Prince Charles, Count of Flanders

Prince Charles
Count of Flanders
The Count of Flanders c. 1944
Regent of Belgium
Regency20 September 1944 – 20 July 1950
MonarchLeopold III
Born(1903-10-10)10 October 1903
Brussels, Belgium
Died1 June 1983(1983-06-01) (aged 79)
Raversijde, Belgium
Burial
Spouse
Jacqueline Peyrebrune
(m. 1977)
IssueIsabelle Wybo
Names
French: Charles Théodore Henri Antoine Meinrad
Dutch: Karel Theodoor Hendrik Anton Meinrad
HouseSaxe-Coburg and Gotha (until 1920)
House of Belgium (1920 onwards)
FatherAlbert I of Belgium
MotherElisabeth of Bavaria

Prince Charles, Count of Flanders (Dutch: Karel, German: Karl; 10 October 1903 – 1 June 1983) was a member of the Belgian royal family who served as regent of Belgium from 1944 until 1950, while a judicial commission investigated his elder brother, King Leopold III of Belgium, as to whether he betrayed the Allies of World War II by an allegedly premature surrender in 1940 and collaboration with the Nazis during the occupation of Belgium. Charles' regency ended when Leopold was allowed to return to Belgium. Shortly after returning and resuming his monarchical duties, Leopold abdicated in favour of his son, Baudouin.

During the Second World War Charles was known as General du Boc, in order to hide his identity for security reasons. He had an association with RAF Hullavington where many top officers from Allied nations were based or transported to and from.[1]

  1. ^ Raymond Welcomme Personal Memories of Two World Wars (January 1987)