King Albert tops popularity chart in Belgium

BRUSSELS – King Albert of Belgium remains Belgium’s most popular personality. Former sports women Justine Henin, Tia Hellebaut, Kim Gevaert and Kim Glijsters ranked second, third, fourth and fifth overall. Belgian premier Yves Leterme and his predecessor, Guy Verhofstadt, singer Adamo and Crown Princess Mathilde all captured a spot among the top ten. The rankings vary between the Flemish and Walloon parts of the country, where King Albert failed to top the Flemish list but Leterme did. Belgium’s royal House of Saxon-Cobourg has German roots. The findings are based on a poll by media outlets.