In a video published on YouTube earlier this week, King Philippe of Belgium broke with tradition to open up to the Belgian public.
To mark his 65th birthday in April, the monarch's children invited the public to submit questions they had always wanted to ask him.
The Royal Palace said that it had received questions from Belgians of all ages. A total of 2,614 questions were submitted, 38 of which he addressed in a 40-minute video.
The king, who is known as an intensely private man, recorded the video from the comfort of his own home, sitting in a chic salon at the Royal Castle in Laeken. At one point, he was joined by his dog, Simba.
In the video, he divulged details about his morning routine, favourite books and passion for painting – as well as responding to a question about his possible abdication.
'A king steps back, but does not retire'
One man asked Philippe if he had plans to “pass on the baton” to his daughter, Princess Elisabeth, 23, who is first in line to the Belgian throne.
“A king steps back, but does not retire,” replied Philippe. “I will continue to work for Belgium and I must give my daughter time to enjoy her youth, develop herself and see the world. I support her 100 percent in that and I will do everything I can to give her the time she needs to do what she needs to do.”
Philippe's father, King Albert of Belgium, abdicated in 2013 after a 20-year reign, making way for Philippe to become king.
A 'surprise exhibition'
The king, who responded to questions in both French and Flemish, showed a more vulnerable side in the video, admitting that he “didn’t have a lot of self-confidence when he was young”.
He spoke at length about his passion for painting, and even showed some samples of his work in the video.
“Normally, I am very discreet about what I paint, my paintings,” Philippe said. “But especially for you today, we brought out a few. A little surprise exhibition for you.”
The three paintings Philippe chose to display were colourful and modern in style. One was a portrait of his wife, Mathilde.
“When I saw her like that, I said to myself: ‘I absolutely, absolutely must immortalise this scene with a painting’,” he said.
'I still regret not going'
The king was also asked which major world event had the biggest impact on him. He responded that the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 had really moved him.
“It was incredible,” said Philippe. “It sent such a message of hope. At the time, I should have got in my car and gone straight there. I didn’t do that, and I still regret not going. But the enthusiasm shown by people was wonderful to see. I will always remember that.”
Other questions concerned the King's morning routine, which includes 15 minutes of meditation, and his favourite music.
"Dire Straits is absolutely the best for me," said the King, who concluded the video with a word of thanks.
