Editing Albert II of Belgium (section)

== Early life ==
Prince Albert was born at the [[Château of Stuyvenberg]] in [[Laeken]], northern [[Brussels]], as the second son and youngest child of [[Leopold III of Belgium|King Leopold III]] and his first wife, Princess [[Astrid of Sweden]]. He was second in line to the throne at birth, and was given the title [[Prince of Liège]]. When Prince Albert was one year old, Queen Astrid died in Switzerland  in a car accident on 29 August 1935, in which King Leopold, who was driving the vehicle, was lightly injured. The King remarried to [[Lilian, Princess of Réthy|Mary Lilian Baels]] (later became Princess of Réthy) in 1941. The couple produced three children: [[Prince Alexandre of Belgium|Prince Alexandre]], Princess Marie-Christine and [[Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium|Princess Marie-Esméralda]] (who is also Albert's goddaughter). Albert and his siblings had a close relationship with their stepmother and they called her "Mother".<ref>Cleeremans, Jean. ''Léopold III, sa famille, son peuple sous l'occupation''; Keyes, Roger. ''Echec au Roi, Léopold III, 1940–1951''</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Sam|last=White|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19530703&id=r2AbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=q00EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6650,477813&hl=en|title=Europe's Most Slandered Princess|date=3 July 1953|access-date=19 May 2020|publisher=Pittsburgh Press}}</ref>

During [[World War II]], on 10 May 1940, at the time when Belgium was being [[Battle of Belgium|invaded]], Prince Albert, his elder sister [[Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium|Princess Joséphine-Charlotte]] and his elder brother [[Baudouin of Belgium|Prince Baudouin]], left the country for [[France during World War II|France]] and later [[Spain during World War II|Spain]]. The Prince and the Princess returned to Belgium on 2 August 1940. They continued their studies until 1944, either at [[Laeken]], or at the [[Royal Castle of Ciergnon|Castle of Ciergnon]] in [[the Ardennes]]. In June 1944, at the time of the [[Operation Overlord|Allied landings]], King Leopold, his wife Princess Lilian and the royal children were deported by the Germans to [[Hirschstein]], [[Germany]], and later to [[Strobl]], [[Austria]], where they were released by the American [[106th Cavalry Regiment]] on 7 May 1945. Owing to the political situation in Belgium, King Leopold and his family moved to the villa "Le Reposoir" in [[Pregny-Chambésy|Pregny]], [[Switzerland]], when they left Austria in October 1945 and stayed until July 1950. During that time, Prince Albert would continue his education in a secondary school in [[Geneva]]. King Leopold III, accompanied by Prince Baudouin and Prince Albert, returned to Belgium on 22 July 1950.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.monarchie.be/royal-family/king-albert-ii |title=King Albert II |publisher=The Belgian Monarchy|access-date=28 April 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100425035658/http://www.monarchie.be/royal-family/king-albert-ii| archive-date= 25 April 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>