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Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was
King of the Belgians
Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary, and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled king or queen of the Belgians ( nl, Koning(in) der Belgen, french: Roi / Reine des Belges}, german: König(in) der Belgier) and serves as the country's h ...
from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951. At the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the
German invasion in May 1940, he surrendered his country, earning him much hostility, both at home and abroad.
Leopold's act was declared unconstitutional by Prime Minister
Hubert Pierlot
Hubert Marie Eugène Pierlot (, 23 December 1883 – 13 December 1963) was a Belgian politician and Prime Minister of Belgium, serving between 1939 and 1945. Pierlot, a lawyer and jurist, served in World War I before entering politics in the 192 ...
and his cabinet, who moved to London to form a government-in-exile, while Leopold and his family were placed under house arrest. In 1944, they were moved to Germany and then Austria, before being liberated by the Americans, but banned for some years from returning to Belgium, where his brother
Prince Charles, Count of Flanders
nl, Karel Theodoor Hendrik Anton Meinrad
, image = Karel van België Charles de Belgique Karl von Belgien.jpg
, image_size = 230px
, spouse = Jacqueline Peyrebrune
, issue = Isabelle
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Bruss ...
, had been declared regent. Leopold's eventual return to his homeland in 1950 nearly caused a civil war, and under pressure from the government, he abdicated in favour of his son
Baudouin in July 1951.
Leopold's first wife,
Astrid of Sweden
Astrid of Sweden (17 November 1905 – 29 August 1935) was the Queen of the Belgians and the first wife of King Leopold III. Originally a princess of Sweden of the House of Bernadotte, Astrid became the Duchess of Brabant after her marriage to ...
, was killed in a road accident while on a driving holiday in Switzerland in August 1935, being much mourned by the public. His
morganatic
Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...
second marriage, to
Lilian Baels Lillian or Lilian can refer to:
People
* Lillian (name) or Lilian, a given name
Places
* Lilian, Iran, a village in Markazi Province, Iran In the United States
* Lillian, Alabama
* Lillian, West Virginia
* Lillian Township, Custer County, Ne ...
in captivity in 1941, was contrary to Belgian law, which stipulates that the civil marriage has to occur before a religious marriage, and she was never permitted the title of queen.
Early life and family
![Belgique - Bruxelles - Mémorial Reine Astrid - 13](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Belgique_-_Bruxelles_-_M%C3%A9morial_Reine_Astrid_-_13.jpg)
Prince Leopold was born in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, the first child of Prince Albert,
Duke of Brabant
The Duke of Brabant (, ) was the ruler of the Duchy of Brabant since 1183/1184. The title was created by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I of the House of Reginar, son of Godfrey III of Leuven (who was duke of Low ...
, heir to the Belgian throne, and his consort,
Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. In 1909 his father became King of the Belgians, as
Albert I, and Prince Leopold became Duke of Brabant.
In August 1914, when Belgium was invaded by Germany, King Albert allowed Leopold, then aged twelve, to enlist in the Belgian army as a private and fight in defence of the kingdom. However, in 1915, with Belgium almost entirely occupied by the Germans, Leopold was sent to join
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...
, while his father fought on in France.
After the war, in 1919, the Duke of Brabant visited the Old Mission and Saint Anthony Seminary in
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coas ...
.
He married
Princess Astrid of Sweden in a civil ceremony in
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
on 4 November 1926, followed by a religious ceremony in Brussels on 10 November. The marriage produced three children:
* Princess
Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, born at the
Royal Palace of Brussels
The Royal Palace of Brussels (french: Palais royal de Bruxelles, , nl, Koninklijk Paleis van Brussel , german: Königlicher Palast von Brüssel) is the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians in the centre of the nation's capita ...
on 11 October 1927, Grand Duchess consort of
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
. She was married on 9 April 1953 to
Prince Jean, later
Grand Duke
Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. In status, a grand duke traditionally ranks in order of precedence below an emperor, as an approxi ...
of
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
. She died at
Fischbach Castle
Fischbach Castle (Luxembourgish: ''Schlass Fëschbech'', French: ''Château de Fischbach'', German: ''Schloss Fischbach'') is a castle in Luxembourg. It is situated near the town of Fischbach, in central Luxembourg.
History
Fischbach has the ...
on 10 January 2005.
* Prince
Baudouin of Belgium
Baudouin (;, ; nl, Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Maria Gustaaf, ; german: Balduin Albrecht Karl Leopold Axel Maria Gustav. 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993), Dutch name Boudewijn, was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his de ...
