LETTER: King Leopold III

From Ms Pamela Davis

Sir: John Cairns (Letters, 10 January) will be glad to know that there are some people in this country who have a conscience about the injustice done to King Leopold.

The British Memorial Committee for King Leopold III of the Belgians, which was founded in 1986, has awarded bursaries to two leading British schools in the late King's memory and has also sponsored the planting of a number of trees.

The King was described by an American ambassador as "a noble man and a very great Christian gentleman, one of the greatest figures among European heads of state".

In 1953, Cardinal Cento (formerly Papal Nuncio in Brussels) spoke of the King as having set an example of a life "inspired by the highest ideals".

King Leopold made endless sacrifices for his people and bore the many injustices he suffered with courage and dignity. It is to be hoped that, as the years pass, the true value of the life and work of this remarkable man will be fully understood.

Yours faithfully,

Pamela Davis

Secretary, British Memorial

Committee For King Leopold III

of the Belgians

London, W13