Birth of future Queen of the Belgians brings joy

At noon last Friday, the sound of gunfire shook the centre of Brussels as soldiers fired a 101 gun salute outside the royal palace. They were celebrating the birth of Elisabeth, a daughter to Crown Prince Phillipe and Princess Mathilde - and the future Queen of the Belgians.

The number of gunshots was itself significant because, until now, the birth of a princess merited only a 51-gun salute. Since the foundation of the state in 1830, only male heirs could succeed to the throne. But a change in the succession law 10 years ago decreed that, from now on, the monarch's eldest child will succeed regardless of her sex.

Belgian newspapers went wild about the royal birth, clearing their front pages for huge picture displays and patriotic headlines. One tabloid devoted its entire front page to a delightful picture of a baby's feet.

The Belgian public received the news more quietly but there was no mistaking the satisfaction felt by most citizens, regardless of their political affiliation. To add to the general mood of joy, the crown prince made a short but eloquent statement, expressing the hope that his daughter would become a great queen and, "more importantly, a great woman". The statement eased a widely shared anxiety that the shy prince was almost incapable of speech, at least in public.

Belgium's monarchy has little power but it has played an important - and not always happy - role in the nation's life. Only half a century ago, the state almost fell apart amid controversy over the return from exile of King Leopold III.

Leopold had remained in Belgium following the German invasion in 1940, attempting to find an accommodation with Hitler that would preserve his country's independence. Belgium's elected government, which spent the war years in London and made common cause with the Allies, wanted nothing to do with Leopold when the war ended.

A referendum in 1950 decided by a narrow margin that the king should be allowed to return from Switzerland. But the country was sharply divided, with more than 70 per cent in the Flemish north supporting the king and an overwhelming majority of French speakers opposing him.

Apart from the fact that Leopold was seen by some to have collaborated with the enemy, many Belgians resented his decision to remarry following the tragic death in 1935 of the beautiful Queen Astrid, who was the Princess Diana of her time.

In the end, Leopold agreed to abdicate in favour of his son Baudouin, who set about the task of uniting a nation that was showing growing divisions over language and ideology. Although the king's constitutional role is limited, Baudouin became an important behind the scenes figure, influencing coalition talks and acting as a force for moderation and reconciliation.

Idolised by practising Catholics and the elderly, Baudouin and his Spanish wife, Fabiola, were regarded with suspicion by the liberal "freethinkers" who dominate the French-speaking part of Belgium. The royal couple were closely involved in the Charismatic movement and they emphasised the religious aspects of the monarchy.

When Belgium's parliament voted to legalise abortion in 1990, Baudouin provoked a constitutional crisis by refusing to sign the bill. A solution was found whereby the king resigned for a day while a council of state signed the bill. But Baudouin's decision to take a conservative Catholic stand against a democratic majority damaged his standing and started a debate on the future of the monarchy.

When Baudouin died in 1993, he was succeeded by his brother Albert, a man who was almost unknown to the Belgian public. Albert distinguished himself by taking a strong stance against racism and the right-wing extremism represented by the Vlaams Blok, which took a third of the votes in Antwerp last year.

At the height of the scandal surrounding the convicted rapist and alleged child murderer, Marc Dutroux, the king met the parents of missing and murdered children and publicly criticised Belgium's justice system.

The monarchy received a fresh boost two years ago when Albert's son, Phillipe, married Mathilde, a beautiful Belgian aristocrat. The young couple have brought a new, relaxed tone to royal duties, in keeping with the rapid changes that have taken place in Belgian society in recent years.

Mr Guy Verhofstadt's Liberal-led coalition is the first to be composed entirely of freethinkers and it has moved swiftly to introduce reforms. A few weeks before the baby Elisabeth was born, a senior Belgian official was pondering how some of these changes might affect the royal heir.

"If it's a girl, she'll become queen, which is one novelty. And if she's a lesbian, she'll be able to marry her girlfriend. Then we'll have to work out if the queen's wife is a queen too," he said.