,
Duke of Brabant
The Duke of Brabant (, ) was the ruler of the Duchy of Brabant since 1183/1184. The title was created by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I of the House of Reginar, son of Godfrey III of Leuven (who was duke of Low ...
,
Count of Hainaut
The Count of Hainaut (; ; ) was the ruler of the county of Hainaut, a historical region in the Low Countries (including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany). In English-la ...
, who became the fifth King of the Belgians as Baudouin, born at Stuyvenberg on the outskirts of Brussels on 7 September 1930, and died at
Motril
Motril () is a town and municipality on the Mediterranean coast in the Granada, Spain. It is the second largest town in the province, with a population of 60,368 as of 2016. The town is located near the Guadalfeo River and is from Granada.
Hi ...
in
Andalusia
Andalusia (, ; es, AndalucÃa ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, on 31 July 1993.
* Prince
Albert
Albert may refer to:
Companies
* Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic
* Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands
* Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia
* Albert Productions, a record label
* Alber ...
of Belgium,
Prince of Liège
Prince of Liège ( French: Prince de Liège, Dutch: Prins van Luik, German: Prinz von Lüttich) is a substantive title awarded by King Leopold III of the Belgians to his younger son, Prince Albert (the future King Albert II), while he was second ...
, who became the sixth King of the Belgians as Albert II, born at Stuyvenberg on 6 June 1934. He abdicated in July 2013.
On 29 August 1935, while the king and queen were driving along the winding, narrow roads near their villa at
Küssnacht am Rigi,
Schwyz
The town of Schwyz (; french: Schwytz; it, Svitto) is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.
The Federal Charter of 1291 or ''Bundesbrief'', the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the '' ...
, Switzerland, on the shores of
Lake Lucerne
__NOTOC__
Lake Lucerne (german: Vierwaldstättersee, literally "Lake of the four forested settlements" (in English usually translated as ''forest cantons''), french: lac des Quatre-Cantons, it, lago dei Quattro Cantoni) is a lake in central ...
, Leopold lost control of the car which plunged into the lake, killing Queen Astrid.
Leopold married
Lilian Baels Lillian or Lilian can refer to:
People
* Lillian (name) or Lilian, a given name
Places
* Lilian, Iran, a village in Markazi Province, Iran In the United States
* Lillian, Alabama
* Lillian, West Virginia
* Lillian Township, Custer County, Ne ...
on 11 September 1941 in a secret religious ceremony, with no validity under
Belgian law
The legal system of Belgium is based on the Napoleonic code. The Napoleonic code is the French civil code which was issued between 1804 and 1810. It clearly presents the French legal system. Belgium’s constitution is influenced by earlier const ...
. They originally intended to wait until the end of the war for the civil marriage, but as the new ''Princess of Réthy'' was soon expecting their first child, the ceremony took place on 6 December 1941. They had three children in total:
*
Prince Alexandre of Belgium nl, Alexander Emanuel Hendrik Albert Maria Leopold
, father = Leopold III of Belgium
, mother = Lilian Baels
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Stuyvenberg Castle, Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
, death_date =
, death_place = Sint-Genes ...
, born in Brussels on 18 July 1942. In 1991, he married
Léa Wolman, a marriage revealed only seven years later. He died on 29 November 2009.
* , previously Mrs. Drucker and later Mrs. Gourgues, born in Brussels on 6 February 1951. Her first marriage, to Paul Drucker in 1981, lasted 40 days (and formally divorced in 1985). She subsequently married Jean-Paul Gourges in 1989.
*
Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium
, spouse =
, issue = Alexandra MoncadaLeopoldo Moncada
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Stuyvenberg Castle, Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
, house = Belgium
, father = Leopold III of Belgium
, mother = Mary Lilian Baels
, religion =
Prince ...
, later Lady Moncada, born in Brussels on 30 September 1956, a journalist, her professional name is Esmeralda de Réthy. She married
pharmacologist
Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemica ...
Salvador Moncada
Sir Salvador Moncada, FRS, FRCP, FMedSci (born 3 December 1944) is a Honduran-British pharmacologist and professor. He is currently Research Domain Director for Cancer at the University of Manchester.
In the past, he was the Research Directo ...
in 1998. They have a son and a daughter.
World War II
When World War II broke out in September 1939, the French and British governments immediately sought to persuade Belgium to join them. Leopold and his government refused, maintaining Belgium's neutrality. Belgium considered itself well-prepared against a possible invasion by
Axis
An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis
* Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
forces, for during the 1930s the Belgian government had made extensive preparations to deter and repel an invasion of the country by Germany such as the one that had occurred in 1914.
