The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1942-05-14
King Places Love
Before Tradition
To Wed Cor11rnoner
Second Bride of Leopold
Signs Away Rights to
Belgian Throne.

LONDON. - Lonely, prematurely
gray King Leopold of the Belgians
has taken a second bride to console
him for the tragedies life has heaped
upon him.
The 40-year-old monarch, captive
of the Germans who overran his
country, chose as his helpmate
Mary Lillian Baels, 80, vivacious and
beautiful daughter of Hendrix Baels,
formerly governor of East Flanders
and minister of health, public works
and agriculture in various Belgian
cabinets. He is a descendant OF
sturdy Ostend fisherfolk who got
into politics by way of the law.
The world can readily imagine
why Leopold of Belgium married
again. His life at the Castle OF
Laeken at Brussels has been singu-
larly lonely since that day in May,
1910. he capitulated to the invad-
ers. g..
1t was, he said, to save his people
from further massacre and distress.
The bride is well known in Eng
land. During the first world war,
Mile. Baels, her mother and her SIS
ter were in England, refugees from
the German invasion.
Bride Valves Title.
In announcing the recent mar
riage, Cardinal Van Roey, primate
of Belgium, said:
ST have been empowered to add
that this marriage concerns only the
kings private and family life and
has no legal consequences of public
or legal nature. An authentic act
by the sovereign confirms that the
kings wife rejected the title and
rank of queen-a condition which
she herself proposed for the mar
riage. She will hold the title OF
princess of Rethy. In the same
document the king declared that
eventual offspring of this marriage
will have no hereditary right to
the throne"
King Leopold III of the Belgians
is a collateral descendant of Leopold
I, Coburg prince, who assembled
the throne of Belgium in 1881. In
1926, he married the lovely young
Princess Astrid of Sweden, young
est daughter of a brother of King
Gustav.
Their happiness was marred on
February II, 1884, when the princes
father, King Albert, was killed in a
fall while mountain climbing.
Queen Astrid Killed.
Eighteen months later another
grievous blow struck Leopold, then
king of the Belgians. While on a
motor "trip with Queen Astrid in
Switzerland. their car swerved off
the road, went into ditch and
Astrid was catapulted against tree
and fatally injured. ...-m
His mother, Queen Elizabeth, took
over the care of the three children
left by Astrid. ,.....
The clouds of a second war multi
piled the burdens of the young king
who sought desperately to spare his
country and the world from the hor-
rors of another armed clash. De-
spite his efforts, Belgium was again
invaded, her troops driven back be-
fore the onslaught of the Nazis'
mechanical might. b.
The allies, on May 81, 1910, heard
with dismay that Leopold had given
up the struggle, had capitulated to
the enemy. The king was excoriat-
ed. blamed for collapse of the
French and British armies that
speedily followed.
He retired, with Nazi permission,
to Laeken castle. Until the recent
announcement of his marriage,
which followed the ceremony by
nearly three months, little was
heard of Leopold, except that his
hair had turned gray.