LEOPOLD I OF BELGIUM: BIOGRAPHY - HISTORY - 2025

Leopold I of Belgium (1790 - 1865), whose full name was Leopold George Christiaan Frederik, was known in history as the first king the Belgians had.

Leopoldo I began his military career from an early age. During his reign, which he maintained between July 1831 and December 1865, he helped strengthen the new parliamentary system in Belgium.

George Dawe, via Wikimedia Commons

Furthermore, he was known to be an important piece in the diplomacy of Europe that maintained Belgian neutrality. During the time that he remained in power, he faced numerous attempts by the Dutch to regain control of the state.

He got married twice, the second union being the one that gave him the possibility of being the father of four children; one of them, Leopold, was the successor to the kingdom he led for several years.

Biography

Early years

Leopold I was born on December 16, 1790 in Coburg, Germany. He was the fourth son of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; and Countess Augusta Reuss Ebersdorf.

At the age of five he received an honorary commission as a colonel in the Izmaylovsky Regiment, one of the oldest in the Russian army that was part of the Imperial Guard.

The military career of Leopoldo I began when he was just a child. Seven years later, at approximately 12 years of age, he received a promotion to Major General.

In 1806 Leopold traveled to Paris, France, where he became part of Napoleon's Imperial Court; however, shortly afterwards he traveled to Russia to begin a career in the imperial cavalry of that country and carried out a campaign against Napoleon.

Leopold I participated with some allies against Napoleon during the Napoleonic wars that took place between 1800 and 1815.

Marriage

On May 2, 1816 he married Charlotte of Wales, who was the only daughter of King George IV of Great Britain.

The same year of the wedding, Leopold I received an honorary commission for the position of Field Marshal and Knight of the Order of the Garter, considered one of the most prestigious British chivalric orders.

In November of the following year the young woman suffered a health problem that caused the death of the baby. A day later, complications also killed her.

Despite Charlotte's death, George IV granted Leopold the title of Royal Highness by Order of Council in April 1818. Leopold I remained in England until he had to travel to Belgium to assume the position of being king of his country. native.

King of the Belgians

After a series of protests in Belgium to reject the rule of the Dutch, a meeting was held in London to support the independence of the country.

At the end of 1830 they held a National Congress in Belgium to draw up a new Magna Carta. At the meeting it was decided that the country would become a popular and constitutional monarchy, which led to the need to find a monarch to assume leadership of the nation.

Following a series of analyzes of possible candidates for the position, Leopold assumed the post in July 1831. Leopold I reigned until December 1865.

Contributions to the nation

Once he became king of the Belgians, he began to strengthen the Belgian army. In addition, he fought alongside France and England the attacks of William I, who was the King of the Netherlands and was Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

In 1836 he gave large towns and rural areas greater political autonomy. Three years later, in 1839, the King of the Belgians contributed to the maintenance of a liberal-Catholic coalition that allowed the expansion of the educational system.

The coalition ended that year with the removal of pressure from the Dutch after William I recognized Belgium as an independent kingdom, which he had not wanted to accept.

Five years later, in 1844, Leopold I signed commercial treaties with Prussia, and two years later (in 1846) with France. In addition, he sponsored the creation of a fortification of the city of Antwerp.

On the other hand, he maintained a neutral foreign policy, especially during the Crimean War, which occurred between October 1853 and February 1856. The period in which he remained in command of the reign was not seriously criticized. Leopold I remained in the reign of the country until his death, in 1865.

Marriages to improve ties with countries

Leopold I came to use marriages to strengthen his relations with countries like France, England and Austria.

An example of this was his particular case, because a year after assuming the reign he married Marie-Louise de Orléans, who was the daughter of the French king Louis-Philippe.

From the marriage four children were born: Louis Philippe, who later became the Crown Prince of Belgium; Leopold, who was Duke of Brabant and reigned the Belgians after his father; Prince Philippe, who was Count of Flanders; and Princess Charlotte of Belgium.

As part of the strengthening of ties through marriages, years after marrying Marie-Louise de Orléans, he helped organize the marriage of his niece Victoria, Queen of England, with her nephew, Prince Albert of Saxe - Coburg - Gotha.

In addition, he contributed to the negotiations for the marriage of his daughter Charlotte with Maximiliano, who was the Archduke of Austria and became Emperor of Mexico.

Marie-Louise de Orléans died of tuberculosis in October 1850, at approximately 38 years of age.

Death

Leopold I died on December 10, 1865 at 74 years of age in the suburbs of Laeken, located in Belgium. His funeral was held six days later.

The remains of the one who was the first king of the Belgians are in the Royal Crypt of the Church of Notre - Dame de Laeken with his second wife. His second son, Leopold, assumed the name Leopold II and was his successor.

References

1. Leopold I, Portal Encyclopedia Britannica, (nd). Taken from britannica.com
2. Leopold I of Belgium, English Wikipedia Portal, (nd). Taken from en.wikipedia.org
3. Leopold I, Portal Encyclopedia.com, (nd). Taken from encyclopedia.com
4. Leopold I, King of the Belgians, Portal Unofficial Royalty, (2015). Taken from unofficialroyalty.com
5. Leopoldo I, Biographies and Lives Portal, (nd). Taken from biografiasyvidas.com
6. Leopoldo I of Belgium the first king of Belgium and father of Carlota of Mexico, Portal Historia.com, (2017). Taken from es.historia.com