On 10 May 1940, the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
invaded Belgium. On the first day of the offensive, the principal Belgian strong point of
Fort Eben-Emael
Fort Eben-Emael (french: Fort d'Ében-Émael, ) is an inactive Belgian fortress located between Liège and Maastricht, on the Belgian-Dutch border, near the Albert Canal, outside the village of Ében-Émael. It was designed to defend Belgium ...
was overwhelmed by a daring paratroop operation and the defensive perimeter thus penetrated before any French or British troops could arrive. After a short running battle that eventually involved the armies of all four belligerents, Belgium was overwhelmed by the numerically superior and better-prepared Germans.
Nevertheless, the Belgian perseverance prevented the
British Expeditionary Force from being outflanked and cut off from the coast, enabling the
evacuation from Dunkirk.
Alan Brooke
Field Marshal Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, (23 July 1883 – 17 June 1963), was a senior officer of the British Army. He was Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS), the professional head of the British Army, during the Sec ...
who commanded II Corps of the BEF thought that the 10th Belgian Division was in the wrong place and wanted to deploy north of Brussels to avoid "double-banking". He was advised by
Roger Keyes
Admiral of the Fleet Roger John Brownlow Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes, (4 October 1872 – 26 December 1945) was a British naval officer.
As a junior officer he served in a corvette operating from Zanzibar on slavery suppression missions. Ea ...
to see the king, and on 12 May was "making progress in getting matters put right" in discussion with the king in English, but was interrupted (twice) by the king's advisor who spoke to the king in French (in which Brooke was fluent). The advisor was insistent that the Belgian division could not be moved and the BEF should be stopped further south and clear of Brussels; Brooke said he was not putting the whole case to the king; he found that arguing with the advisor was a sheer waste of time as he cared little about the BEF and most of his suggestions were "fantastic". The king's advisor
Raoul Van Overstraeten
Raoul François Casimir Van Overstraeten (Ath, 29 January 1885—Brussels, 30 January 1977) was a Belgian general who fought during the First World War and Second World War and, from 1938 to 1940, military adviser of king Leopold III of Belgium.
...
was not the Chief of Staff, as Brooke had assumed - Van Overstraeten had refused that rank - but the king's
aide-de-camp, with the rank of Major-General, and would not give up the Louvain front. The French liaison officer, General Champon, told Brooke that Van Overstraeten had ascendancy over the king and had taken control, so it was useless to see the Chief of Staff. Later (15 May) Brooke found that the BEF was likely to "have both flanks turned" with French defeats, and started withdrawal on 16 May.
After his military surrender, Leopold (unlike
Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina (; Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria; 31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World Wa ...
in a similar predicament) remained in Brussels to surrender to the victorious invaders, while his entire civil government fled to Paris and later to London.
Surrender and constitutional crisis
On 24 May 1940, Leopold, having assumed command of the
Belgian Army
The Land Component ( nl, Landcomponent, french: Composante terre) is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component is Major-General Pierre Gérard. ...
, met with his ministers for the final time. The ministers urged the king to leave the country with the government. Prime Minister
Hubert Pierlot
Hubert Marie Eugène Pierlot (, 23 December 1883 – 13 December 1963) was a Belgian politician and Prime Minister of Belgium, serving between 1939 and 1945. Pierlot, a lawyer and jurist, served in World War I before entering politics in the 192 ...
reminded him that capitulation was a decision for the Belgian government, not the king. The king indicated that he had decided to remain in Belgium with his troops, whatever the outcome. The ministers took this to mean that he would establish a new government under the direction of Hitler, potentially a treasonous act. Leopold thought that he might be seen as a deserter if he were to leave the country: "Whatever happens, I have to share the same fate as my troops."
[ Leopold had long had a difficult and contentious relationship with his ministers, acting independently of government influence whenever possible, and seeking to circumvent and even limit the ministers' powers, while expanding his own.][
French, British, and Belgian troops were encircled by German forces at the ]Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk (french: Bataille de Dunkerque, link=no) was fought around the French port of Dunkirk (Dunkerque) during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on ...
. Leopold notified King George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...
by telegram on 25 May 1940 that Belgian forces were being crushed, saying "assistance which we give to the Allies will come to an end if our army is surrounded". Two days later (27 May 1940), Leopold surrendered the Belgian forces to the Germans.
Prime Minister Pierlot spoke on French radio, saying that the king's decision to surrender went against the Belgian Constitution
The Constitution of Belgium ( nl, Belgische Grondwet, french: Constitution belge, german: Verfassung Belgiens) dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility f ...
