NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Leopold III of Belgium

Leopold III of the Belgians (Léopold Philippe Charles Albert Meinrad Hubertus Marie Miguel) (November 3, 1901 – September 25, 1983) reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of his Heir Apparent, his son Baudouin. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (964x1462, 189 KB) Beschrijving old photograp of the King and Queen Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Leopold III of Belgium ... Astrid of Sweden, Astrid Sofia Lovisa Thyra (November 17, 1905 - August 29, 1935) was the Queen consort of LÃ©opold III of the Belgians . ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Nickname: The Capital Of Europe, Comic City City of a 100 Museums[] Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 979 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989 - Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area - City 162 (Region) kmÂ² (62. ... September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (French) or Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe (Dutch) is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. ... Albert I (April 8, 1875 â€“ February 17, 1934) was the third King of the Belgians. ... Baudouin of Belgium King Baudouin, (also spelled Boudewijn, Balduin or Baldwin) Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave, (7 September 1930 - 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ... Astrid of Sweden, Astrid Sofia Lovisa Thyra (November 17, 1905 - August 29, 1935) was the Queen consort of LÃ©opold III of the Belgians . ... Princess Lilian of Belgium (born Mary Lilian Baels) (November 28, 1916 â€“ June 7, 2002) was best known as Princess de RÃ©thy, the controversial second wife of King LÃ©opold III of the Belgians. ... JosÃ©phine-Charlotte Ingeborg Elisabeth Marie-JosÃ© Marguerite Astrid, Princess of Belgium and Princess of Saxe Coburg Gotha, (October 11, 1927 - January 10, 2005), was born at the Royal Palace of Brussels. ... Baudouin of Belgium King Baudouin, (also spelled Boudewijn, Balduin or Baldwin) Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave, (7 September 1930 - 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ... Albert II, King of the Belgians (Albert FÃ©lix Humbert ThÃ©odore ChrÃ©tien EugÃ¨ne Marie), (born June 6, 1934), is the current King of the Belgians and a constitutional monarch. ... Prince Alexander of Belgium (Alexander Emmanuel Henry Albert Marie LÃ©opold) (b. ... Princess Marie-Christine of Belgium (born 6 February 1951 in Brussels) is a member of the Belgian royal family. ... Maria-Esmeralda, Princess of Belgium (born on September 30, 1956, Brussels) is a journalist; her professional name is Esmeralda de RÃ©thy. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Albert I (April 8, 1875 â€“ February 17, 1934) was the third King of the Belgians. ... The young Queen For the daughter of Philippe and Mathilde, see Princess Elisabeth of Belgium For the Empress Elisabeth of Austria, born Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, see Elisabeth of Bavaria For other people called Elisabeth von Wittelsbach, see Elisabeth von Wittelsbach (disambiguation) Elisabeth, Queen of the Belgians (Elisabeth Gabriele Val... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Contrasting with heir presumptive, an heir apparent is one who cannot be prevented from inheriting by the birth of any other person. ... Baudouin of Belgium King Baudouin, (also spelled Boudewijn, Balduin or Baldwin) Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave, (7 September 1930 - 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ...

Leopold III was born in Brussels as Prince Leopold of Belgium, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke in Saxony, and succeeded to the throne of Belgium on February 23, 1934 on the death of his father, King Albert I. Nickname: The Capital Of Europe, Comic City City of a 100 Museums[] Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 979 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989 - Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area - City 162 (Region) kmÂ² (62. ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Albert I (April 8, 1875 â€“ February 17, 1934) was the third King of the Belgians. ...

Early life and family

Crown Prince Leopold, while still a teenager, fought as a private during World War I with the 12th Belgian Regiment. After the war, in 1919, the Crown Prince Leopold was enrolled at St. Anthony Seminary in Santa Barbara, California. Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nikolay II Aleksey Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Robert Nivelle Herbert H. Asquith D. Lloyd George Sir Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna... Santa Barbara is a city in California, United States. ...

In Stockholm, on November 4, 1926, he married Princess Astrid of Sweden who later became Queen Astrid of the Belgians. She was born in Stockholm on November 17, 1905, the youngest daughter of Prince Carl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. (IPA: ; UN/LOCODE: SE STO) is the capital of Sweden, and consequently the site of its Government and Parliament as well as the residence of the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf. ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... Astrid of Sweden, Astrid Sofia Lovisa Thyra (November 17, 1905 - August 29, 1935) was the Queen consort of LÃ©opold III of the Belgians . ... (IPA: ; UN/LOCODE: SE STO) is the capital of Sweden, and consequently the site of its Government and Parliament as well as the residence of the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... Prince Carl of Sweden and Norway, Oscar Carl Vilhelm, Duke of Westrogothia (February 27, 1861 - October 24, 1951), was the third son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway. ... Ingeborg of Denmark (1878 - 1958) was the second daughter of King Frederick VIII and Queen Louise of Denmark. ...

