Would like to hear opinions
In a somewhat antiquated move, the concerns around legitimacy in Belgium have been solved with a royal marriage.
Following a secret agreement signed in Ottawa between Adelbert’s branch of the House of Hohenzollern and the House of Belgium, Albert, Leopold, and the rest of the former Belgian royals have finally returned home to cheering crowds on the docks of Antwerp. Greeting them personally stood King Adelbert, his wife Charlotte, and his two children. Adelbert and Albert shared an embrace. While no doubt awkward to each man personally it signalled reconciliation.
Prince Viktor, aged 17, and Princess Joséphine, aged 7, have been betrothed. The marriage itself is not expected until 1945, and in the meantime a regency council made up of Adelbert, Albert, and Leopold has been established. Leopold forfeit his title as Duke of Brabançon but has been compensated with a the title, Prince of Liege. Prince Viktor and Princess Joséphine have been invested as Duke and Duchess of Brabançon.
While the fanfare of royalty plays before the papers, the real changes of government are taking place nearby in the Federal halls. The Vlaamees Rand has been disbanded and all of it’s members dismissed. King Adelbert, in his final decree as sole monarch the day before Albert’s arrival, issued a decree in his own right that the Rand is disbanded. This move has been criticized seeing as it could be regarded as illegitimate; though many doubt that there’s serious threat of a reversal. The bigger debates surround whether Adelbert was motivated by genuine concern for his subjects or a cynical desire to save his skin.
Military ranks from both the Flanders-Wallonian and Belgian armies are being kept. While some discreet investigations are bring made into officers suspected to have syndicalist sympathies, most members have nothing to fear.
As a final cherry on the cake, the Flanders-Wallonian flag was ceremoniously lowered for the last time over Parlement shall and replaced with the Belgian tricolour.
The new Belgian Parlement has been restored. Emergency elections are to be called on the first of August. Vive Belgique/Leve België!
https://preview.redd.it/jhulwgm3op181.jpg?width=1366&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e394a1b5a57c95c1560b78bb964723232747d19
Let's say she lives to the same age as Queen Victoria (81) and thus died around 1877. How different would the Charlottian era be compared to the Victorian era and how would it have changed the century following. From my understanding and research, Charlotte was much more inclined towards the more Liberal Whigs than Victoria who was more Conservative in her views. Charlotte also seems much more actively interested in British history with her quoted as once saying “Queen Elizabeth took great delight in her navy, and she never entertained any fear of going on board a man-of-war in an open boat, in whatever state the sea might be; why then should I?”
