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Britain and Scandinavia could undoubtedly lose their monarchies and suffer only psychological damage; the fabric of nationhood would not be torn. The situation is different in Belgium. No country in Europe needs its King as much. His actual power is only moral and advisory, but Baudouin carries out his duties with an energetic seriousness. Not long ago Baudouin exchanged his rimmed glasses for contact lenses so as to look less solemn. He is, in fact, the only Belgian; everybody else is either a Walloon or a Fleming, fighting over the smallest points of the language war between the Dutch-speaking north and the French-speaking south. The federalist movement may yet split the country into two states. The only man able to bridge the two communities—as he does today—would be the King.
One difficulty besetting all European dynasties is the shortage of fresh blue blood. A related difficulty is the shortage of suitable consorts. Juliana's daughters have greatly upset the Dutch by their propensity for falling in love with politically impossible men. Bloodlines and realms are royally scrambled. The Queen of Denmark, for instance, is Swedish by birth, the Queen of Greece is Danish, the Swedish royals are French, the English royal family is of German descent. This kind of mélange used to be considered just right. "A Prince," said Queen Victoria, "should not be imbued with the prejudices and peculiarities of his own Country." Victoria's grandson, King George V, marked the end of this way of thinking. When H. G. Wells attacked Britain's "uninspiring and alien court," the King stormed, "I may be uninspiring, but I'll be damned if I'm an alien!"
The Quickness of the Hand
In the Middle East, a few years ago, monarchy in the region seemed doomed, but it has since gained considerable prestige, partly because of hardworking, youthful rulers, partly because of the failure of Arab socialism to do enough for the people in the U.A.R., Iraq and Yemen, where monarchies were overthrown. Iran's Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi has emerged as a popular social reformer who destroyed the landed class that held back modernization. Even in tradition-bound Saudi Arabia, monarchy has undergone a vast change. Since the ouster of wastrel King Saud in 1964, determined and ascetic King Feisal has begun modernizing the country as fast as a Stone Age situation permits.