Princess Clémentine of Belgium

The Spirit of 14

In the difficult times of today, with everyone grumbling about austerity measures and having to cut back, some being tempted, as usual, to blame one side or the other based on prejudice, think about the generations before that have had to face much, much worse challenges and did that with great stoic courage and patriotism. Belgium should have a new national campaign to revive the "Spirit of 1914" to be inspired by the heroism and sacrifice of those people who faced the first great invasion of the country with determination, unity, patriotism and loyalty for the King and the country and each other. Everyone remember the "Spirit of 14"!

King Albert I at the Front Lines

The King greets and the Queen treats wounded soldiers back from the attack

The King gets information at the front on the withdrawal to the Yser

King Albert defending Antwerp (I think)

They shall not pass!

The King directing the troops against the enemy.

It is true, the role of the King was slightly glorified in order to inspire the army to resist and encourage the people not to lose hope in the most darkest hour of the national history. But also is true that no other monarch of the Great War was, from 1914 to 1918, so close so constantly to his army and none more shared their stress and discomfort. Albert I was the King who saved Belgium!

Murder of Congolese Leader

It was on January 17, 1961 that Congolese independence advocate and former Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba was murdered. Since that time Belgium and the United States have been widely blamed for the death of the Congolese leader. The Belgian government even did a full investigation to please the Congo authorities and in 2002 apologized for 'moral responsibility' in not doing more to prevent the murder of Lumumba even though they found definitively that Belgium never ordered such an assassination. I don't know that the United States ever admitted to any role by the CIA in the events. But Lumumba, being killed so early on, has become like a god in the Congo even though his record was not one of success and he purposely put his country on a first step of needless antagonism between Congo and Belgium. He had pushed for independence for a long time, blaming all problems in the Congo on the presence of the Belgians, in his present time and in history. He was a former beer salesman and postal worker who was once put in jail for stealing money from the postal service. But, because of his agitation for independence he became a popular figure in the Congo over time.

When independence came this should have been the happy moment of victory for Patrice Lumumba but he could not let go of his past hatreds and turned the independence ceremony into an ugly scene. There had already been some unpleasantness but at the ceremony King Baudouin gave a speech trying to put the best light on everything. He advised the Congolese leaders not to do anything too radical, assured them that Belgium was ready to help them in any way possible if they needed it and wishing them the best. Lumumba, the new Prime Minister, then took the stage and began railing against the Belgians, even digging up the memory of King Leopold II, insulting Belgium with the most wicked accusations. Everyone today (not just in Africa) thinks this was some sort of brave and heroic speech but at the time few people thought so and instead said that it simply displayed the undiplomatic and unprofessional nature of the new native government, was needless antagonistic and only ensured that the olive branch offered by King Baudouin was slapped away in favor of a continued hostile attitude. The King was so upset at this public humiliation that he almost left the country immediately but his sense of duty prevented him.

Because he was assassinated later Lumumba is portrayed as a great leader now. But at the time, his government of the Congo was a series of bad decisions. He gave everyone a raise in pay except for the army which caused an outbreak of mutiny with soldiers running wild all over the country, killing looting and causing every kind of disorder. Belgians and all other Europeans were targeted for attacks, because of the breakdown in law and because of the hostile racial attitude Lumumba encouraged at the time of independence and so all Europeans fled the country which caused a big crisis for the economy. The mineral-rich province of Katanga wanted no part of all this and declared independence and the United Nations intervened to prevent the death of innocent peoples in the area. Lumumba wanted to crush the rebels and made friends with the Soviet Union to obtain the weapons he needed to do this. Because of his hostile attitude to the western powers none of them were going to help him wage war on his people but the Soviets were always eager to help insurgent, anti-colonial movements because they usually could use this to take control for the communists after it was over.

