page_title: Albert I of Belgium
section_title: Accession
hierarchical_section_title: Albert I of Belgium / Accession
caption_attribution_description: English: Newspaper clipping upon the accession of Albert I as King of the Belgians, with Albert in miner's attire after having made an inspection of a mine. Also shown: Princess Elizabeth and her two children.
context_page_description: Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 to 1934. He ruled during an eventful period in the history of Belgium, which included the period of World War I, when 90 percent of Belgium was overrun, occupied, and ruled by the German Empire. Other crucial issues included the adoption of the Treaty of Versailles, the ruling of the Belgian Congo as an overseas possession of the Kingdom 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. King 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. He is popularly referred to as the "Knight King" or "Soldier King" in Belgium in reference to his role during World War I.
context_section_description: Following the death of his uncle, Leopold II, Albert succeeded to the Belgian throne in December 1909, since Albert's own father had already died in 1905. Previous Belgian kings had taken the royal accession oath only in French; Albert innovated by taking it in Flemish as well. He and his wife, Queen Elisabeth, were popular in Belgium due to their simple, unassuming lifestyle and their harmonious family life, which stood in marked contrast to the aloof, autocratic manner and the irregular private life of Leopold II. An important aspect of the early years of Albert's reign was his institution of many reforms in the administration of the Belgian Congo, Belgium's only colonial possession.
caption: Newspaper compilation in December 1909 shows Albert at top left after inspection of a mine. His wife and children are at bottom right.
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