So, Baudouin's decision to skip George VI's funeral was out of loyalty to his own father? I always read it was a matter or protocol: a monarch only attends another monarch's funeral if he/she had paid a State Visit before to the country. Curiously, Grand Duke Henri & Grand Duchess Maria Teresa didn't attend Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's funeral (his parents did).
Was George's opinions about Leopold staying in Belgium made public at the time? It's curious because when Queen Wilhelmina wanted to help the Belgian RF during the last years of WWII she sought for King George's help...
The history between the Belgian and British houses hasn't always been uncomplicated. George VI was highly critical of Leopold III's decision to stay in Belgium during the war, and out of loyalty to his father King Baudouin was the only European monarch to skip that king's funeral. Happily, things seem to have been patched up by later in his reign, and Elizabeth II even made a rare exception to her usual habit of not attending funerals by attending his.
My guess is that if she could deicde herself bot King Albert II. and Grand Duke Henri had paidm StateVisits to the UK a long time ago. But it is the british Goverment whon decides who gets invited and it seems they have no Interest for State Visits from this 2 countries.
Exactly Pedro! And for all those who followed royal & glittering events through the years on the GREMB ... we all know that QEII paid a full-blown State Visit to Belgium when King Baudouin was still reigning as well as QEII paid a State Visit to Luxembourg from 8 - 12 November 1976.
Both visits resulted in many pics all of which were posted on the Boards over the years.
The relationship between Belgium and the UK is a special one ever since 'uncle Leopold' left his niece Victoria in the UK and became King of the Belgians! Later on the Luxembourg GD family has also become rather close to the Windsors, starting with the late Grand Duke Jean and then all those royal/princely/grand ducal Sandhurst students!
So I am also very puzzled by the way QEII ignores the importance of these two trusted and loyal allies
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