The King is Gone, Long Live the King

People were so preoccupied by the royal baby that they failed to realize that the King of Belgium resigned in favour of his son this week.

It seems that people all around the world, including Slovakia, were curious about the new prince in London.
Women with small children who still remember their own labour felt especially sorry for the Duchess surrounded by journalists. The couple confirmed my opinion that William and Kate give a good name to the Royal Family and should not be hassled by the public and press.

When I asked my friends whether they knew about the Belgian king stepping down, they did not. Well, people are so preoccupied by celebrities that they fail to take notice of the everyday happening. On the one hand, it testifies to the popularity of the Royal Family even in central Europe. On the other hand, is such a media craze necessary?

Prince William took paternity leave from his duties as a helicopter pilot in order to be with his wife. I don't think, he can realistically get much closer to the common man. New kings are not born every day, but common people are, most of them into poverty. And I believe William and Kate know that.

What's in a Name?

Prince George of Cambridge was born on 22nd July at St Mary's hospital in London. I came across an article that detailed the history of king's names. Did you know that the first King George in the 18th century did not even speak English? Weighing 8 pounds and 6 ounces, the newborn was bigger than his father (7lbs15 in 1982). But I think the increase in birth weight testifies to the economic prosperity of the country. Actually, it has been proven that there is a relationship between birth weight and maternal nutrition.

In the meantime, Belgian King Albert II abdicated on 21st July in favour of his son. At the age of 79, he considered himself too old to fulfill his duties. The rule was taken over by his son Philippe. Like in the UK, the king's role in Belgium is more or less ceremonial. However, the monarch is a strong unifying factor between the language groups, the Flemish and the French Walloons. Again this is similar to the Queen being the unifying factor for the four parts of the UK, and even the entire Commonwealth.

As we can see, both monarchies have a lot in common. Well, I am glad that for a short time, the whole world was united by positive expectations. Moreover, the British royal line will continue in the future. Unfortunately, soon enough the derailed train in Spain and peace talks in Syria and Palestine took us back to the reality.

Erik Redli is a university graduate from Slovakia who is currently living in London. Read more of his posts here.

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