For a week now, King Albert II has been resting and being treated at the Saint-Luc University Hospitals in the Brussels region. Hospitalized after feeling unwell, the palace revealed the former king was suffering from dehydration. With his release scheduled for Wednesday July 5th, the truth about his hospitalization is finally being revealed. The former King of the Belgians was suffering from a much more serious and deadly disease that could be treated in time.
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King Albert II suffered from an illness that brought on dehydration
King Albert II was admitted to the Saint-Luc hospital in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert in the early hours of June 27, 2023 after feeling unwell at his home, the Belvedere Palace in Laeken. After tests, the 89-year-old former King of Belgium was diagnosed with a condition of dehydration. In any case, this was communicated by the palace, which also indicated that further investigations were underway.
King Philip had canceled his official appointments for the day and several of the former King’s children and grandchildren, as well as Queen Paola, had been at his bedside.
During his examinations for dehydration, the doctors found a co-existing pathology that had not been publicly disclosed (Photo: F.Andrieu/ Agencepeps/ Content Curation/ABACAPRESS.COM)
Several specialists from the medical world had made reassuring remarks in the Belgian media. While dehydration is a common cause of death in the elderly, it can be cured quickly if diagnosed and treated in hospital. For this reason, King Albert II’s hospital discharge was first scheduled for Thursday, two days after his hospitalization and then postponed until the beginning of the following week.
This Monday, July 3, Albert II was due to leave the hospital, a symbolic day for the former King of Belgium, as it was the 10th anniversary of the public announcement of his abdication. Finally, the palace announced that the king would remain in the hospital for a few more days.
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A blood infection that could have led to sepsis
Such a long hospital stay for dehydration has alarmed some specialists. Even treating a king and being extremely careful, staying in the hospital for so long is amazing. SoirMag journalist Pierre De Vuyst had a scoop he wanted to publish exclusively in one of Wednesday’s issues: “Albert II: The Truth About His Hospitalization,” we read on the magazine’s front page.
King Albert II also suffered from a potentially serious blood infection. The former head of state photographed with Queen Paola during an official engagement at the Royal Greenhouses in Laeken on May 31, 2023 (Photo: F.Andrieu/Agencepeps/Content Curation/ABACAPRESS.COM)
Shortly before the release of the smash hit, the palace pulled the rug out from under Le Soir by announcing the news itself. King Albert II’s hospitalization concealed another health problem. During examinations for dehydration, doctors found a blood infection. “Fortunately, this disease was treated in time, as it could lead to sepsis,” writes the journalist in SoirMag. Sepsis is the old term for sepsis, which is the presence of bacteria in the blood that causes an infection. The result is fatal if the pathology is not treated.
It is not yet known if King Albert II’s health will allow him to attend the National Day celebrations next July 21st. Normally, the former head of state does not take part in the national holiday. Exceptionally, Albert II and Paola had to take part in the public celebrations this year, as they celebrated the 10th anniversary of King Philippe’s reign and thus the 10th anniversary of the abdication of the former King Albert II and Paola.
Nicholas Fontaine
editor-in-chief
Nicolas Fontaine has been a freelance web editor since 2014. After working as a copywriter and writer for numerous Belgian and French brands and media, he specialized in licensed news. Nicolas is now the editor-in-chief of Histoires Royales. [email protected]