Februari 13

More royalty in today's lockdown deck. This time Belgian royalty in a deck that was printed by Mesmaekers from Turnhout and published as "Dynastie Royale de Belgique" in 1934. In that year Leopold III was inaugurated as King of Belgium. The chronological sequence is: Leopold I (clubs), Leopold II (diamonds), Albert I (spades) and Leopold III (hearts). The queens show the actual spouses of the kings: Louise Mary of Orleans (clubs), Mary Hendrika of Austria (diamonds), Elisabeth , former duchess of Bavaria (spades) and the Swedish princess Astrid (hearts). The jacks are servants dressed in their contemporary costumes. The deck was never issued with a joker, but there's a blank card instead.