Albert I, King of the Belgians

Albert Leopold Clement Marie Meinrad was born on 8th April 1875. He was the 5th child and 2nd son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders and the grandson of King Leopold I who had been Colonel of the 5th Dragoon Guards from 1816 to 1831.
Albert was appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the 5th DG on 11th Aug 1915. When the regiment was amalgamated with the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons he carried on as Colonel-in-Chief of the combined regiments as from 20th Nov 1922, taking over from The Duke of Connaught. Albert reigned for 24 years as King of the Belgians from 23rd Dec 1909 until 17th Feb 1934 when he was killed in a mountaineering accident. The next king was Leopold III who was appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards on 30th Mar 1937.

Regimental Details | Commanders in Chief