Sonian Forest

A view of the Sonian Forest (Forêt de Soignes/Zonienwoud) , in the Brussels region. (Credits). 
A winter sunset in the forest. (Credits)

Queen Fabiola Murder Threat

The Royal Forums and The Mad Monarchist report on a letter sent last Tuesday to the Belgian newspaper, "La Derniere Heure," threatening Queen Fabiola (widow of King Baudouin I) with assassination by crossbow on the Belgian National Day, July 21. The rather incoherent letter, written in very poor French, was written using an old typewriter, and bore a stamp from the 1930's with an image of King Albert I. The author claimed to be speaking on behalf of a radical group. The case is under investigation. 

Very shocking and bizarre. I hope and pray for the safety of Queen Fabiola and the Belgian royal family.

Political Testament: Part VIII

In the eighth section of his Political Testament, King Leopold III insisted upon solemn reparation from his ministers, who had unjustly accused him of treason at the time of the Belgian capitulation in 1940. Leopold's demand has often been viewed as a sign of obstinacy and arrogance, and as a fatal political mistake. It certainly did arouse great opposition to the King among politicians unwilling to repudiate past errors. Nonetheless, I do not consider his tone in this passage to be arrogant, but merely firm and dignified. His concerns for the honor of the dynasty and country seem entirely legitimate.

Il n'est point de patriote que ne tourmente le souvenir de certains discours prononcés à la tribune du monde entier, par lesquels des ministres belges se sont permis, à des heures exceptionellement critiques, où la sauvegarde de la dignité nationale imposait une extrême circonspection, de proférer précipitamment des imputations de la plus haute gravité contre la conduite de notre Armée et les actes de son chef. 

Ces accusations qui, dans un aveuglement obstiné, attentaient à l'honneur de nos soldats et de leur commandant en chef, ont causé à la Belgique un préjudice incalculable et difficile à réparer.

On chercherait vainement dans l'histoire pareil exemple d'un gouvernement jetant gratuitement l'opprobre sur son Souverain et sur le drapeau national. Le prestige de la Couronne et l'honneur du pays s'opposent à ce que les auteurs de ces discours exercent quelque autorité que ce soit en Belgique libérée aussi longtemps qu'ils n'auront pas répudié leur erreur et fait réparation solennelle et entière. 

La Nation ne comprendrait ni admettrait que la Dynastie acceptât d'associer à son action des hommes qui lui ont infligé un affront auquel le monde a assisté avec stupeur.

There is no patriot who is not tormented by the memory of certain speeches, pronounced before the entire world, in which Belgian ministers permitted themselves, at exceptionally critical moments, when the safeguarding of national dignity required extreme circumspection, hastily to hurl accusations of the highest gravity against the conduct of our army and the acts of its commander.

These accusations, which, in their obstinate blindness, attacked the honor of our soldiers and of their commander-in-chief, have caused Belgium immeasurable harm, which is difficult to repair. 

One would search in vain for similar examples in history of a government gratuitously casting disgrace upon its Sovereign and the national flag. The prestige of the Crown and the honor of the country forbid that the authors of these speeches exercise any authority whatsoever in liberated Belgium until they repudiate their error and make solemn, full reparation. 

The Nation would neither understand nor accept that the Dynasty should agree to collaborate with men who have inflicted upon it an affront which the world witnessed with astonishment.

Baldwin IV, King of Jerusalem (1161-1185)

An article from The Mad Monarchist on another King Baldwin. To quote: 

One of my favorite monarchs of all time was Baldwin IV of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem. He was born in 1161 to King Amalric I of Jerusalem and Queen Agnes of Edessa. While playing as a child it was discovered that he had leprosy and thus could not be expected to live a long or happy life. However, even as a boy, he never let his terrible disease get the better of him. When he was only 13 he became King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem with Raymond of Tripoli as his regent. When he became old enough to rule, he ruled well, but even from day one this diseased young boy was a King to admire. In 1174 the barely teenage monarch led his troops in an attack on the Muslim forces threatening Damascus and Andujar. The following year when the great Muslim warrior Sultan Saladin of Egypt attacked Ascalon King Baldwin IV (better known as Baldwin the Leper) took a mere 500 men to march to the defense of the city...(more)

