Saturday, January 22, 2011

The Voice of Leopold III

Le Vétéran, porte-parole de la Ligue Royale Léopold III, is an interesting and informative blog published from time to time in Flemish and French. On the right column of the page, by clicking on the little image of the king speaking on the radio, you can hear part of an address, delivered by Leopold III to the Belgian people on the occasion of the German invasion of May 10, 1940. In Flemish, he tells his subjects: "War has erupted near us. An era of economic and human trials announces itself for Belgium. Many homes will now know the emotion of separation: parents, wives, children, know that you are in my thoughts." The king had a soft, gentle yet powerful voice; he was also the first Belgian monarch to speak Flemish more or less fluently.

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