A Labour of Too Pew Hands

The Political Testament of Leopold III was one of the key documents in the Royal Question that determined the Belgian political landscape in the post-war period from 1 944 to 1950. The Belgian King decided not to follow his government in May 1940, after which the government accused him of treason. In the years after this incident, Leopold refused to resume contact with the government. The government tried to re-establish contact one last time in 1943 via messenger De Kinder. In the meanwhile, Leopold had begun to write his Political Testament which is dated January 24 1944. The document contained controversial assertions regarding the government in exile and even the allied forces. The Belgian King regarded the Allies as a new occupying force and demanded the restoration of the Belgian independence. This article extensively examines the editorial process of this Political Testamentand the influence it exerted at the time. The most important influence on the document came from his military advisor Van Overstraeten and might explain the harsh opinions and bitter language used by the King. This contribution will show that the King did not listen to the sound advice of other men, like his secretary Robert Capelle, who foresaw its potential threat.