Baudouin I of Belgium: Part II

On December 15, 1960, 9 years after his accession, King Baudouin married the Spanish noblewoman, Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragon. The wedding was magnificent and the mood in Belgium was enthusiastic. Since the tragic death of Baudouin's mother, Astrid, in 1935, the Belgians had lacked a Queen Consort and they were delighted to welcome one again. Fabiola's personal modesty and charm won her great popularity. By all accounts, the marriage was a collaborative and devoted one. Sadly, however, the royal couple remained childless. As she recalled in a recent interview, the Queen suffered five miscarriages. At one point, rumors circulated that the King was seeking an annulment from the Vatican. This, of course, was nonsense, but it surely added to the royal couple's distress.

The wedding celebrations were, perhaps, all the more welcome given the political troubles in the months before the marriage. 1960 had been marked, first of all, by the Congo crisis. From January to February, meetings took place between Belgian government representatives and Congolese politicians. The colony was officially granted independence, and, on June 30, King Baudouin attended the hand-over of power in Kinshasa. The same year, Belgium suffered grave economic, social, and political crises. In Flanders, unemployment rates were high; in Wallonia, the closure of the coal mines provoked severe upheavals. The Belgian government developed a relief program to meet the specific needs of the different regions. The plan was submitted to Parliament in November. Despite these efforts, unrest continued. At the beginning of December, a general strike paralyzed the country. Violence broke out in Wallonia, where the strike was political, aiming at federal reform of Belgium's constitutional structure. Relations between Flanders and Wallonia had always been fragile; this incident, and subsequent events, increasingly amplified tensions. 

 In 1962, a linguistic frontier was drawn between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking regions. In 1963, laws confirmed the principle of unilingualism in regional administration and education. This principle gave rise to severe crises. In 1966, for example, hostility erupted at the University of Leuven, in Flanders. Flemish circles objected to the presence of a French-speaking section of the university, and agitated for its transfer to Wallonia (Walen buiten! or "Walloons out!" was one slogan during the upheavals). The transfer, to the French-speaking town of Ottignies, soon took place. More and more, Belgians were divided into two hostile camps. 

A trend towards "federalism" began. Power increasingly devolved, away from the national government, upon the regions. In 1970, Prime Minister Gaston Eyskens announced that the unitary Belgian state was obsolete and that the regions required greater autonomy. The same year, the Flemish and Walloon communities acquired "cultural autonomy," or the right to exclusive control over cultural affairs in their areas. In 1980, the regions gained sweeping powers over local economy and employment, land use, housing, town and country planning, the environment, and more. In 1988-1989, the prerogatives of the regions and linguistic communities were further increased. The communities acquired control over education and health policy; the regions obtained power over public works, and the right to sole supervision of local authorities. Regional tax-raising powers were continually increased. From 1991-1993, constitutional revisions and special legislation officially redefined Belgium as a "federal state," consisting of communities and regions. The latter's rights and responsibilities, especially in foreign relations, were further expanded. 

Although federalism has worked well in other countries ( eg. the United States, Germany), here it served the purposes of extremists on both sides of the ethnolinguistic divide. Disregarding the Belgians' shared history and political traditions, Flemish and Walloon separatists would continually denigrate their country as an "artificial state," inciting hatred between the communities. The growth of regional power at the expense of the central authority would feed the process of national disintegration. 

Maintaining national unity and harmony became a grave concern for King Baudouin. He constantly reiterated these themes in his speeches. In 1976, for example, he recalled Belgium's motto: "unity makes for strength," and promoted a constructive form of federalism: 

When the founders of an independent Belgium chose that motto, they were well aware of our diversity, and of the necessity to maintain cohesion. They considered that the regions, with their legitimate autonomy, constituted complementary parts of a whole, and should not be envious adversaries. They knew that federating was uniting with acceptance of differences, and not disbanding through confrontation. 