On August 29, 1935, while the King and Queen were driving along the winding, narrow roads near their villa at Küssnacht am Rigi, Schwyz, Switzerland on the shores of Lake Lucerne, Leopold lost control of the car which plunged into the lake, killing Queen Astrid. JosÃ©phine-Charlotte Ingeborg Elisabeth Marie-JosÃ© Marguerite Astrid, Princess of Belgium, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess in Saxony, (October 11, 1927 â€“ January 10, 2005), was born at the Royal Palace of Brussels. ... Nickname: The Capital Of Europe, Comic City City of a 100 Museums[] Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 979 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989 - Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area - City 162 (Region) kmÂ² (62. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Grand Duke Jean (Jean Benoit Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc dAviano) (born January 5, 1921) ruled Luxembourg from 1964 to 2000. ... The title Grand Duke (in Latin, Magnus Dux; in Russian, Ð’ÐµÐ»Ð¸ÐºÐ¸Ð¹ ÐºÐ½ÑÐ·ÑŒ; in German, GroÃŸherzog, Italian Gran Duca; in French, Grand-duc; in Finnish, Suurherttua; in Polish, Wielki KsiÄ…Å¼e; in Swedish, Storhertig; in Dutch, Groothertog; in Danish, Storhertug) used in Western Europe and particularly in Germanic countries for provincial sovereigns... Fischbach Castle (Luxembourgish: Schlass FÃ«schbech, French: ChÃ¢teau de Fischbach, German: Schloss Fischbach) is a castle in Luxembourg. ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Baudouin of Belgium King Baudouin, (also spelled Boudewijn, Balduin or Baldwin) Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave, (7 September 1930 - 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ... Nickname: The Capital Of Europe, Comic City City of a 100 Museums[] Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 979 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989 - Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area - City 162 (Region) kmÂ² (62. ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... Motril is a town next to Mediterranean coast in the province of Granada (Spain). ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining // 1508 - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year truce and cede several territories to Venice 1513... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Albert II, King of the Belgians (Albert FÃ©lix Humbert ThÃ©odore ChrÃ©tien EugÃ¨ne Marie), (born June 6, 1934), is the current King of the Belgians and a constitutional monarch. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... KÃ¼ssnacht am Rigi (offical name since 2004: KÃ¼ssnacht) is a municipality in the Canton of Schwyz in Central Switzerland at the north shore of lake Lucerne and at the south shore of the lake Zug below mount Rigi (1797 m). ... The town of (French: , Italian: ) is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. ... Lake Lucerne (German: Vierwaldstättersee, lit. ...

On September 11, 1941, King Leopold III married morganatically, Lilian Baels, who was born in Highbury, London on November 28, 1916. Known as Princess de Rethy, she died on June 7, 2002. September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... A morganatic marriage is a type of marriage which can be contracted in certain countries, usually between persons of unequal social rank (unebenbÃ¼rtig in German), which prevents the passage of the husbands titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage. ... Princess Lilian of Belgium (born Mary Lilian Baels) (November 28, 1916 â€“ June 7, 2002) was best known as Princess de RÃ©thy, the controversial second wife of King LÃ©opold III of the Belgians. ... Highbury Clock is located just north of Highbury Fields, near the junction of Highbury Barn and Highbury Hill. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Mary Lilian Baels (November 28, 1916 - June 7, 2002) was best known as Princess de Réthy, the controversial morganatic second wife of King Leopold III of the Belgians. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Prince Alexander of Belgium (Alexander Emmanuel Henry Albert Marie LÃ©opold) (b. ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Princess Marie-Christine of Belgium (born 6 February 1951 in Brussels) is a member of the Belgian royal family. ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Maria-Esmeralda, Princess of Belgium (born on September 30, 1956, Brussels) is a journalist; her professional name is Esmeralda de RÃ©thy. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Salvador Moncada was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on December 3, 1944. ...

