Albert II

Synopsis

Largely fictionalized, partly fictitious chapters from the life of the Belgian royal family during and around the reign of king Albert II. Besides his duties, including signing a more federal regime for the Belgian state, focus is on his marital troubles, illegal offspring and unruly sons. Albert's elder brother and predecessor Boudewijn I and his widow Fabiola also play a largely fictionalized part.

First Air Date: 2013-09-08

Last Air Date: 2013-10-06

Number of Seasons: 1

Number of Episodes: 5

Networks: VRT 1

View Technical Specifications on IMDb

Top Cast

Ruth Bastiaensen as Prinses Mathilde
Wim Lommaert as Prins Lorenz
Lotte Mariën as Prinses Claire
Leah Thys as Koningin Fabiola
Stefaan Degand as Prins Laurent
Ruth Becquart as Prinses Astrid
Kris Cuppens as Koning Boudewijn
Lucas Van den Eynde as Koning Albert II
Mathijs Scheepers as Prins Filip
Ludo Busschots as Jacques van Ypersele de Strihou

Seasons

Season 1 (2013)

No overview available for this season.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: Vive le roi (2013-09-08)

Following the sudden death of king Boudewijn of Belgium, his brother Albert feels obliged to take up his rights as crown prince. His son, Filip, is not pleased with this decision. Albert quickly realizes how difficult it is to fill the space left by Boudewijn.
Ep. 2: Ik zal handhaven (2013-09-15)

Shortly after being sworn in as the new king, it becomes clear that Albert is quite inexperienced. King Albert II is regarded as a temporary figure. Then the country is shaken by the disappearance and murder of several young girls. Albert arises as a capable and powerful man, one that cannot be neglected by the government.
Ep. 3: De bastaard van Laken (2013-09-22)

By the end of the 90s, Albert is getting more proficient at the game that is politics. The change of power from Dehaene to Verhofstadt runs smoothly. The book of a young journalist about the existence of a bastard daughter changes all that. His sons Filip and Laurent don't make the situation any easier. The king is tired and during one of the hardest moments of his life, his heart gives up.
Ep. 4: De verloren zoon (2013-09-29)

Albert II is recovering from a major heart surgery. Meanwhile Filip is getting on the nerves of some politicians because of some strong remarks regarding the Flemish separatist party "Vlaams Belang". Laurent turns out to have used money from the Belgian navy to renovate his own villa. Queen Fabiola tries to fix things to prevent the Royal Family from falling apart.
Ep. 5: De laatste koning van België (2013-10-06)

After the 2007 elections, Albert II has a difficult task ahead of him. The political differences in the two parts of the country will eventually lead to the longest government forming ever. Private life isn't going much better either. Laurent travels to Congo, making a mess of things yet again, and Filip demands a bigger role in the government negotiations. Albert II is tired and thinks of abdicating, but Filip still hasn't managed to convince the public of his capabilities...