Yet, despite his popularity, (and, surely, the support of many Belgians for his views), Baudouin's ability to halt destructive trends was severely limited. The Belgian kings' freedom of action had always been gravely restricted by the constitution, and the monarchy had been further undermined by the post-war "Royal Question." Leopold III was, in practice, the last King of the Belgians to substantially impact the political process. His interventions, during the 1930's, in the politicians' sphere, have been cited as the underlying reason for his downfall. In an article published, in September, 1993, in La Libre Belgique, entitled "The political world did not forgive the King his concern for the common good and his great political morality," Thomas Maury wrote of Leopold: "The [politicians] did not accept that the King intervened too closely in their sphere of action, and that he reminded them, with insistence and intransigence, of their duties towards the country. And they certainly made him feel it, after the war." This tragic legacy definitively enforced the idea that Belgian kings must "reign but not rule." Baudouin's political role was largely restricted to that of a discreet counselor. 

Nonetheless, Baudouin accomplished a great deal of good. One royal initiative, meriting special attention, is the King Baudouin Foundation. Established in 1976, this organization aims at improving the living conditions of the Belgian people. It undertakes projects and publishes documents relating to fields such as poverty, social exclusion, the environment, the national artistic and architectural heritage, and education. 

Baudouin's politically weak position was highlighted by the abortion crisis in 1990. The Belgian legislature had approved a bill legalizing abortion, and the King was expected to sign it into law. Royal assent to laws passed by parliament had long been viewed as a mere formality, and, in fact, as a regal duty. Yet, Baudouin's religious faith and moral principles forbad him to approve the abortion law. Refusal to sign would provoke a storm of accusations of "undemocratic" behavior, and would risk unleashing a campaign to force his abdication and abolish the monarchy. In this situation, Baudouin's high principles, integrity, and courage shone through. Despite the political dangers of his action, he refused his signature, citing conscientious objections. The government found an expedient of dubious legality by declaring the King "incapable of reigning" for a day ( although "inability to reign" was supposed to refer to physical incapacity, not crises of conscience), assuming regal powers, and ratifying the law.  The episode revealed the monarch's inability to reverse the moral trends of a society which had increasingly departed from its Catholic traditions. 

Only three years after this tragic episode, King Baudouin I died, very suddenly, of a heart attack, while on vacation, with Queen Fabiola, in Spain. He was deeply mourned by the Belgian people; despite the political controversies of his reign, he had retained a high degree of popularity. His successor was his younger brother, Albert, who now reigns as King Albert II.

Baudouin I of Belgium: Part I

Baudouin I (1930-1993) was the fifth King of the Belgians. He possessed the patriotism and high principles of his predecessors, Albert I and Leopold III, yet his reign, tragically, saw Belgium's political and moral decline.

Born Baudouin Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave at Stuyvenberg Castle, near Brussels, on September 7, 1930, he was the eldest son of Prince Leopold and Princess Astrid of Belgium. His sister, Josephine-Charlotte, had been born in 1927; his brother, Albert, would follow in 1934. The year of Baudouin's birth coincided with the centenary of Belgian independence. The arrival of the long-awaited royal heir was a joyful event for his family and people. Princess Astrid wrote to a friend proudly announcing the birth, underlining the words "our son" several times. "You understand how happy we are that it is a boy," she wrote,"it is a joy not only for us, but for everyone here in Belgium..."(Sparre, p. 130)

Yet this happy period was soon shattered. On February 17, 1934, Baudouin's grandfather, King Albert I, was killed while climbing the cliffs of Marche-les-Dames. Belgium was plunged into deep mourning, and for Baudouin's parents, this tragedy brought stark new responsibilities. On February 23, Prince Leopold swore his constitutional oath in Brussels, becoming King Leopold III of the Belgians. Queen Astrid attended the ceremony, accompanied by her two eldest children, Josephine-Charlotte and Baudouin (she was expecting her third child, Albert). Leopold concluded his accession speech with the words: "I give myself entirely to Belgium," and Astrid, deeply moved, lifted up 3-year-old Baudouin to offer him to the country. Baudouin was now Crown Prince, and acquired the traditional title of Belgian royal heirs: Duke of Brabant.

