Going Dutch

The League was formed in 1943, at a time when the tide of the Second World War was beginning to turn in favour of the Allies and the Soviet threat to the Balkan monarchies had been perceived. The founders had seen what had happened in Central Europe when the Hohenzollem and Habsburg monarchies had been overthrown, leaving the vacuum to be filled by Nazism, and they feared that the fall of the Romanian, Bulgarian, Yugoslav and Albanian thrones would lead to the eastward expansion of the communist domination. Unfortunately, such fears were entirely justified and, despite the collapse of Soviet-style communism, these countries to a greater or lesser extent still fall far short of the standards of government they enjoyed when they were monarchies. In other nations of the world, too, such as Iran, Libya, Laos, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Burundi, the abolition of monarchy has been followed by repression, strife and misery. Restoration of the monarchy in Spain resulted in a return to democracy and prosperity.

The League's aim is, quite simply, to support the principle of monarchy. It is independent of any political party or group, and its subscribers are drawn from many countries and all walks of life. As well as receiving the quarterly journal, Monarchy, subscribers have the opportunity to take part in the activities arranged by Headquarters.