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Are you of the opinion that King Leopold III should resume the exercise of his constitutional powers? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Belgiumportal |
A referendum on allowing King Leopold III's return to Belgium, and restoration of his powers and duties as monarch was held in Belgium on 12 March 1950. The proposal was approved by 57.68% of voters. [1]
King Leopold went into exile in June 1944, when Heinrich Himmler ordered him to leave Belgium. Leopold was held by the Nazis in Strobl, Austria until early May 1945, when he was freed by members of the United States 106th Cavalry Group. Because of the political troubles surrounding his wartime behaviour, King Leopold remained in exile in Switzerland until 1950, his brother Prince Charles, Count of Flanders having been installed as Regent after the Liberation in 1944.
The Catholics, who generally supported the King's return, won a majority in the Belgian Senate during the general election of 26 June 1949. The Catholics formed a government with the Liberals. The date of the referendum (Consultation populaire) the King wanted was set by this government for 12 March 1950.
Socialist Leader Paul-Henri Spaak opposed holding a referendum. He foresaw that the vote for Leopold might fall between 55% and 65%, giving no decisive mandate for the king's return, and that the King would carry Flanders and lose Wallonia. In that case, said Spaak, "the government would not only have on its hands the King's abdication or return, it would also have to appease the anger, acerbity and rancor of Flanders or Wallonia." [2]
The question voters were asked was:
A majority voted in favour of Leopold's return. In Flanders, 72% voted in favour. In Wallonia, 58% voted against. In Brussels, 52% voted against. [3]
| Choice | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| For | 2,933,382 | 57.68 | |
| Against | 2,151,881 | 42.32 | |
| Total | 5,085,263 | 100.00 | |
| Valid votes | 5,085,263 | 97.11 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 151,477 | 2.89 | |
| Total votes | 5,236,740 | 100.00 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | 5,635,452 | 92.92 | |
| Source: Direct Democracy | |||
| Arrondissement | Province | Total votes | Invalid/ blank | For | Against | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | ||||
| Antwerpen | Antwerp | 484,936 | 12,236 | 297,863 | 63.0 | 174,837 | 37.0 |
| Mechelen | Antwerp | 156,099 | 3,905 | 106,450 | 69.9 | 45,744 | 30.1 |
| Turnhout | Antwerp | 134,684 | 3,678 | 110,576 | 84.4 | 20,430 | 15.6 |
| Brussels | Brabant | 832,087 | 26,773 | 387,914 | 48.2 | 417,400 | 51.8 |
| Leuven | Brabant | 197,540 | 7,530 | 125,944 | 66.3 | 64,066 | 33.7 |
| Nivelles | Brabant | 119,686 | 3,097 | 43,777 | 37.5 | 72,812 | 62.5 |
| Brugge | West Flanders | 119,573 | 3,677 | 83,623 | 72.2 | 32,273 | 27.8 |
| Veurne-Diksmuide-Oostende | West Flanders | 118,265 | 4,615 | 82,652 | 72.7 | 30,998 | 27.3 |
| Roeselare-Tielt | West Flanders | 116,945 | 3,372 | 96,196 | 84.7 | 17,377 | 15.3 |
| Kortrijk | West Flanders | 167,772 | 5,163 | 114,198 | 70.2 | 48,411 | 29.8 |
| Ypres | West Flanders | 74,101 | 3,011 | 54,109 | 76.1 | 16,981 | 23.9 |
| Gent-Eeklo | East Flanders | 328,298 | 9,792 | 224,874 | 70.6 | 93,632 | 29.4 |
| Sint-Niklaas | East Flanders | 111,048 | 1,833 | 84,955 | 77.8 | 24,260 | 22.2 |
| Dendermonde | East Flanders | 97,756 | 2,150 | 72,223 | 75.5 | 23,383 | 24.5 |
| Aalst | East Flanders | 145,994 | 2,924 | 100,130 | 70.0 | 42,940 | 30.0 |
| Oudenaarde | East Flanders | 73,500 | 2,371 | 47,607 | 66.9 | 23,522 | 33.1 |
| Mons | Hainaut | 162,250 | 4,467 | 49,243 | 31.2 | 108,540 | 68.8 |
| Soignies | Hainaut | 103,952 | 2,565 | 34,875 | 34.4 | 66,512 | 65.6 |
| Charleroi | Hainaut | 268,375 | 7,209 | 86,003 | 32.9 | 175,163 | 67.1 |
| Thuin | Hainaut | 82,540 | 2,294 | 34,529 | 43.0 | 45,717 | 57.0 |
| Tournai-Ath | Hainaut | 147,992 | 4,056 | 62,661 | 43.5 | 81,275 | 56.5 |
| Liège | Liège | 353,598 | 10,095 | 119,161 | 34.7 | 224,342 | 65.3 |
| Huy-Waremme | Liège | 109,286 | 3,132 | 44,445 | 41.9 | 61,709 | 58.1 |
| Verviers | Liège | 141,253 | 4,998 | 81,238 | 59.6 | 55,017 | 40.4 |
| Hasselt | Limburg | 109,472 | 3,513 | 87,241 | 82.3 | 18,718 | 17.7 |
| Tongeren-Maaseik | Limburg | 124,333 | 3,616 | 101,783 | 84.3 | 18,934 | 15.7 |
| Arlon-Marche-Bastogne | Luxembourg | 72,526 | 2,078 | 46,296 | 65.7 | 24,152 | 34.3 |
| Neufchâteau-Virton | Luxembourg | 59,223 | 1,595 | 37,443 | 65.0 | 20,185 | 35.0 |
| Namur | Namur | 135,600 | 3,495 | 64,112 | 48.5 | 67,993 | 51.5 |
| Dinant-Philippeville | Namur | 88,056 | 2,237 | 51,261 | 59.7 | 34,558 | 40.3 |
| Flanders (four Flemish provinces plus Leuven) [4] | 2,560,316 | 73,386 | 1,790,424 | 71.0 | 696,506 | 28.0 | |
| Wallonia (four Walloon provinces plus Nivelles) [5] | 1,844,337 | 51,318 | 755,044 | 42.1 | 1,037,975 | 57.9 | |
| Total | 5,236,740 | 151,477 | 2,933,382 | 57.7 | 2,151,881 | 42.3 | |
| Source: Theunissen, [6] Senate [7] | |||||||
*The majority in the arrondissement of Verviers voted in favour of the King's return. **The arrondissement of Namur voted against the return.
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The royal question was a major political crisis in Belgium that lasted from 1945 to 1951, coming to a head between March and August 1950. The question at stake surrounded whether King Leopold III could return to the country and resume his constitutional role amid allegations that his actions during World War II had been contrary to the provisions of the Belgian Constitution. It was eventually resolved by the abdication of Leopold in favour of his son King Baudouin in 1951.
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