On August 29, 1935, another tragedy struck the royal family. Queen Astrid (with her unfortunate husband at the wheel) was killed in a car crash in Küssnacht-am-Rigi, Switzerland. Like King Albert, Queen Astrid had been immensely popular; for a second time, in a year and a half, the Belgians were overwhelmed with shock and grief. King Leopold was left a devastated widower; his children, motherless orphans. As Leopold found it too painful to continue living at Stuyvenberg, filled with memories of Astrid, he moved, with his children, to Laeken. The menacing international situation, in addition to the family tragedies, made the 1930's a very grim period for the royal house.

On May 10, 1940, when Hitler invaded Belgium, the 9-year-old Baudouin and his siblings were sent to safety in France, and, later, Spain. Under desperate circumstances, King Leopold was obliged to surrender to the Nazis on May 28. His action brought slanderous charges of treason from French Premier Paul Reynaud and even Leopold's own ministers, who had fled to France several days before the Belgian capitulation. Leopold effectively became a scapegoat for the Allied disasters in 1940, and French and British newspapers began to vilify him as the "Felon King." It must have been very painful for young Baudouin, who greatly admired his father, to see him so horribly attacked.

On August 2, 1940, Baudouin and his siblings returned to Belgium. Their father was a prisoner of war, held under house arrest at Laeken, but the royal children lived as normal a life as possible under the circumstances. They continued their studies, either at Laeken or at the royal family's country chateau of Ciergnon, until 1944. Meanwhile, in 1941, the King had married Lilian Baels, the daughter of a Flemish politician. Lilian declined the title of Queen, but was styled "Princess of Réthy" and "Princess of Belgium." "She was a ray of sunlight for us all," Leopold later recalled, and this was certainly true for his children, who now had a warm, affectionate, and vivacious step-mother. The royal couple encouraged the children to take part in various healthful activities on the family estates; in fishing, farm work, and riding. At one point, Lilian arranged a Christmas play for the children, with her infant son, Alexandre, in the role of the baby Jesus. Baudouin and his siblings developed a deep attachment to the Princess.

In June, 1944, the period of the Allied landings in Europe, the Nazis deported King Leopold to Germany. Almost immediately afterwards, they ordered the deportation of Leopold's wife and children. Princess Lilian and the Queen Mother, Elisabeth, protested vigorously, but in vain. It was a frightening moment; Baudouin left a letter to a friend discussing his family's imminent deportation."It is terrible," he wrote, "but circumstances require it... Farewell, until we meet again, I hope." Guarded by the SS, Lilian, the four royal children, and a few members of their entourage began a harrowing journey to Germany. They were kept in ignorance of Leopold's fate and their own destination. At one point, the Nazis wanted to separate Baudouin and Albert from the rest of the family. Lilian's vehement protests, however, finally prevailed, and the Nazis allowed the royal party to continue traveling together. They eventually reached their destination, the grim fortress of Hirchstein, where they found King Leopold. They would later be transferred to Strobl in Austria.

The prisoners' conditions were harsh, and their diet was insufficient. Leopold and Lilian homeschooled the royal children, and the family tried to remain calm and composed despite the constant fear that they would be murdered by the SS as a vindictive measure on Hitler's part. At one point, a Nazi official presented Lilian with a box of blue pills, claiming they were nutritional supplements, and encouraging her to distribute them to the whole family. Lilian was duly suspicious and did not take the pills or give them to anyone else. She kept them, however, and later, the pills were tested and found to contain cyanide.

