The youngest daughter of Leopold III had already expressed herself in this way in January in an article published by Brussels Times, a newspaper aimed at expatriates who reside in the Belgian capital. It was aimed at monuments commemorating the actors of colonization. “We should remove these statues. They glorify the men – and yes, they were all men – who were white supremacists and brought death and suffering to people from so many countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas. “, she said then.
Questioned on Sunday on the “Guest” set (RTL-TVi), Esmeralda from Belgium maintained her remarks. “These statues have no place in the middle of public space,” she said. “They can be in museums with explanations”.
In his view, the approach to be taken must be broader. “We need education, transparency, the return of many stolen works of art, repairs, apologies too, it’s very important,” she added, noting in passing, the “regrets” expressed by King Philippe last year.
“It’s our story, but we need more transparency, do more in education so that we get out of this nostalgia which colored our colonial period with pink,” she said.
At the time, the remarks had not pleased everyone. In the political world, the president of the MR, Georges-Louis Bouchez, said he was “worried” for the princess, judging that she could also renounce her title if, to hear her, she did not assume all the consequences related to his status.
“It’s nice that he is worried about me. I could have been worried about him too because I believe that, in excess, he knows about it,” she replied.
These remarks are part of a broader debate which has resulted in particular in Brussels in the recommendations of a working group advocating the removal of the equestrian statue of Leopold II installed on the Place du Trône in Brussels. The suggestion sparked controversy. Among the detractors, the MR denounced an initiative akin to “disguised vandalism”.