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Episode details

World Service,23 May 2026,50 mins

Belgium’s royal affair and Montenegro gains independence

The History Hour

Available for over a year

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the 91¸£ÀûÉç 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 This programme has been updated since the original broadcast after it was identified that an archive interview used in it was wrongly attributed. (Photo: Queen Paola and King Albert II of Belgium in 1999. Credit: Reuters)

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