Crowds Cheer King Baudouin On Return

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28911, 3 June 1959, Page 11

Crowds Cheer King Baudouin On Return

(N.Z Press Association—Copyright)

BRUSSELS, June 1. Wildly enthusiastic crowds shouting “God save the King’’ greeted King Baudouin of the Belgians when he drove through the heart of the capital today after his three-week American tour. His father, former King Leopold, was the first to welcome him as he stepped smiling from his plane at the airport. Then the young King embraced his stepmother, Princess Liliane, and greeted other members of the Royal Family. As the King left the airport in an open car, crowds broke through the police cordons, cheering and throwing flowers at the car, which was forced to stop. More crowds jammed the pavements of the city to watch the ceremonial drive to Laeken Palace, and the Royal car was reduced to crawling speed. Police runners had cleared the way for about half a mile of the route, and motor-cycle police edged slowly forward ahead of the King’s car. King Baudouin returns in the midst of a “Royal crisis” which has grown during his absence. He faces an uneasy situation

arising partly from arrangements for the marriage by the Pope on July 1 of his brother, Prince Alberf. who is heir to the throne. A political and newspaper campaign has been waged against the failure to arrange, a civil marriage ceremony on Belgian soil. Former King Leopold, criticised for alleged interference in policy, has moved out of the palace during his son’s absence. Tomorrow King Baudouin will hold an unprecedented news reception in the Royal palace in Brussels. In the evening the Socialists are due to bring an attack on the Government over arrangements for the marriage of Prince Albert to Italy’s Princess Paola. Meanwhile Primate of Belgium (Cardinal Joseph van Roey) said today that the proposed Vatican wedding was also valid in Belgium as a civil formality and “must be recognised and duly registered as such in accordance with international law.” The Cardinal’s statement, in a pastoral letter to be read in all Belgian churches, was his first comment since the beginning of the Belgian newspaper campaign in favour of a separate civil marriage.