King leopold i of belgium biography

King of the Belgians from 1831 to 1865

"King Leopold I" and "Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld" redirect here. For the king of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, see Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. For the nephew of Leopold I, see Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Leopold I (born Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; 16 December 1790 – 10 December 1865) was the first king of the Belgians, reigning from 21 July 1831 until his death in 1865.

The youngest son of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Leopold took a commission in the Imperial Russian Army and fought against Napoleon after French troops overran Saxe-Coburg during the Napoleonic Wars. After Napoleon's defeat, Leopold moved to the United Kingdom, where in 1816 he married Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of the British Prince Regent (later George IV). Leopold and Charlotte's marriage was happy, but it ended after a year and a half when Charlotte died after delivering a stillborn son. Leopold continued to enj

This official portrait of King Leopold I was painted by the portraitist Nicaise De Keyser (1813-1887). The King is depicted in full regalia under a cloak of ermine, his hand resting on the Constitution.

During the early years of Belgium's history, numerous similar portraits in which the monarch is primarily depicted as the embodiment of the new sovereign State were painted and sculpted.

This portrait, with its similar red hues in the background clearly forms a whole with the portrait of Queen Louise-Marie that hangs on the other side of the Red Room.

A brief tour of the presidential state rooms by guide Guy

A brief tour of the presidential state rooms by guide Guy

[ Staff members talk about their favourite spot or work in the Senate ]

In this video, Guy, our guide, takes us into the presidential state rooms for a brief tour. Our tour's main focus will be the Red Room. It is in this room that delegations from all over the world are formally received by the Senate's president. This makes it one of the Senate's most prestigious rooms. The presence of two portraits of our first sovereigns, Leopold I and Louise-Marie d'Orléans, adds to the prestige of this room. These two portraits are by Nicaise De Keyser, who was a portraitist of the Belgian royal family, but also of the key European families of the time.

These two portraits each have their own unique features. The portrait of Leopold I is a nod to our sovereign's time in Britain, when he was Prince Consort of England. He was in fact married to the heiress of the British throne until her death, which is why the artist included the crown and sceptre in this portrait.

The other portrait is no less remarkable. It depicts Louise-Marie d'Orléans and was painted in 1856, after the sovereign's death in 1850. It shows Louise-Marie in all her splendour and elegance. Note

Leopold I (Leopold George Christian Frederick; Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, later Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Saxony; 16 December 1790 – 10 December 1865) was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians. This was following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. His children included Leopold II of Belgium and Empress Carlota of Mexico. He was also an uncle of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

He was born in Coburg and died in Laeken.

Titles and styles

• 16 December 1790 – 12 November 1826His Serene Highness Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duke of Saxony
• 6 April 1818 – 12 November 1826 (in the UK)His Royal Highness Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duke of Saxony
• 12 November 1826 – 21 July 1831His Serene Highness (His Royal Highness in the UK) Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Saxony
• 21 July 1831 – 10 December 1865His Majesty The King of the Belgians

First marriage

Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor first married Princess Charlotte of Wales in 1816. Charlotte was the daughter of the Prince Regent (later George IV of the United Kingdom). But they didn't have any children because the marriage only lasted for 1 year (see why) ---> . On 3 November 1817, when the Princess’s labour began, she was particularly overdue and a long and difficult delivery resulted in the birth of a still-born son two days later. After the birth Princess Charlotte initially appeared to recover, but due to complications she died five hours later in the early hours of 6 November.

References