The President in the end dismissed Lumumba because of this crisis, but Lumumba would not give up power and declared the President removed from office. Their two factions began fighting for power and this gave the opportunity for Colonel Joseph Mobutu to step in, suppress both of them and eventually take power for himself. Lumumba tried to set up his own government and arm his own private army but Mobutu captured him and arrested him. The United Nations was split over the issue with the Communist powers supporting Lumumba and the anti-communist powers opposing any return to power for him. In the end he was taken by the Katanga authorities and executed by firing squad. Things did not get better afterwards but as the man in charge of the government, Lumumba was responsible for how bad things were. He took them to that point and it is unjust to blame others for the terrible state of affairs he presided over. Peace and friendship and an orderly consolidation of the new independent government could have led to a much better future for the Congo but it was Lumumba who first rejected that attitude and chose hostility and force instead. I cannot regard him as a great leader for anyone.

Belgian Princess Marries Italian Prince

Still I am on holiday from my classes (I get a break from my exile) and am enjoying being again at home to see friends and family. Not much time to be on the computer, when I am back in the States probably I will have more time with nothing to do but blogging. Today, though I noticed (a little off in my timing maybe) the anniversary of the wedding of Princess Marie-Jose and Crown Prince Umberto of Italy on January 8, 1930. I love the old photos from that occasion, and there were many of them (and postcards and souvenir items) because they were such a beautiful couple. It was an arranged marriage though, from early on because Italy and Belgium were on the Allied side in the Great War and after that conflict not many Catholic monarchies were left to have marriages with. So, in the end, they did not have a very happy marriage but did the job of having heirs for the Italian throne and the couple were never divorced but they lived apart after the end of World War II and the loss of the monarchy in Italy so clearly they were putting their duty first and only went their own ways after there was no kingdom to serve anymore, staying married in case the Italians ever came to their senses and put back the original system. Princess Marie-Jose, later the Queen Marie-Jose, was an awesome woman and this shows how dutiful she was to her obligations for her adopted country of Italy. And she was always a good mother too. I wish their lives together could have been happier but there was at least no animosity between them and no bitterness. Both I think were good people.

Kerst Toespraak 2011 Koning Albert van Belgie 24 25 december

Tragedy in Liège

Today at lunch time has been a terrible tragedy in the historic city of Liege when a murderous attack killed four people and injured 75 (so far, numbers may change) in the middle of the city. The first target seems to have been a bus shelter at Place Saint-Lambert. There are conflicting reports about who is guilty for this. Witnesses said there were a group of attackers, shooting guns and throwing bombs, officials though say there was only one, Nordine Amrani (32) who carried out the killings and then did suicide to himself. Emergency stations were set up, people were advised to stay off the streets and emergency assistance was sent from Namur and Maastricht. It is a terrible, terrrible day and the pictures released even by the media are shocking of the horror and bloodshed. Who could do such a terrible thing? I don't know who is Nordine Amrani. The police say he was sentenced to 58 months in prison in 2008 after an inspection of his home found stocks of illegal weapons and 2,800 cannabis plants. From just the name, Amrani, I would guess he was a Moroccan but I cannot know that for sure yet. After what has happened in so many cities all across Europe and what happened in Norway, the first thing that entered my mind was this was either a deranged Muslim or a deranged Belgian angry at the Muslims all over the country. Every act of mass violence seems to be one of those two nowadays. Just recently the news said that in my beloved Antwerp a Kalashnikov (AK-47) was found in the home of a young Belgian convert to Islam who is a member of the radical group Sharia4Belgium. And in Mons a Muslim father was recently sentenced to 25 years in prison for the "Honor Killing" of his own daughter, Sadia Sheikh. A brother who was the one who actually shot the poor girl was sentenced to 15 years in gaol and a sister was given five years. She was 20 years old and what was her "crime"? She wanted to marry her Belgian boyfriend instead of the Pakistani chosen by her parents. What is the country coming to? Never before have such things happened. Even my parents who are the most peaceful, moderate (and really boring!) people you can think of, are becoming alarmed by all of this that seems to be increasing every day. But what can you do? Today all I can do is say a prayer for the poor people in Liege and their families who have been robbed of their loved ones by this maniac.

