BELGIUM: The Provocative Princess

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In the Belgian Chamber of Deputies, Socialist Leader Paul-Henri Spaak demanded to know whether the King had sought "prior approval" from a Cabinet minister—as required by the Belgian constitution—for his comments in France Soir (circ. 827,000). Van Houtte's reply: "The government is in a position to state formally that the Sovereign, respectful of constitutional rules, made no declaration whatsoever, either orally or in writing." Next day, France Soir printed pictures of Baudouin talking earnestly with its correspondent, and the fight was on. The Premier's statement, said Spaak, "crawls with quid pro quos, equivocations, misunderstandings, almosts . . ." But when Spaak moved a vote of censure, the government won by 107 votes to 95.

Next day, Premier Van Houtte appointed a royal press attaché, whose job it is to keep all the royal family out of the gossip columns. Then he drove out to Laeken Palace to have a man-to-man chat with young King Baudouin.