. The decision, he said, was not only a military decision but also a political decision, and the king had acted without his ministers' advice, and therefore contrary to the Constitution. Pierlot and his Government believed this created an ''impossibilité de régner'':
It was impossible, however, to summon the Belgian Chamber of Representatives or Belgian Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
at this time, or to appoint a regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
. After the liberation of Belgium in September 1944, the government asked Leopold's brother, Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
, to serve as regent.
After Leopold's surrender, the British press denounced him as "Traitor King" and "King Rat"; the ''Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
'' published a picture of Leopold with the headline "The Face That Every Woman Now Despises". A group of Belgian refugees in Paris placed a message at King Albert's statue denouncing his son as "your unworthy successor". French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud
Paul Reynaud (; 15 October 1878 – 21 September 1966) was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany.
Reynaud opposed the Munich Agreement of ...
accused Leopold of treason. Flemish historians Valaers and Van Goethem wrote that Leopold III had become "The scapegoat of Reynaud", because Reynaud was likely already aware that the Battle of France
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...
was lost.
Leopold's surrender was also decried by Winston Churchill. In the House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
on 4 June 1940 he said:
At the last moment when Belgium was already invaded, King Leopold called upon us to come to his aid, and even at the last moment we came. He and his brave, efficient army, nearly half a million strong, guarded our left flank and thus kept open our only line of retreat to the sea. Suddenly, without prior consultation, with the least possible notice, without the advice of his ministers and upon his own personal act, he sent a plenipotentiary to the German Command, surrendered his army and exposed our whole flank and means of retreat.
In 1949, Churchill's comments about the events of May 1940 were published in ''Le Soir
''Le Soir'' (, "The Evening") is a French-language Belgian daily newspaper. Founded in 1887 by Emile Rossel, it was intended as a politically independent source of news. It is one of the most popular Francophone newspapers in Belgium, competing ...
'' (12 February 1949). Leopold's former secretary sent a letter to Churchill saying that Churchill was wrong. Churchill sent a copy of this letter to the King's brother, Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
, via his secretary André de Staercke. In his own letter Churchill wrote,
With regards to King Leopold, the words which I used at the time in the House of Commons are upon record and after careful consideration I do not see any reason to change them (...) it seemed to me and many others that the king should have been guided by the advice of his ministers and should not have favoured a course which identified the capitulation of the Belgian Army with the submission of the Belgian State to Herr Hitler and consequently taking them out of the war. Happily this evil was averted, and in the end, all came right. I need scarcely say that nothing I said at the time could be interpreted as a reflection upon the personal courage or honour of King Leopold.
De Staercke replied that Churchill was right: "The Prince, Monsieur Spaak elgian_Foreign_Minister_elgian_Foreign_Minister_Paul-Henri_Spaak">Paul-Henri_Spaak.html"_;"title="elgian_Foreign_Minister_Paul-Henri_Spaak">elgian_Foreign_Minister_Paul-Henri_Spaakand_I_read_your_text,_which_states_the_precise_truth_and_seems_perfect_to_us."
Belgian_historian_Francis_Balace_wrote_that_capitulation_was_inevitable_because_the_Belgian_Army_was_not_able_to_fight_any_longer_against_the_German_army._Even_Churchill_admitted_that_their_position_was_perilous._In_a_telegram_to_
.html"_;"title="Paul-Henri_Spaak.html"_;"title="elgian_Foreign_Minister_Paul-Henri_Spaak">elgian_Foreign_Minister_Paul-Henri_Spaak">Paul-Henri_Spaak.html"_;"title="elgian_Foreign_Minister_Paul-Henri_Spaak">elgian_Foreign_Minister_Paul-Henri_Spaakand_I_read_your_text,_which_states_the_precise_truth_and_seems_perfect_to_us."
Belgian_historian_Francis_Balace_wrote_that_capitulation_was_inevitable_because_the_Belgian_Army_was_not_able_to_fight_any_longer_against_the_German_army._Even_Churchill_admitted_that_their_position_was_perilous._In_a_telegram_to_Field_Marshal_(United_Kingdom)">Field_Marshal
_
Field_marshal_(or_field-marshal,_abbreviated_as_FM)_is_the_most_senior_military_rank,_ordinarily_senior_to_the__general_officer_ranks._Usually,_it_is_the_highest_rank_in_an_army_and_as_such_few_persons_are_appointed_to_it._It_is_considered_as_...
