Queen Marie-José Through Her Daughter's Eyes

Here, we see Queen Marie-José of Italy with her four children: Maria Pia, Victor Emmanuel, Maria Gabriella, and Maria Beatrice. 

Marie-José's youngest daughter, Maria Beatrice, paid this lovely tribute to her mother: 

Di mia madre ammiro molte cose: il suo spirito indipendente, l'amore per la cultura, l'abilità con cui, anche avanti negli anni, ha continuato a condurre le sue ricerche storiche. Ma sopratutto ne ho sempre apprezzato la capacità di astrarsi, ossia di andare oltre le gioie e i dispiaceri, i luoghi e le situazioni, per essere sempre se stessa.

In my mother, I admire many things: her independent spirit, her love of culture, the ability with which, even in her later years, she continued to conduct her historical research (Marie-José wrote many outstanding works on the history of the house of Savoy). But, above all, I have always appreciated her capacity to abstract herself, to go beyond joys and sorrows, places and situations, to be always herself.

(Included in Luciano Regolo's biography of Marie-José, La Regina Incompresa)

Inghels Farm

Inghels Farm in Leisele, Alveringem, West Flanders. A preserved 16th century farm in the timbered building style. 

Credits and licensing information here.

Le Roi Albert Alpiniste

A lovely book by René Mallieux on the mountaineering life of King Albert I. Published in 1956. 

From a review by Pierre Tezenas du Montcel:

L'auteur reste fidèle à la promesse de son titre en deux cents pages d'une belle présentation, il dit l'essentiel, avec une sobriété d'expression qui respecte la grande mémoire de son personnage. De nombreuses photographies, pour la plupart tirées des albums privés du Roi, des reproductions de lettres autographes, une documentation précise puisée aux meilleures sources, donnent à l'ouvrage un ton émouvant d'intimité et de vérité. Le lecteur y trouvera la liste de très beaux exploits sportifs, et aussi des précisions qui ne manqueront pas de le frapper: celle, par exemple, du temps consacré par le Roi à la montagne et à l'entraînement: près d'un mois et demi sur douze dans les cinq dernières années.

The author remains faithful to the promise of his title in a beautiful presentation of 200 pages. He says what is essential, with a sobriety of expression which respects the great memory of the person in question. Numerous photographs, taken, for the most part, from the King's private albums, reproductions of handwritten letters, a precise documentation drawn from the best sources, all give the work a moving tone of intimacy and authenticity. The reader will find, here, a list of splendid athletic achievements, and, in addition, details which will not fail to strike him; for instance, the time devoted by the King to mountaineering and training - nearly a month and a half out of every twelve -during his last five years. 

My favorite part of the book was the story of the King's discussion with the famous Italian alpinist, Tita Piaz, a fierce republican, during a climb in the Dolomites. Since, at the moment, I do not, unfortunately, have a copy of Mallieux's book on hand, I will quote Marie-José's account of the same incident. 

... Tita déclare au roi: "Je suis républicain et je le dis franchement." Albert répond: "C'est votre droit." Piaz stupéfait: "Comment, vous êtes roi et vous trouvez que c'est mon droit d'être républicain?" "Oui, parce que chacun a le droit de penser politiquement comme il lui semble le mieux," affirme mon père. Piaz ne s'estimait pas satisfait de cette explication et se lança dans d'acerbes critiques auxquelles le roi, souriant, répondit non sans humour: "Si vous permettez, monsieur Piaz, je connais cette question probablement mieux que vous, étant donné mon métier." Et la conversation se poursuivit amicalement.

... Tita declared to the King: "I am a republican, and I say it frankly." Albert answered: "That is your right." Piaz was amazed: "What, you are a King and you think it is my right to be a republican?" "Yes, because everyone has the right to think, in political matters, as seems best to him," my father asserted. But Piaz, dissatisfied with this answer, launched into bitter critiques to which the King, smiling, replied, not without humor: "If you will forgive me, Mr. Piaz, I probably know this question better than you do, given my profession." And the conversation continued amicably.

Astrid On Her Wedding Day

A beautiful bride. 

Queen Astrid's Premonitions

Strangely, not long before the tragic car crash in Küssnacht, Queen Astrid had a definite premonition of her death. She confided her forebodings to her friend, Anna Sparre, who was traveling with the royal couple in the Alps. Anna tells the story in her book, Astrid, mon amie. 

One afternoon, Astrid and I were drinking coffee in front of a mountain hut... It was our last stop before returning to the village where we had left the car.

I believe it was the 18th of August. The weather had suddenly changed, and the cold gave us the impression that it was October. The clouds had suddenly gathered around the hut and we could see no further than a metre ahead; it was grim, and both of us were suffering slightly from altitude sickness... We wanted to return to civilization, we had had enough of the mountains. 

Astrid was not completely herself; she seemed serious and was not in a mood to joke. I remember a few snatches of our conversation. 

The tragic death of her father-in-law, King Albert, in a mountaineering accident, only a year and a half earlier, had been a terrible shock to Astrid; she feared that her husband, King Leopold (also a passionate alpinist) would meet a similar fate. 