The King and Queen late tonight visited the scene of the disaster, meeting with local officials, survivors and families of the victims. The feeling of horror could be seen on their faces all day.

The Holy Sepulchre Ordre

Recently I saw the coverage that Vatican Cardinal John Patrick Foley (American) passed away just yesterday. The Cardinal was President of the Pontifical Council on Social Communications and, I am told, for many years provided the English language commentary for the papal Midnight Mass on Christmas every year. He was also the Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. This order is, I think, not usually considered one of the "papal honors" but it is under the protection of the Popes and has a significant connection to the Kingdom of Belgium. It traces its history back to the Belgian leader of the First Crusade, Godfrey de Bouillon who was the first "Advocate of the Holy Sepulchre".

On October 19, 1955 King Albert II and Queen Paola were both given membership in the order. The King is "Knight of the Collar" and the Queen is "Dame of the Collar". It is the only Vatican order of which the Queen is a member. The King also is "Bailiff and Knight Grand Cross of Honor and Devotion" of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Prince Philippe is also a "Knight Grand Cross" of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, he was given that honor also in 1995. He is also a "Knight of Honor and Devotion" of the Order of Malta as well. Prince Laurent is not a member of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre but he is a "Knight of Honor and Devotion" of the Knights of Malta since 1998 (so take that everyone who thinks he is a bad person!). I don't think I have ever heard of Cardinal Foley before but he sounds like he was a very good, devout priest from what I have read about him since his passing away, defending even those positions of the Church which have become unpopular to many people today. The new Grand Master of the Holy Sepulchre Order is another American, Cardinal Edwin Frederick O'Brien, and I hope he has great success in that post. If any of you reading want to be a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre also, all I can say is to make some important friends. Membership is given only by invitation of local bishops with endorsement by active members.

Princess Claire Defends Her Man

To start at the beginning, some days or weeks ago was made a sensationalist report in the media against Prince Laurent in a show on RTBF. I did not care to mention it at the time because it seemed too absurd and everyone is always trying to say something negative about Prince Laurent and it seemed to me this was just trying to purposely be the most outrageous to get more attention in the media. The accusation was that Prince Laurent is some brutal maniac who is terrible to everyone around him and even abusive to his family. Just when he was starting to show up at family events again, like the King and Queen were starting to forgive him for being such a loose cannon something like this of course happens. I never believed such a thing at all, no matter what the television says. Prince Laurent has never seemed to me to be a malicious or brutal person at all, only someone who seems to lack good judgment sometimes and wants to do things his own way. He also does not realize that for a Prince, anything at all you say in public, 'can and will be used against you in the court of public opinion'. That is a long way apart from being a harsh, unfeeling brute.

As not unusual, the Prince tried to ignore these terrible accusations and go on with his life but the media will not let it go. A story like this, with Prince Laurent, is like catnip for them. So, a few days ago the Prince is opening in Brussels a new homeless shelter for homeless people with pets (he often does charity causes for pets). When he was speaking to the press about this occasion (or rather he wanted to be talking about this occasion) all they wanted to do was hurl questions at him about the show on TV saying what a terrible person he was. That was when Princess Claire could stand by silently no more. She stepped forward and ended the press conference right there, saying that would be the end of it, that what was said about her husband was totally untrue and very hurtful to her and their children. Not only these accusations but all the other stories that are passed around like gossip that always portray Prince Laurent in a negative light. Bravo Princess Claire! Here is a strong woman who will defend her husband.