_John_Vereker,_6th_Viscount_Gort.html" "title="Field_Marshal_(United_Kingdom).html" "title="Paul-Henri_Spaak.html" ;"title="Paul-Henri_Spaak.html" ;"title="elgian Foreign Minister Paul-Henri Spaak">elgian Foreign Minister Paul-Henri Spaak">Paul-Henri_Spaak.html" ;"title="elgian Foreign Minister Paul-Henri Spaak">elgian Foreign Minister Paul-Henri Spaakand I read your text, which states the precise truth and seems perfect to us."
Belgian historian Francis Balace wrote that capitulation was inevitable because the Belgian Army was not able to fight any longer against the German army. Even Churchill admitted that their position was perilous. In a telegram to Field Marshal (United Kingdom)">Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort">Lord Gort
Field Marshal John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort, (10 July 1886 – 31 March 1946) was a senior British Army officer. As a young officer during the First World War, he was decorated with the Victoria Cross for his acti ...
on 27 May, only one day before the Belgian capitulation, he wrote, "We are asking them to sacrifice themselves for us."
After the fall of France
Upon Leopold's surrender, the government ministers left for exile, mostly in France. When France fell at the end of June 1940, several ministers sought to return to Belgium. They made an overture to Leopold but were rebuffed:
Pierlot and his government saw that Western Europe had been conquered by the Germans completely and tried to make amends to their king. Would it be possible for them to return to Belgium and form a new government? Leopold showed his stubborn nature; he was insulted by his ministers... His reply was short: "The situation of the king is unaltered; he does not engage in politics and does not receive politicians.
Because of the great popularity of the king, and the unpopularity of the civil government from the middle of 1940, the government crisis persisted. ''The Royal Articles'' state:
This refusal [of the king to reconcile with the ministers] left the ministers with no other option than to move to London, where they could continue their work representing the independent Belgium. From the time of their arrival in London, they were confident about an Allied victory and soon were treated with respect by the Allies.... Pierlot and Spaak helped to build Leopold's reputation as a heroic prisoner of war and even said that the Belgians should support their king. But they had no idea what Leopold was doing in the Royal Castle of Laeken
The Palace of Laeken or Castle of Laeken (french: Château de Laeken, nl, Kasteel van Laken, german: Schloss zu Laeken) is the official residence of the King of the Belgians and the Belgian Royal Family. It lies in the Brussels-Capital Regi ...
. He refused to reply to their messages and stayed cool toward them. What was he doing in the castle? Was he collaborating, did he oppose the Germans, or had he decided to just shut his mouth and wait to see how things would go?
On 2 August 1940, several ministers conferred in
Le Perthus
Le Perthus (, ca, El Pertús, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Natives of Le Pertus are called ''Perthusiens'' and, in 2016, there were 586 inhabitants.
Le Perthus is also one of French territories on th ...
in France near the Spanish border. Prime Minister Pierlot and Foreign Minister Spaak were persuaded to go to London, but they were able to start out for London only at the end of August and could travel only via neutral Spain and Portugal. When they reached Spain, they were arrested and detained by the regime of
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...
; they finally arrived in London on 22 October.
Meeting with Hitler
Leopold rejected cooperation with the
government of Nazi Germany
The government of Nazi Germany was totalitarian, run by the Nazi Party in Germany according to the Führerprinzip through the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler. Nazi Germany began with the fact that the Enabling Act was enacted to give Hitler's gover ...
and refused to administer Belgium in accordance with its dictates; thus, the Germans implemented a military government. Leopold attempted to assert his authority as monarch and head of the Belgian government, although he was a prisoner of the Germans. Despite his defiance of the Germans, the Belgian government-in-exile in London maintained that the king did not represent the Belgian government and was unable to reign. The Germans held him at first under
house arrest
In justice and law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or, in modern times, electronic monitoring) is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to their residence. Travel is usually restricted, if all ...
at the
Royal Castle of Laeken
The Palace of Laeken or Castle of Laeken (french: Château de Laeken, nl, Kasteel van Laken, german: Schloss zu Laeken) is the official residence of the King of the Belgians and the Belgian Royal Family. It lies in the Brussels-Capital Regi ...
. Having since June 1940 desired a meeting with Adolf Hitler in respect of the situation of Belgian prisoners of war, Leopold III finally met with him on 19 November 1940. Leopold wanted to persuade Hitler to release Belgian POWs, and issue a public statement about Belgium's future independence. Hitler refused to speak about the independence of Belgium or issue a statement about it. In refusing to publish a statement, Hitler preserved the king from being seen as cooperating with Germany, and thus engaged in treasonous acts, which would likely have obliged him to abdicate upon the liberation of Belgium. "The
erman Erman Rašiti may refer to:
Given name
* Erman Bulucu (born 1989), Turkish footballer
* Erman Eltemur (born 1993), Turkish karateka
* Erman Güraçar (born 1974), Turkish footballer
* Erman Kılıç (born 1983), Turkish footballer
* Erman Kunter (b ...