"Do you understand I am often terribly afraid that something will happen to Leopold, and that I will be left alone with the children?"

I understood her very well, but I realized that it would be impossible to persuade him to give up this sport, which, although dangerous, was so important for his well-being.

"Also, Annisen, you do not realize how much I fear, at times, that I will die. It would be even worse for the children, and terrible for Leopold. My dear, can you promise me something?"

"What is that?"

"If I die while the children are still little, will you look after Joe-Joe (her daughter, Princess Josephine-Charlotte)?" 

"We have to pull ourselves together, dear. With this bad weather, we are not quite ourselves and that is the reason why you are thinking of horrible things. Why should anything happen to you...?"

"I am serious. Look after Joe, promise me."

"No, my dear, right now we must be reasonable. How could I come and say: 'I promised Astrid that I would take care of Joe in my apartment at Västerås...It is not realistic! Please, do not ask me to make this promise. Chase away these black thoughts."

"But I promised I would look after my god-daughter, Christina, if something happened to you," she answered, trying to smile.

"That is a completely different matter, and very kind of you. It is reassuring to know you will look after her." 

That was the end of the conversation, but her melancholy persisted until we entered the car. Ten days later, she was dead. 

Political Testament: Part VII

In the seventh section of his Political Testament, King Leopold III addressed the problem of the punishment of Nazi collaborators. 

Il faut craindre que la fin des hostilités ne s'accompagne du déchaînement de la vindicte publique et de l'assouvissement d'innombrables rancunes publiques et privées.

Les détenteurs provisoires de l'autorité auront à maintenir les manifestations de l'opinion dans les limites légales. Ils auront aussi cependant à provoquer et à éxécuter les sanctions que comportent les attentats commis par d'aucuns contre la défense du Pays et contre l'unité de l'État. 

Les auteurs de ces crimes contre la Nation ont assez proclamé, voire célébré, leur trahison pour que les répressions nécessaires ne s'en prennent qu'aux véritables et grands coupables.

Il convient que les châtiments soient prononcés et infligés sans délai, mais selon les procédures régulières.

It is to be feared that the end of hostilities will be accompanied by the unleashing of public vengeance, and by efforts to satisfy public and private hatreds.

Those who will be exercising authority in the interim period will have to keep demonstrations of opinion within legal limits. They will also, however, have to insist upon and carry out the punishments called for by the crimes which some have committed against the safety of the country and the unity of the state. 

The authors of these crimes against the nation have proclaimed, or rather, celebrated, their treason, sufficiently to enable the necessary retribution to apply only to the genuine, major offenders.

Sentences should be pronounced and carried out without delay, but according to regular procedures.

Blankenberge

The beach at Blankenberge, West Flanders, ca. 1900. 

Princess Josephine of Belgium

Princess Josephine of Belgium (1872-1958), one of the sisters of King Albert I. Josephine and Albert, the two youngest children of the Count and Countess of Flanders (like their older counterparts, Baudouin and Henriette), were particularly close to one another. Due to Josephine's marriage to a Hohenzollern relative, Albert and his sister were tragically separated during World War I, but the return of peace in 1918 made possible family reunion. Sadly, however, Josephine lost her husband a year later. In the 1930's, after the death of her brother, King Albert (a tragedy which caused her immense grief), she entered a convent in Namur. Her prayers surely aided the royal family!

"La Question Royale"

Royalist demonstrations and news reporting from the period of Belgium's post-war "Royal Question." Includes scenes of King Leopold III and Crown Prince Baudouin in exile in Switzerland.

The King & His Daughter

Here we see King Albert I of Belgium with his daughter, Marie-José, the future Queen of Italy, during the First World War. The little Princess adored her father. 

It is touching to see how the King, despite the innumerable preoccupations of war, took care to attend to his paternal role. In her memoirs, Marie-José quotes a few letters he sent her during this period. With gentleness, with the noble simplicity for which he was famous, he sought to assist her in her moral and religious growth.

In 1915, the King wrote to his daughter, then 9 years old, while she was in a convent school in England: 

"Il faut être sage et bien travailler. Quand on fait ce qu'on doit, on sert le Bon Dieu et on est heureux dans la vie...Ici il n'y rien de nouveau. La guerre est terrible et dure longtemps. Il faut prier pour qu'elle cesse bientôt." 

"You must behave well and do good work. When one does one's duty, one serves the good God and one is happy in life... Here there is nothing new. The war is terrible and drags on. We must pray that it end soon." 

As the date of Marie-José's First Communion approached, in 1916:

Prépare-toi avec soin pour ta Première Communion, c'est un grand jour de ta vie. Moi, je me rappelle toujours ma Première Communion comme un heureux événement de mon existence." 

"Prepare yourself with care for your First Communion, it is a great day of your life. I still remember my First Communion as a happy event in my life." 

Marie-José returned to Belgium for her First Communion. As the day of the ceremony drew near, the King, with great care, personally instructed her in the catechism. Yet, she later recalled, overwhelmed by the joy of seeing her father, she could not attend to his words. 

During the tragic years of the war, Marie-José's tender affection was surely a great consolation to her father.