BELGIEN representing the official three languages of Belgium. The denomination 12½ EURO is placed below the primary design and the year of issue 2025 is shown in a vertical direction. 

Available from the 15^th April, each coin is encapsulated and presented in a hardwood custom case accompanied with a certificate of authenticity. For additional information, please visit the e-webshop of the Herdenkingsmunten.be.