Chancellor saved the king two times."
Second marriage
On 11 September 1941, while a prisoner of the Germans, Leopold secretly married
Lilian Baels Lillian or Lilian can refer to:
People
* Lillian (name) or Lilian, a given name
Places
* Lilian, Iran, a village in Markazi Province, Iran In the United States
* Lillian, Alabama
* Lillian, West Virginia
* Lillian Township, Custer County, Ne ...
in a religious ceremony that had no validity under Belgian law, which required a religious marriage to be preceded by a legal or
civil marriage
A civil marriage is a marriage performed, recorded, and recognized by a government official. Such a marriage may be performed by a religion, religious body and recognized by the state, or it may be entirely secular.
History
Every country maintai ...
. On 6 December, they were married under
civil law. The reason for the out-of-order marriages was never officially made public.
Jozef-Ernest Cardinal van Roey,
Archbishop of Mechelen
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...
, wrote an open letter to parish priests throughout the country announcing Leopold's second marriage on 7 December. The letter from the Cardinal revealed that the king's new wife would be known as Princesse de Réthy, not Queen Lilian, and that any children
they had would have no claim to the throne. Leopold's new marriage damaged his reputation further in the eyes of many of his subjects.
The ''Political Testament''
![Belgium 5 francs 1941 obverse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Belgium_5_francs_1941_obverse.jpg)
The ministers made several efforts during the war to work out a suitable agreement with Leopold III. They sent Pierlot's son-in-law as an emissary to Leopold in January 1944, carrying a letter offering reconciliation from the Belgian government-in-exile. The letter never reached its destination, however, as the son-in-law was killed by the Germans en route. The ministers did not know what happened either to the message or the messenger and assumed that Leopold was ignoring them.
Leopold wrote his ''Political Testament'' in January 1944, shortly after this failed attempt at reconciliation. The testament was to be published in case he was not in Belgium when Allied forces arrived. The testament, which had an imperious and negative tone, considered the potential Allied movement into Belgium an "occupation", not a "liberation". It gave no credit to the active
Belgian resistance
The Belgian Resistance (french: Résistance belge, nl, Belgisch verzet) collectively refers to the resistance movements opposed to the German occupation of Belgium during World War II, German occupation of Belgium during World War II. Within Be ...
. The Belgian government-in-exile in London did not like Leopold's demand that the government ministers involved in the 1940 crisis be dismissed. The Allies did not like Leopold's repudiation of the treaties concluded by the Belgian government-in-exile in London. The United States was particularly concerned about the economic treaty it had reached with the government-in-exile that enabled it to obtain
Congolese uranium
Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weak ...
for America's secret
atom bomb
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
program
Program, programme, programmer, or programming may refer to:
Business and management
* Program management, the process of managing several related projects
* Time management
* Program, a part of planning
Arts and entertainment Audio
* Progra ...
, which had been developed for use against Germany (although, as it turned out, Germany surrendered before the first bomb was ready).
The Belgian government did not publish the ''Political Testament'' and tried to ignore it, partly for fear of increased support for the
Belgian Communist party
french: Parti Communiste de Belgique
, abbreviation = KPB-PCB
, colorcode =
, leader1_title = Historical leaders
, leader1_name = Joseph JacquemotteJulien LahautLouis Van Geyt
, founder = Julien Lahaut
, founded =
, dissolved =
, merge ...
. When Pierlot and Spaak learned of its contents in September 1944, they were astonished and felt deceived by the king. According to André de Staercke, they were dismayed "in the face of so much blindness and unawareness".
Churchill's reaction to the Testament was simply, "It stinks." In a sentence inspired by a quote of
Talleyrand about the
Bourbons
The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spani ...
after the restoration of the French monarchy in 1815, Churchill declared, "He is like the Bourbons, he has learned nothing and forgotten nothing."
Exile and abdication
Deportation and exile
In 1944,
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
ordered Leopold deported to Germany. Princess Lilian followed with the family in another car the following day under an
SS armed guard. The Nazis held the family in a fort at
Hirschstein
Hirschstein is a municipality in the district of Meißen, in Saxony, Germany.
The following villages belong to Hirschstein: Althirschstein, Bahra, Böhla, Boritz, Heyda, Kobeln, Mehltheuer, Neuhirschstein, Pahrenz, Prausitz and Schänitz.