WWII and controversy

On May 10, 1940 the German army invaded Belgium. However, during the 1930s Leopold had made extensive preparations against such an invasion of his country, which historically had been used as a convenient battlefield in wars between France and Germany, but was unable to fully coordinate with the British Expeditionary Force or the French Army against the full force of the Blitzkrieg. As a result Belgium was probably the best prepared country in Europe against the Axis forces at the start of WW II and the Belgian artillery was particularly damaging to the Germans during the three weeks which it took them to overwhelm the little country. This perseverance also prevented the BEF from being outflanked and cut off from the coast, enabling the evacuation from Dunkirk. After his military surrender Leopold stayed on in Brussels to face the victorious invaders, while his entire government had already fled to Paris and later London. His action brought accusations of treason by French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud. King Leopold rejected cooperation with the Nazis and refused to administer Belgium in accordance with their dictates, probably saving many thousands of lives in the process. Despite his defiance of the Germans, the Belgian government-in-exile in London refused to recognize his right to rule. The Germans held him under house arrest at the royal castle in Brussels. Capitals Coburg and Gotha Head of State Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Saxe-Coburg and Gotha or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (German: Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha) served as the name of the two German duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha in Germany, in the present-day states of Bavaria... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Leopold I of the Belgians (Prince Leopold George Christian Frederick of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duke in Saxony) (b. ... King Leopold II of the Belgians (April 9, 1835 â€“ December 17, 1909) succeeded his father, Leopold I of Belgium, to the Belgian throne in 1865 and remained king until his death. ... Philippe EugÃ¨ne Ferdinand Maire ClÃ©ment Baudouin LÃ©opold Georges, Count of Flanders (24 March 1837-17 November 1905) was the third son of King Leopold I of the Belgians and his wife Louise Marie dOrleans (1812-1850). ... Charlotte of Belgium (Princess Marie Charlotte AmÃ©lie Augustine Victoire ClÃ©mentine LÃ©opoldine of Belgium), (June 7, 1840â€“January 19, 1927) as Charlotte (or Carlota), Empress of Mexico was the consort of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. ... Albert I (April 8, 1875 â€“ February 17, 1934) was the third King of the Belgians. ... King Leopold II of the Belgians (April 9, 1835 â€“ December 17, 1909) succeeded his father, Leopold I of Belgium, to the Belgian throne in 1865 and remained king until his death. ... Louise-Marie AmÃ©lie, Princess of Belgium, later by marriage Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was born in Brussels on February 18, 1858 and died at Wiesbaden March 1, 1924. ... StÃ©phanie, Princess of Belgium and of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess in Saxony (StÃ©phanie Clotilde Louise Herminie Marie Charlotte of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 21 May 1864 â€“ 23 August 1945) was the wife of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary. ... Albert I (April 8, 1875 â€“ February 17, 1934) was the third King of the Belgians. ... Prince Charles, Charles ThÃ©odore Henri Antoine Meinrad, Count of Flanders, Prince of Belgium (October 10, 1903â€”June 1, 1983), was the second son of King Albert I of Belgium and Queen Elizabeth. ... Marie-JosÃ© Charlotte Sophie AmÃ©lie Henriette Gabrielle (August 4, 1906 - January 27, 2001) of the Royal House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was the last Queen of Italy. ... JosÃ©phine-Charlotte Ingeborg Elisabeth Marie-JosÃ© Marguerite Astrid, Princess of Belgium, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess in Saxony, (October 11, 1927 â€“ January 10, 2005), was born at the Royal Palace of Brussels. ... Baudouin of Belgium King Baudouin, (also spelled Boudewijn, Balduin or Baldwin) Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave, (7 September 1930 - 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ... Albert II, King of the Belgians (Albert FÃ©lix Humbert ThÃ©odore ChrÃ©tien EugÃ¨ne Marie), (born June 6, 1934), is the current King of the Belgians and a constitutional monarch. ... Prince Alexander of Belgium (Alexander Emmanuel Henry Albert Marie LÃ©opold) (b. ... Princess Marie-Christine of Belgium (born 6 February 1951 in Brussels) is a member of the Belgian royal family. ... Maria-Esmeralda, Princess of Belgium (born on September 30, 1956, Brussels) is a journalist; her professional name is Esmeralda de RÃ©thy. ... Baudouin of Belgium King Baudouin, (also spelled Boudewijn, Balduin or Baldwin) Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave, (7 September 1930 - 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ... Albert II, King of the Belgians (Albert FÃ©lix Humbert ThÃ©odore ChrÃ©tien EugÃ¨ne Marie), (born June 6, 1934), is the current King of the Belgians and a constitutional monarch. ... His Royal Highness Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant (Philippe Léopold Louis Marie Wettin), styled HRH The Duke of Brabant (born 15 April 1960), is the eldest son and heir apparent of Albert II, King of the Belgians. ... Princess Astrid, Archduchess of Austria-Este (Astrid JosÃ©phine-Charlotte Fabrizia Elisabeth Paola Maria), styled HI&RH Princess Astrid, (born June 5, 1962) is the only daughter and second child of King Albert II and his wife Queen Paola of Belgium. ... Prince Laurent of Belgium (Laurent BenoÃ®t Baudouin Marie Wettin) was born on October 19, 1963, in Brussels, Belgium, to King Albert II and Queen Paola of the Belgians (the then Prince and Princess of LiÃ¨ge). ... Princess Elisabeth of Belgium (Ã‰lisabeth ThÃ©rÃ¨se Marie HÃ©lÃ¨ne, born October 25, 2001) is the eldest daughter of Prince Philippe of Belgium, Duke of Brabant, the heir apparent to the throne of Belgium, and his wife Princess Mathilde of Belgium. ... His Royal Highness Prince Gabriel (French: Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie, Dutch: GabriÃ«l Boudewijn Karel Maria) is the second child and eldest son of Prince Philippe of Belgium, Duke of Brabant, the heir apparent to the throne of Belgium, and his wife, the former Jonkvrouwe Mathilde dUdekem dAcoz. ... Prince Emmanuel of Belgium (Emmanuel Leopold Guillaume FranÃ§ois Marie), born October 4, 2005 at 13. ... HRH Princess Louise of Belgium (Louise Sophie Mary) born February 6, 2004, is the first child of Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium. ... Prince Nicolas Casimir Marie of Belgium (born 13 December 2005 in Brussels, Belgium) is the second child and first son of Prince Laurent (b. ... Prince Aymeric of Belgium (Aymeric Auguste Marie), born 13 December 2005 in Brussels, Belgium, is the third child and second son of Prince Laurent (b. ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (131st in leap years). ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was the British army sent to France and Belgium in World War I and British Forces in Europe from 1939 - 1940 during World War II. The BEF was established by Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane following the Second Boer War in case the... The defining characteristic of what is commonly known as Blitzkrieg is that it is a highly mobile form of mechanized warfare. ... World Map with the participants in World War II. The Allies depicted in green (those in light green entered after the attack on Pearl Harbor), the Axis Powers in orange (including occupied or annexed countries), and neutral countries in grey. ... BEF can mean: British Expeditionary Force Belgian franc, ISO 4217 currency code for the former currency of Belgium Brazilian Expeditionary Force Bef is also a name this is her [Image:http://myspace-110. ... Paul Reynaud (October 15, 1878 - September 21, 1966) was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany. ... The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ...