The rescue of Leopold and his family by American troops, in May, 1945, ended the nightmare of captivity. Yet, another painful period began, that of the "Belgian Royal Question." Falsely accused of collaboration with the Nazis, Leopold was prevented from returning to Belgium upon his liberation. The royal family left Austria in October, 1945, and moved to the villa "Le Reposoir" in Prégny, Switzerland. They would remain there until July, 1950. During this period, Baudouin attended high school in Geneva. In 1948, he traveled to the United States. Meanwhile, in Belgium, a commission of inquiry had exonerated his father of treason, but agitation against the King continued. Leopold's "inability to reign," originally due to his captivity, was artificially prolonged by his political enemies.

On July 22, 1950, King Leopold, reinstated by plebiscite in his royal prerogatives, was finally allowed to return to Belgium. Baudouin and his brother, Albert, accompanied their father. Leopold's return, however, sparked further violent agitation and, to preserve the peace, the King asked the government and parliament to delegate his powers to Baudouin. On August 11, Baudouin assumed the King's powers and became known as the "Prince Royal." The following year, Leopold abdicated in his son's favor. It was a tragic moment for Baudouin. Deeply loyal to his father, he painfully felt Leopold's humiliation. Baudouin embraced him and promised: "I will do everything to show myself worthy of being your son." He swore his accession oath on July 17, 1951.

At 21, after a traumatic youth, and inadequate preparation, Baudouin became the fifth King of the Belgians. His reign would see the deterioration of relations between Flanders and Wallonia, increasing national disunity, and the loss of Belgium's traditional religious and moral values. Despite his high principles, Baudouin, hampered by severe political restraints, would be unable to halt these trends.

(to be continued)

References:

Official website of the Belgian monarchy

Cleeremans, Jean. Léopold III, sa famille, son peuple sous l'occupation. 1987.
Désire, Claude and Marcel Jullian. Un couple dans la tempête. 2005.

Dujardin, Vincent, van den Wijngaert, Mark, et. al. Léopold III. 2001.

Keyes, Roger. Echec au Roi: Léopold III, 1940-1951. 1986.

Sparre, Anna. Astrid mon amie. 2005.

Accession of Umberto II & Marie-José

Today marks the 63rd anniversary of the accession of King Umberto II and his Belgian-born wife, Queen Marie-José, to the Italian throne. On May 9, 1946, Umberto's father, King Victor Emmanuel III, discredited for his perceived compliance with the fascist regime of Mussolini, abdicated in his son's favor. Only weeks later, on June 12, 1946, the Italian monarchy would be abolished (following a plebiscite on June 2), and the House of Savoy would be on the road to exile. The brief reign of Umberto and Marie-José earned them the nicknames of "May King" and "May Queen." 

Upon her accession, Marie-José was highly skeptical about the monarchy's future, but hoped, nonetheless, to be able to assist her people, emerging from the devastation of World War II. With her husband's collaboration, she prepared a moving address to the Italian women; it reveals her ideals and goals during this period. Political circumstances prevented Marie-José from delivering the address, but it shows her great love of her people and her strong sense of royal duty. I think she would have made a wonderful Queen Consort; it is a pity her reign was so brief.

Mary Tudor: Renaissance Queen

I have recently discovered a fascinating new blog, Mary Tudor: Renaissance Queen by Little Miss Sunnydale. I encourage all my readers to take a look at this promising site!

May Day

A May Queen in 1887. (Photo courtesy of New Westminster Public Library)

Happy 1st of May!

The Royal Mounted Escort

The Mad Monarchist has an interesting article on the Belgian kings' ceremonial guards. To quote:

Since independence the Belgian royals have been protected by a mounted escort during public outings and to this day the Royal Mounted Escort provides unmatched pomp and color on Belgian royal occasions. The ceremonial guard is today filled by members of the Federal Police General Reserves. The guard consists of 132 men and all ride home bred Belgian horses. Even horse color is kept uniform, varying with the duties each group of troopers is attached to. In the lead of the column is always the "front arrow" which consists of 3 detective inspectors who carry their lances horizontally to show that the monarch is present. 14 trumpet musicians come next, all on grey horses. The first company of two troops rides next followed by the standard-bearer of the Royal Mounted Escort who rides directly in front of the monarch flanked by two guards...(more)