Leop ...
in
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
from June 1944 to March 1945, and then at
Strobl
Strobl (or Strobl am Wolfgangsee) is a municipality of the Salzburg-Umgebung District (''Flachgau''), in the northeastern portion of the Austrian state of Salzburg, right on the border with Upper Austria. It comprises the Katastralgemeinden of Aig ...
, Austria.
The British and American governments worried about the return of the king.
Charles W. Sawyer, US Ambassador to Belgium, warned his government that an immediate return by the king to Belgium would "precipitate serious difficulties". "There are deep differences even in the royal family and the situation holds dynamite for Belgium and perhaps for Europe". "The Foreign Office feared that an increasing minority in French-speaking Wallonia would demand either autonomy or annexation to France. Winant, the American Ambassador to the Court of Saint James's, reported a Foreign Office official's concern regarding
irredentist
Irredentism is usually understood as a desire that one state annexes a territory of a neighboring state. This desire is motivated by ethnic reasons (because the population of the territory is ethnically similar to the population of the parent sta ...
propaganda in Wallonia." and that "the French Ambassador in Brussels... is believed to have connived in the spreading of this propaganda".
Leopold and his companions were liberated by members of the United States
106th Cavalry Group in early May 1945. Because of the controversy about his conduct during the war, Leopold III and his wife and children were unable to return to Belgium and spent the next six years in exile at
Pregny-Chambésy
Pregny-Chambésy is a Municipalities of Switzerland, commune in the canton of Geneva in Switzerland. It is located directly north of the city of Geneva, on the south-western shore of Lake Geneva.
A number of foreign Diplomatic mission, permanent ...
near
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
, Switzerland. A regency under his brother
Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
had been established by the Belgian legislature in 1944.
Resistance to Leopold's return
Van den Dungen, the rector of the
Free University of Brussels University of Brussels may refer to several institutions in Brussels, Belgium: Current institutions
* Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), a French-speaking university established as a separate entity in 1970
*Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), a D ...
, wrote to Leopold on 25 June 1945 about concerns for serious disorder in
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
, "The question is not if the accusations against you are right or not
ut that...you are no longer a symbol of Belgian unity."
Gillon, the President of the Belgian Senate, told the king that there was a threat of serious disorder: "If there are only ten or twenty people killed, the situation would become terrible for the king."
The president of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives,
Frans Van Cauwelaert
Frans Van Cauwelaert (10 January 1880 – 17 May 1961), was a Belgian Roman Catholic politician and lawyer.
Van Cauwelaert was born at Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek. He was a member of the Flemish movement, Professor of psychology at the Katholieke U ...
, was concerned that there would be a
general strike
A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large co ...
in Wallonia and revolt in
Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
. He wrote, "The country is not able to put down the disorders because of the insufficient forces of the police and a lack of weapons."
In 1946, a commission of inquiry exonerated Leopold of treason. Nonetheless, controversy concerning his loyalty continued, and in 1950,
a referendum was held about his future. Fifty-seven per cent of the voters favoured his return. The divide between Leopoldists and anti-Leopoldists ran along the lines of socialists and Walloons who were mostly opposed (42% favourable votes in Wallonia) and Christian Democrats and Flemish who were more in favour of the king (70% favourable votes in Flanders).
General strike of 1950
![Flag of Wallonia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Flag_of_Wallonia.svg)
On his return to Belgium on 22 July 1950, Leopold was met with one of the most violent
general strikes
A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coa ...
in the
history of Belgium
The history of Belgium extends before the founding of the modern state of that name in 1830, and is intertwined with those of its neighbors: the Netherlands, Germany, France and Luxembourg. For most of its history, what is now Belgium was either ...
. Three protesters were killed when the
gendarmerie
Wrong info! -->
A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
opened automatic fire upon the protesters. The country stood on the brink of civil war, and
Belgian banners were replaced by
Walloon flags in
Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
and other municipalities of
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
. To avoid tearing the country apart, and to preserve the monarchy, Leopold decided on 1 August 1950 to withdraw in favour of his 20-year-old son
Baudouin. His abdication took effect on 16 July 1951. In this postponed abdication the king was, in effect, forced by the government of
Jean Duvieusart to offer to abdicate in favour of his son.
Post-abdication life
Leopold and his wife continued to advise King Baudouin until the latter's marriage in 1960. Some Belgian historians, such as Vincent Delcorps, speak of there having been a "
diarchy
Diarchy (from Greek , ''di-'', "double", and , ''-arkhÃa'', "ruled"),Occasionally misspelled ''dyarchy'', as in the ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' article on the colonial British institution duarchy, or duumvirate (from Latin ', "the office of ...
" during this period.