I am proud of Princesse Claire for doing this. It must be very hard on her and the three children to have their husband and father so often picked on in the media, a very popular pasttime lately it seems. And I just cannot believe those stories. Prince Laurent does not and never has seemed that type of personality to me, I don't think Princess Claire would still be married to him if he was and I think about the King and Queen. Would they let their grandchildren stay in a home if the Prince was in any way abusive? The King has shown he will take firm measures when the Prince acts in an undisciplined way and Queen Paola --what fiery Italian grandmother would let that situation continue? I cannot believe it and I always thought it was too outrageous to be true. That makes it very unfortunate for Prince Laurent and his family but I am glad he has a strong and loyal wife like Princess Claire to get him through these difficult times. She is really great!

The King and the New Government

Yesterday, in the presence of the King at Laeken Palace the new government was sworn in. So it is finally over. The bad jokes can stop, politicians wives can stop withholding sex from their husbands, patriotic men can shave their beards off and everyone be glad that the country will not be falling apart right now, at least not because of the deadlock of the parties. One thing that prompted an agreement to finally be made was the inability of the caretaker government to deal with the worsening economic crisis, not just across the European Union but Belgium itself also when agencies downgraded Belgian credit rating from AA+ to AA, which will make borrowing money more expensive (not that I understand economics at all). So, after all this time, even the parties began to realize that if Belgium did not have some kind of government, if even it was not ideal, the two halves of the country would be ruined together. So, finally an agreement was made and the King asked Elio Di Rupo to take the position of Prime Minister. It is one of the smallest governments Belgium ever had with only 13 ministers and 6 secretaries of state. In this case, at this time, maybe smaller is better anyway.

Not everyone of course is happy. That is not going to be surprising but what might be is just what some people are complaining about. One headline said of the new cabinet, “Too few women and too West Flemish”. Is this for a joke? Over five hundred days of deadlock and no government and some people are complaining because only 6 of the 19 are women and 6 of the Flemings are all from West Flanders. Too little diversity? But surely having Elio Di Rupo for Prime Minister should count for a number of different minorities. Limburg has no representative, Antwerp only 3 (hey!) and, for the first Francophone prime minister in decades there is worry for the ability of Elio Di Rupo to speak Dutch (he does not do it very well). The feminists are upset, many Flemings are upset (which should have been expected under the circumstances, by both groups) and one feminist Fleming said there is “no excuse” for this outrage! My apologies for not having all groups represented ideally but really, it was 541 days without any government at all! Obviously not everyone will have everything they want and when this much time has passed by and the situation becomes more and more serious the choices will clearly be worse and worse. This mentality itself is for me what is upsetting. It is no wonder the country seems always on the brink of collapse when everyone is keeping a chart to see if “their” side, group, language, gender, region and everything else is always represented no less than every other one with their own charts.

With everyone talking about the deal that was made, who gets this or that and how many “firsts” this represents for Elio Di Rupo being Prime Minister, the one person the media overlooks in all this is the most important, THE KING! It was all along the King who was the only person involved in the process with no ulterior motives or agenda, no special interest for anything before the nation entire and there was no one like the King who put everything else aside to find an agreement that would be in the best interests of the country. In 2007, 2010 and this year the King had to call off his vacation time because of the crisis and we know how many times he has had to pick new mediators, persuade mediators to stay on and acted himself as a broker between the leading politicians. Before anyone applauds too highly Monsieur Di Rupo, remember the times he was wanting to give up on the process but the King recalled him and persuaded him to stay on and see things through until an agreement was at last reached. While foreign politicians mock Belgium for this impasse and while the media makes a big joke of the inability of the parties to work together it has all the time been the King who has done his duty, ignoring all else, refusing to participate in any festivities so long as the work of the state was left undone because of the deadlock.

