Terme de Glossaire

King Leopold III remained in Belgium in his palace at Laeken for the whole duration of the Second World War and was taken into captivity by the Reich in 1944. He left behind a “political testament” in which, notably, he demanded a public apology from the Belgian Government for having dissociated itself from him in 1940. The tone of this document incited the Government not to make it public, thus making the King’s return possible. When he was liberated by the Allies in May 1945, and despite increasingly fierce criticism, the Government proposed that he regain the throne on the condition that he purge his entourage, pay homage to the Allies and affirm his attachment to the Parliamentary Democracy. The King refused and counter-attacked by proposing on the 14th of July 1945, that the population decide the outcome by means of a popular consultation. The Parliament opposed this, making the King’s return impossible without convening a joint assembly of the Chamber and the Senate to carry out a vote. The “Royal Question” was born. It increasingly divided the country and political parties as the years went on. A popular consultation was finally organised for the 12th of March 1950: it supported the King by a small majority (57%). But it also divided the country: support was largely given by the Flemish while the French-speakers, Walloons and Brussels inhabitants, on the whole rejected the King. Demonstrations increased and difficulties threatened the unity of not only the country, but the monarchy itself. Leopold III thus preferred to withdraw: he handed over his powers to his son Baudouin, “Prince Royal” in August 1950, then abdicated in his favour in July 1951.