On September 11, 1941, the king secretly married Lilian Baels in a religious ceremony that had no value under Belgian law. Less than two months later, a legal marriage before a civil official took place. This was a strange situation since in Belgium a religious marriage is prohibited if it is not preceded by a civil marriage. The reasons are not clear but it seems that Leopold who at first should only have accepted Lilian as a "secret" unofficial wife must have changed his mind. It is quite obvious that Lilian was pregnant during the second ceremony, since a child was born seven months later.

The public announcement of the king's second marriage was made the day after the legal marriage, December 6, when Cardinal Jozef-Ernest van Roey, Archbishop of Mechelen, wrote an open letter to parish priests throughout the country. The letter 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 though they would be princes or princesses of Belgium. His new marriage damaged his reputation further in the eyes of many of his subjects.

Heinrich Himmler ordered King Leopold deported to Germany. Princess Liliane 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 an der Elbe in Saxony during the winter of 1944-45, and then at Strobl, near Salzburg, Austria. They were freed by the U.S. Army in May of 1945. Due to controversy about his conduct during the war, Léopold III and his wife and children were unable to return to Belgium and spent the next six years in exile in Switzerland, a regency under his brother Prince Charles having been established by the Legislature in 1944. (October 7, 1900 â€“ May 23, 1945) was the commander of the German Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop... The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ... The Free State of Saxony (German: Freistaat Sachsen; Sorbian: Swobodny Stat Sakska) is the easternmost federal state of Germany. ... Strobl is a town in the Austrian state of Salzburg. ... Salzburg is a city in western Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg (population 150,000 in 2006). ... Prince Charles, Charles ThÃ©odore Henri Antoine Meinrad, Count of Flanders, Prince of Belgium (October 10, 1903â€”June 1, 1983), was the second son of King Albert I of Belgium and Queen Elizabeth. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

