Leopold I of Belgium

Leopold I was the first king of the Belgians, reigning from 1831 until his death in 1865. He was born in 1790 as Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, a German duchy in the Holy Roman Empire. He joined the Imperial Russian Army and fought against Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars. After Napoleon's defeat, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he married Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child and heir of the Prince Regent (later King George IV). Their marriage was happy, but short-lived, as Charlotte died in 1817 after giving birth to a stillborn son. Leopold remained in Britain and enjoyed considerable status and popularity. He was offered the throne of Greece in 1830, but declined it, fearing that it would be too unstable. Instead, he accepted the throne of Belgium in 1831, after the Belgian Revolution of 1830 had established the country's independence from the Netherlands. Leopold was chosen as the king by the Belgian National Congress because he had diplomatic connections with royal houses across Europe, and because he was not affiliated with other powers that might have territorial ambitions in Belgium. He also had the support of Britain and France, which guaranteed Belgium's neutrality and independence. Leopold took his oath as King of the Belgians on 21 July 1831, an event commemorated annually as Belgian National Day. He married his second wife, Princess Louise of Orléans, in 1832. They had four children: Louis Philippe, who died young; Leopold II, who succeeded him as king; Philippe, who became Count of Flanders; and Carlota, who married Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. Leopold also had two illegitimate sons with his mistress Arcadie Claret: George and Arthur von Eppinghoven. Leopold was an influential figure in European politics and diplomacy. He helped establish a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system in Belgium. He supported the development of railways and industry in his country. He mediated between Britain and France during the Crimean War. He was involved in the creation of the Coburg Conference, which aimed to settle disputes between European powers. He also played a role in the marriage alliances of his relatives, such as his niece Queen Victoria and his nephew Prince Albert. Leopold died in 1865 at the age of 74 at his palace in Laeken. He was buried in the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, where a royal crypt was built for him and his descendants. He is remembered as one of the most successful and respected kings of Belgium.