Think back to how many mediators resigned over these difficulties. Can I remember them all? Not at all, Bart De Wever, as a courtesy, made the first effort but no one was having anything to do with him. Elio Di Rupo then came in, tried and failed. Danny Pieters and Andre Flahaut took their turn, I remember Johan Vande Lanotte who quit after three months of negotiations (who tried to resign earlier but the King refused him). He was followed by Didier Reynders (who I cannot help find funny, something about him makes me always laugh) then there was Wouter Beke of the Christian Democratic and Flemish Party, also ending in frustration and finally Elio Di Rupo again who has finally emerged as the Prime Minister. Throughout all of these people who tried, grew frustrated and failed in these hundreds of days, the one permanent, reliable and sincere figure who never gave up and who always had only the best interests of his country at heart was King Albert II. He should be given credit for all of his efforts, he is the real hero in this ugly display of partisanship and it is the King who everyone should applaud and be proud of. Vive le Roi! Leve de Koning!

Birthday of Princess Lea

Last Friday, December 2, was the birthday of Princess Lea, wife (now widow) of Prince Alexandre and sister-in-law of the King. Even though I am late to mention this I wanted to because she is from that part of the family that seems to get very little attention or consideration. Surely they are grateful to be spared the sort of attention the others are given but it bothers me that so many act as though they 'don't count'. Princess Lea would agree with me I think since she said that was a reason for publishing a photograph book on her husband and the family. I realize naturally there were problems. She had been married twice (I think) before and Prince Alexandre married her without the approval or knowledge of the King and their union was only known in 1998. Even so, she seems like a nice lady and I don't wish anyone unpleasantness. They had no children so all the worry about titles and succession seemed a little silly to me, just take them all as they are I say and I hope there are still friendly relations with Princess Lea and all the rest of the family. Happy late birthday wishes to her.

Belgian Maneuvers 1939

Someone asked me, reading from a book they just had been given, about the Belgian maneuvers of 1939 and asked how this was not a betrayal of France just at the critical point when World War II is about to begin. This is completely untrue though and I do not understand how anyone could think such a thing. This is the context: Belgium had always been neutral since independence until Germany invaded in 1914. After that, Belgium was allied to France because both countries were of course worried about the Germans, seeing that they would have no hesitation to invade and threaten both countries (or especially to invade France and Belgium would be a useful corridor). So there was an alliance until 1939 when on September 3, after the invasion of Poland, King Leopold III declared neutrality again. The Belgian army was at that time called out and put through some exercises as a show of force, not particularly for Germany, but for France so that they would know that if they tried to violate Belgian territory to attack Germany they would have a difficult fight and Belgium would resist them just as they had strongly resisted the Germans in 1914. This was not a betrayal, this was a realistic view of the on-the-ground situation.

Consider for a moment that prior to this time Germany had gone back on one provision after another of the Versailles Treaty and France and Britain had done nothing. Britain even signed a naval treaty with Germany. Italy had been opposed to Germany at first but left the Allies to join the Germans when Britain or France would not stand beside Italy in stopping the takeover of Austria and then later scolded Italy for occupying Abyssinia. After the Rhineland and Czech occupations and the union with Austria the French had done nothing. This was a concern to Belgium as was the French war plans which many thought left Belgium on its own. Then when Germany invaded Poland the British and then French declared war on Germany. What was Belgium supposed to do? They could do nothing about Poland, even Britain and France could do nothing to save Poland but they had declared war anyway. The Germans had made no aggressive moves against the Low Countries, Britain or France at that time. But the British and French had declared war on Germany so Belgium was suddenly faced with the possibility of France doing the same thing the Kaiser had done in 1914, attacking Germany and marching through Belgium maybe as an easier way to go.

The Allies had, honestly, done a poor job of diplomacy and foreign relations prior to World War II. They had given in to Hitler time after time and then, finally, declared war on Germany on behalf of a country neither of them could defend and which was being occupied by the Soviets also. It was perfectly understandable for King Leopold III to again declare Belgian neutrality and hope that, unlike before, the country could be kept out of the conflict. Later the King joined with Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands to call for all the countries to get together and make peace. Today this seems ridiculous because Hitler was a lunatic who wanted to take over the world, but try to remember what the people knew then, not what we know now. All Hitler had done then was to invade Poland and the Soviets had joined in. France and Britain had declared war on him, even though he had not threatened their countries, but they had not declared war on the Soviets for taking part of Poland or for taking over the Baltic republics. All that had really happened by then was that Poland had been partitioned, which was unfortunate for the Poles, but not something new, they had been partitioned between Germany and Russia for years. So, it seemed not unreasonable to many at the time that the two sides could talk through their differences and make peace without another world war.