In 1946, a commission of inquiry exonerated him of treason. Nonetheless, controversy concerning his loyalty continued, and in 1950, a referendum was held about his future. A majority of ca. 57% voted in favour of his return. The divide between Leopoldists and anti-Leopoldists ran along the lines of socialists and Walloons who were mostly opposed (ca. 42% of favourable votes in Wallonia) and Christian-Democrats and Flemings who were more in favour of the King (ca. 70% of the votes in Flanders). On his return to Belgium in 1950, he was met with strikes and other protests. The strikes turned violent and in clashes with the gendarmerie, several protesters were killed. With the country on the brink of civil war, King Léopold decided in order to avoid tearing his country apart, and to preserve the monarchy, to abdicate on July 16, 1951 in favour of his 20-year-old son Baudouin. 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... A gendarmerie (pronounced ) is a military body charged with police duties among civilian populations. ... July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Baudouin of Belgium King Baudouin, (also spelled Boudewijn, Balduin or Baldwin) Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave, (7 September 1930 - 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ...

Titles

When he abdicated in favour of his Heir Apparent, his son Baudouin. He was officially styled as: HRH Prince Leopold of Belgium, Duke of Brabant. Socially he was referred to as HM King Leopold III of the Belgians.

Post abdication life

In retirement, he followed his passion as an amateur social anthropologist and travelled the world. He went, for instance, to Senegal and strongly criticized the Belgian decolonization process.

King Leopold III died in 1983 at Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe). He is interred with his wives in the royal vault at the Church of Our Lady in Laken. 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (French) or Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe (Dutch) is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. ... Laeken (French: Laeken, Dutch: Laken) is a residential suburb in north-east Brussels, Belgium. ...

Ancestry

Albert I (April 8, 1875 â€“ February 17, 1934) was the third King of the Belgians. ... Philippe EugÃ¨ne Ferdinand Maire ClÃ©ment Baudouin LÃ©opold Georges, Count of Flanders (24 March 1837-17 November 1905) was the third son of King Leopold I of the Belgians and his wife Louise Marie dOrleans (1812-1850). ... Leopold I of the Belgians (Prince Leopold George Christian Frederick of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duke in Saxony) (b. ... Louise-Marie, Queen of the Belgians (Louise-Marie ThÃ©rÃ¨se Charlotte Isabelle dOrlÃ©ans) - fille de France, and Queen of the Belgians as the wife of King Leopold I. Born in Palermo, Sicily on April 3, 1812, she was the eldest daughter of the future King Louis-Phillippe... Prince Karl Anton Joachim Zephyrin Friedrich of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (7 September 1811 - 2 June 1885) was head of the house of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Prime Minister of Prussia. ... Josephine of Baden Josephine Friederike Luise, Princess of Baden (21 October 1813-19 June 1900) was born at Mannheim, the daughter of Karl (1786-1818), Grand Duke of Baden and his wife, Stephanie (1789-1860), Princess of France. ... The young Queen For the daughter of Philippe and Mathilde, see Princess Elisabeth of Belgium For the Empress Elisabeth of Austria, born Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, see Elisabeth of Bavaria For other people called Elisabeth von Wittelsbach, see Elisabeth von Wittelsbach (disambiguation) Elisabeth, Queen of the Belgians (Elisabeth Gabriele Val... Maximilian Joseph, Duke in Bavaria (4 October 1808, Bamberg - 15 November 1888, Munich) was the husband of Princess Ludovika of Bavaria, a daughter of Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria. ... Marie Ludovika Wilhelmine (or Louise), Princess of Bavaria (August 30, 1808 - January 25, 1892) was the sixth child of King Maximilian I of Bavaria and his second wife, Fredricka Caroline Willemina of Baden. ... Miguel I, King of Portugal/pron. ... Adelaide of LÃ¶wenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (3 April 1831, Kleinheubach, near Miltenberg - 16 December 1909, Ryde, Isle of Wight) was the wife of Miguel of Portugal but only following his deposition. ...

Contents

Early life and family

WWII and controversy

Titles

Post abdication life

Ancestry

See also