In retirement, he followed his passion as an amateur social
anthropologist
An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and ...
and
entomologist
Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...
and travelled the world, collecting zoological specimens. Two species of reptiles are named after him, ''
Gehyra leopoldi
The Leopold dtella (''Gehyra leopoldi'') is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Etymology
The specific name ''leopoldi'', is in honor of Leopold III, King of the Belgia ...
'' and ''
Polemon leopoldi
''Polemon christyi'', also known commonly as Christy's snake-eater and the eastern snake-eater, is a species of venomous rear-fanged snake in the subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (int ...
''.
He went to
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤠(Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤠ðž ...
and strongly criticized the French decolonization process, and he explored the Orinoco and the Amazon with
Heinrich Harrer
Heinrich Harrer (; 6 July 1912 – 7 January 2006) was an Austrian mountaineer, sportsman, geographer, ''Oberscharführer'' in the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS), and author. He was a member of the four-man climbing team that made the first ascent of th ...
.
Leopold died in 1983 in
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert () or Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe (Dutch, ) is one of the nineteen municipalities in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It is a prosperous residential area, with a mixture of flats and detached, semi-detached and terraced hous ...
(''Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe'') following emergency heart surgery. He was interred next to Queen Astrid in the royal vault at the
Church of Our Lady of Laeken
nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk van Laken
, native_name_lang =
, image = Église Notre-Dame de Laeken (DSCF1248-DSCF1251).jpg
, imagesize = 271
, imagelink =
, imagealt =
, caption ...
. Leopold's second wife, the Princess de Réthy, was later interred with them.
Notable royal descendants
As of 2019, two of Leopold's grandsons are reigning monarchs: Grand Duke
Henri of Luxembourg
Henri (french: Henri Albert Gabriel Félix Marie Guillaume, ; born 16 April 1955) is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He has reigned since 7 October 2000. Henri, the eldest son of Grand Duke Jean and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, is a f ...
since 2000, and King
Philippe of Belgium
french: Philippe Léopold Louis Mariegerman: Philipp Leopold Ludwig Maria
, house = Belgium
, father = Albert II of Belgium
, mother = Paola Ruffo di Calabria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Belvédère Castle, Laeken, B ...
since 2013.
Ancestry
See also
*
Crown Council of Belgium
The Crown Council of Belgium (french: Conseil de la Couronne, nl, Kroonraad) is composed of the King of the Belgians, the Ministers and the Ministers of State (mostly former ministers and other major politicians). The constitutional Monarch chair ...
*
Kings of Belgium family tree
This is a family tree of the Kings of the Belgians, hereditary, constitutional monarchs of Belgium as defined by the Belgian Constitution.
{{Family trees
Belgium
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien ...
*
Royal Trust
*
List of covers of Time magazine (1930s)
This is a list of people and other topics appearing on the cover of ''Time'' magazine in the 1930s. ''Time'' was first published in 1923. As ''Time'' became established as one of the United States' leading news magazines, an appearance on the cov ...
,
(1940s)
References
Winston Churchill, Speech to the House of Commons Delivered on June 4 1940 ("We shall fight on the beaches . . .")
External links
Official biography from the Belgian Royal Family websiteOur Royal Guest: King Leopold In England (1937) newsreel of 1937 state visit,
British Pathé
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
YouTube Channel
*
Jean Stengers
Jean Stengers (; 13 June 1922 – 15 August 2002, Ixelles) was a Belgian historian.
Biography
A precocious and brilliant student, Stengers entered the Free University of Brussels in 1939, at the age of 17. He published his first scholarly article ...
, ''Léopold III et le gouvernement: les deux politiques belges de 1940''. Duculot, 1980
War Controversy (in Dutch)*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leopold 03 of Belgium
1901 births
1983 deaths
20th-century Belgian monarchs
Nobility from Brussels
Princes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Monarchs who abdicated
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Belgium)
House of Belgium
Dukes of Brabant
Belgian military personnel of World War I
Belgian people of World War II
World War II political leaders
Allied occupation of Europe
Belgian entomologists
Burials at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken
Grand Crosses of the Royal Order of the Lion
Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
Recipients of the Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II
Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain
Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Leopold III of Belgium
Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951. At the outbreak of World War II, Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the German invasi ...
Bailiffs Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
Extra Knights Companion of the Garter
3
3
3
Collars of the Order of the White Lion
Knights of the Holy Sepulchre
Grand Crosses with Diamonds of the Order of the Sun of Peru
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint-Charles
Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Italy)
People educated at Eton College
Belgian people of German descent
Belgian people of Portuguese descent
20th-century Belgian zoologists
Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)