Belgium’s royal affair and Montenegro gains independence
The History Hour
BBC
4.4 • 913 Ratings
🗓️ 23 May 2026
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.
First, the story of the Belgian teenager who exposed a scandal within the country’s Royal Family in 1999.
Our guest, Professor Kate Williams takes us through some other royal scandals from history.
We hear how a group of women set up an underground newspaper in communist Poland and how an E-Coli outbreak caused one of Canada’s worst public health emergencies.
Plus, how Montenegro achieved independence from Serbia through a 2006 referendum.
Our sporting story this week takes us to Eastern Ukraine and the rise of Shakhtar Donetsk.
Contributors: Mario Danneels – teenager who exposed King Albert II of Belgium’s secret child Professor Kate Williams – royal historian Helena Luczywo – former editor of Polish underground newspaper Mazovia Weekly Bruce Davidson – resident who experienced Canada’s E-Coli outbreak Ivan Vujovic – independence campaigner in Montenegro Darijo Srna – former captain of Shakhtar Donetsk
(Photo: Queen Paola and King Albert II of Belgium in 1999. Credit: Reuters)
Transcript
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