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Description: | obverse design : King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians, joint busts, left profile. Elisabeth wears a diadem
and Albert is in uniform
obverse text : "LL.MM. ALBERT ELISABETH"
reverse design : shields, two. One, upper centre edge, bears the Belgian lion, the other, lower centre edge, bears a castle and rests upon
a sprig of laurel. Around upper edge and between the two shields text
reverse text : "POUR L'ENFANT DU SOLDAT" & "AVANT QU'ON ANÉANTISSE NOTRE ARMEE IL FAUDRA QUON ME MARCHE SUR LE CORPS" & "LES BELGES
LUTTERONT JUSQU'A LA MORT POUR ASSURER LEUR INDÉPENDANCE, ET, S'IL LE FAUT, JE PRENDRAI MOI-MEME LE FUSIL 1914 ALBERT"
Inspirational Belgian propaganda medal by Jules Baetes (1861-1937) commemorating the defiance shown by King Albert I of
the Belgians (1875-1934) and his wife Queen Elisabeth in the face of the German occupation of the vast proportion of their country,
following the invasion of 1914. The reverse text is translated as 'For the child of the soldier' and 'Our army cannot be crushed but across
my corpse' and 'Belgian people will fight to the death to ensure their freedom and, if necessary, I shall myself take up the
rifle'. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | Belgian Home Front & 1914 Albert I portrait / personification Queen of Belgium King of Belgium commemorative First World War Propaganda Elisabeth | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Baetes, Jules | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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