Belgium’s royal affair and Montenegro gains independence

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

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)