King Albert's Answer to the Pope

Category

Library Item

Item no

32973

Title

King Albert's Answer to the Pope

Description

"With him who broke his word, devastated my country, burned my villages, destroyed my towns, desecrated my churches and murdered my people, I will not make peace before he is expelled from my country and punished for his crimes."

"Of what is the Pope thinking? Perhaps he is deep in memories of King Albert's uncle, King Leopold, and of the latter's letter (28 December 1870) to the Crown Prince Frederick, the Kaiser's father, during the siege of Paris:.

'Letter of the King of the Belgians, full of sympathy for Emperor and Empire, and great expectations regarding them; he sees in them the re-establishment of order and of the consciousness of justice in Europe, and calls the tasks set for them 'truly glorious.' He is very anxious to fulfil his duties as a neutral Sovereign according to contract....France brings complaints against Belgium because German provisions and wounded soldiers have been allowed to pass through, while the retreating French had been refused their return to France, and had been arrested.... Bismarck expresses himself very pleasantly about Leopold's letter, and asks me to point out to him, in my answer, to the fact that a strong Germany will be a safeguard for Belgium, which need never have any fear of Germany, nor, as long as the latter is strong, from France either. 'The Suppressed Diary of the late Emperor Frederick.' London, 1888."

Artist / maker

Raemaekers, Louis

Date

1916

Size

34.2 x 27.6 cm

Type

Chromolithograph

Location

Art and Design Library

Copyright

Louis Raemaekaers' drawings are reproduced by kind permission of the Louis Raemaekers Foundation.