Royal Belgian passports of young Prince/Princess
Belgian diplomatic passport, 21 February 1951, to the Prince and later King of Belgium, Baudouin. The document has 29 pages, 7 of which show visa stamps and the Belgian diplomatic passport, 14 April 1949, to the Princess of Belgium, Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg. The document has 29 pages, 3 of which show visa/stamps. Royal Belgian passports Prince/Princess
Baudouin, Albert, Charles, Léopold, Axel, Marie, Gustave, Count of Hainaut, was born at the Chateau of Stuyvenberg, near Brussels, on 7 September 1930. He was the second child of H.M. Leopold III, King of the Belgians, and of H.M. Astrid, born Princess of Sweden. A tragic climbing accident claimed the life of his grandfather King Albert I. On the accession to the throne of his father, King Leopold III, on 23 February 1934, the young Prince received the title ” Duke of Brabant “.
On 29 August 1935, the Prince lost his mother, Queen Astrid, who died in a car accident at Küssnacht, Switzerland. King Leopold and his children left the Chateau of Stuyvenberg, and moved into the Royal Chateau of Laeken. Royal Belgian passports Prince/Princess
On 10 May 1940, at the time when Belgium was being invaded, Prince Baudouin, accompanied by his elder sister Princess Josephine-Charlotte and his younger brother Prince Albert, left the country first for France and then Spain. The Princes returned to Belgium on 2 August. They continued their studies until 1944, either at Laeken, or at the Chateau of Ciergnon in the Ardennes.
In June 1944, at the time of the Allied landings, Leopold III, Princess Lilian – who he married in 1941 – and the royal children were deported by the Germans to Hirschstein in Germany, and later to Strobl in Austria, where they were liberated by the American Army on 7 May 1945. Due to the political situation in Belgium, King Leopold and his family moved to the villa “Le Reposoir” in Pregny, Switzerland, when they left Austria in October 1945. They would stay there until July 1950. Meanwhile, the Prince continued his education at a secondary school in Geneva. In 1948, he carried out a journey to the United States. Royal Belgian passports Prince/Princess
King Leopold III, accompanied by Prince Baudouin and Prince Albert, returned to Belgium on 22 July 1950. On 1 August of the same year, the Sovereign decided to ask the Government and Parliament to vote on a law delegating his powers to his son, Prince Baudouin, Duke of Brabant, who became Royal on 11 August.
On 17 July 1951, the Prince Royal swore the constitutional oath and became the fifth King of the Belgians. On 31 July 1993, the King died in Motril in the south of Spain. The King suffered a heart attack while the royal couple was on holiday in their Spanish residence. Royal Belgian passports Prince/Princess
Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg (born Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium; 11 October 1927 – 10 January 2005) was the Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg as the wife of Grand Duke Jean. She was the first child of King Leopold III of Belgium, and sister of the late King Baudouin and former King Albert II and aunt of King Philippe. She was also the first cousin of King Harald V of Norway.
FAQ Passport History
Passport collection, passport renewal, old passports for sale, vintage passport, emergency passport renewal, same day passport, passport application, pasaporte passeport паспорт 护照 パスポート جواز سفر पासपोर्ट
1. What are the earliest known examples of passports, and how have they evolved?
The word "passport" came up only in the mid 15th Century. Before that, such documents were safe conducts, recommendations or protection letters. On a practical aspect, the earliest passport I have seen was from the mid 16th Century. Read more...
2. Are there any notable historical figures or personalities whose passports are highly sought after by collectors?
Every collector is doing well to define his collection focus, and yes, there are collectors looking for Celebrity passports and travel documents of historical figures like Winston Churchill, Brothers Grimm, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Read more...
3. How did passport designs and security features change throughout different periods in history, and what impact did these changes have on forgery prevention?
"Passports" before the 18th Century had a pure functional character. Security features were, in the best case, a watermark and a wax seal. Forgery, back then, was not an issue like it is nowadays. Only from the 1980s on, security features became a thing. A state-of-the-art passport nowadays has dozens of security features - visible and invisible. Some are known only by the security document printer itself. Read more...
4. What are some of the rarest and most valuable historical passports that have ever been sold or auctioned?
Lou Gehrig, Victor Tsoi, Marilyn Monroe, James Joyce, and Albert Einstein when it comes to the most expensive ones. Read more...
5. How do diplomatic passports differ from regular passports, and what makes them significant to collectors?
Such documents were often held by officials in high ranks, like ambassadors, consuls or special envoys. Furthermore, these travel documents are often frequently traveled. Hence, they hold a tapestry of stamps or visas. Partly from unusual places.
6. Can you provide insights into the stories behind specific historical passports that offer unique insights into past travel and migration trends?
A passport tells the story of its bearer and these stories can be everything - surprising, sad, vivid. Isabella Bird and her travels (1831-1904) or Mary Kingsley, a fearless Lady explorer.
7. What role did passports play during significant historical events, such as wartime travel restrictions or international treaties?
During war, a passport could have been a matter of life or death. Especially, when we are looking into WWII and the Holocaust. And yes, during that time, passports and similar documents were often forged to escape and save lives. Example...
8. How has the emergence of digital passports and biometric identification impacted the world of passport collecting?
Current modern passports having now often a sparkling, flashy design. This has mainly two reasons. 1. Improved security and 2. Displaying a countries' heritage, icons, and important figures or achievements. I can fully understand that those modern documents are wanted, especially by younger collectors.
9. Are there any specialized collections of passports, such as those from a specific country, era, or distinguished individuals?
Yes, the University of Western Sidney Library has e.g. a passport collection of the former prime minister Hon Edward Gough Whitlam and his wife Margaret. They are all diplomatic passports and I had the pleasure to apprise them. I hold e.g. a collection of almost all types of the German Empire passports (only 2 types are still missing). Also, my East German passport collection is quite extensive with pretty rare passport types.
10. Where can passport collectors find reliable resources and reputable sellers to expand their collection and learn more about passport history?
A good start is eBay, Delcampe, flea markets, garage or estate sales. The more significant travel documents you probably find at the classic auction houses. Sometimes I also offer documents from my archive/collection. See offers... As you are already here, you surely found a great source on the topic 😉
Other great sources are: Scottish Passports, The Nansen passport, The secret lives of diplomatic couriers
11. Is vintage passport collecting legal? What are the regulations and considerations collectors should know when acquiring historical passports?
First, it's important to stress that each country has its own laws when it comes to passports. Collecting old vintage passports for historical or educational reasons is safe and legal, or at least tolerated. More details on the legal aspects are here...
Does this article spark your curiosity about passport collecting and the history of passports? With this valuable information, you have a good basis to start your own passport collection.
Question? Contact me...