That did not happen, but it is not the fault of the King that he could not look into the future. He was only trying to do what was best for his country in the situation he was in. When the war came Belgium was as strong an ally as she had been before and fought as hard as possible for 18 days against the crushing Nazi blitzkrieg, in doing so saving the lives of many French and British troops. That is what should be remembered, the free countries fighting as allies against invaders and do not waste time on accusations that are pointless and only efforts to stir up bad feelings between people and nations. There is already enough of that.

Famous Belgians

One of the youngest famous Belgians has today his birthday, 2006 Junior Eurovision Song Contest winner Thor Salden.

Nova Belgica

Just a few years after the Pilgrim Fathers of Massachusetts founded their colony on Plymouth Rock, the Dutch Republic was establishing the colony of New Netherland, the original territorial claims of which reached from what is now about Delaware up to southern Massachusetts (obviously there were competing colonial claims that would only be ended by the settlement, holding and development of an area). This was during the "Golden Age" of the Netherlands and we can only imagine how history would have been different if the Dutch colonial effort had not been taken over later by the English and re-named New York. But regardless of that, after studying in America I know that not many people are aware that New York and the surrounding area was once New Netherland and naturally no one knows (unless you read it here since I think I mentioned it early on from starting this blog) that many Belgians were involved in this and, in fact, because many still did not consider the status of the independent Netherlands and the Austrian Netherlands "settled" the names where interchangeable and New Netherland was called on some maps "Nova Belgica" or "New Belgium".

New Netherland was the product of the Dutch West India Company that wanted to find a western passage to Asia and later to establish a commercial trading colony on the North America continent. The Dutch West India Company included many people what would today be Belgians. Many of the founders or investors were Flemish Protestants who left Belgium (then belonging to the Catholic Roman Emperor) to go to the Dutch Republic and they helped in establishing the Dutch West India Company which organized the voyages of discovery and colonization to North America. Many people have heard the story about how the GWC agent Peter Minuit purchased Manhattan island from the natives for 60 guilders worth of trade goods. Some think he was Dutch, others think he was German, because he was born in Germany, but Peter Minuit was actually a Belgian and not Flemish but Walloon, his family being from Tournai. They were Protestants though and left Belgium to go to Germany because the Protestants were in power there. It is also not true, I have learned, that he cheated the natives out of Manhattan. He was actually the one cheated because the natives he first bought the island from were not really from there and had no right to sell it and later, when Peter Minuit found this out, he had to buy the island again from the correct owners -so he bought Manhattan twice!

This map has both names "Nova Belgica" and "New Netherland"

In 1664 the New Netherland colony was first taken by the English (the Dutch did not make an effort to protect the colony since it was supposed to be a place of total liberty) but later the powerful Dutch navy defeated the English and restored the colony to Dutch rule in 1673, however, only the next year the Netherlands was attacked by France, England and parts of Germany, exhausted her resources and had to give up the colony to England again who re-named it New York.

Our Queen Elisabeth

My friend, The Mad Monarchist, writes about Queen Elisabeth, our heroine of the Great War

10 ans de la princesse Elisabeth de Belgique

Royal Nose in the News

King Albert II made a short visit to the hospital to have surgery on his nose to treat basal cell carcinoma today. Official Belgian monarchie website says it was not serious and the surgery was successful and the King has been able to go home. I hope he feels better!

La Fête du Roi 2011

Happy King's Day!!!

Belgian Royals Remember Armistice 1918

Unity - Please

This was kindly made at my request by my friend The Mad Monarchist (click picture for larger view)