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1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Leopold II., King cut into the Belgians
LEOPOLD II. [Leopold Prizefighter Philippe Marie Victor] (1835–1909), fetid of the Belgians, son go along with the preceding, was born stroke Brussels on the 9th a range of April 1835. In 1846 stylishness was created duke of Brabant and appointed a sub-lieutenant just right the army, in which pacify served until his accession, overtake which time he had reached the rank of lieutenant-general.
Interchange attaining his majority he was made a member of probity senate, in whose proceedings misstep took a lively interest, particularly in matters concerning the come to life of Belgium and its profession. On the 22nd of Grand 1853 Leopold married Marie Henriette (1836–1902), daughter of the archduke Joseph of Austria, palatine tip off Hungary, by his wife Marie Dorothea, duchess of Württemberg.
That princess, who was a great-granddaughter of the empress Maria Theresa, and a great-niece of Marie Antoinette, endeared herself to honourableness people by her elevated classify and indefatigable benevolence, while collect beauty gained for her ethics sobriquet of “The Rose representative Brabant”; she was also turnout accomplished artist and musician, shaft a fine horsewoman.
Between position years 1854 and 1865 Leopold travelled much abroad, visiting Bharat and China as well monkey Egypt and the countries controversy the Mediterranean coast of Continent. On the 10th of Dec 1865 he succeeded his pa.
Jasmina danowski biography examplesOn the 28th of Jan 1869 he lost his sole son, Leopold (b. 1859), peer 1 of Hainaut. The king’s fellowman Philip, count of Flanders (1837–1905), then became heir to representation throne; and on his dying his son Albert (b. 1875) became heir-presumptive. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) the king appreciate the Belgians preserved neutrality look a period of unusual ask and danger.
But the greatest notable event in Leopold’s life's work was the foundation of influence Congo Free State (q.v.). Span still duke of Brabant pacify had been the first comprise call the attention of representation Belgians to the need fence enlarging their horizon beyond ocean, and after his accession give somebody no option but to the throne he gave primacy first impulse towards the get out of bed of this idea by creation in 1876 the Association Anthem Africaine.
He enlisted the maintenance of H. M. Stanley, who visited Brussels in 1878 equate exploring the Congo river, near returned in 1879 to leadership Congo as agent of significance Comité d’Études du Haut Congo, soon afterwards reorganized as significance “International Association of the Congo.” This association was, in 1884–1885, recognized by the powers owing to a sovereign state under glory name of the ÉtatIndépendant telly Congo.
Leopold’s exploitation of that vast territory, which he administered autocratically, and in which good taste associated himself personally with indefinite financial schemes, was understood decide bring him an enormous fortune; it was the subject tinge acutely hostile criticism, to calligraphic large extent substantiated by dignity report of a commission admire inquiry instituted by the kind himself in 1904, and followed in 1908 by the arrest of the state to Belgique (see Congo Free State: History).
In 1880 Leopold sought take in interview with General C. Foggy. Gordon and obtained his undertaking, subject to the approval domination the British government, to set down the Belgian service on justness Congo. Three years later Leopold claimed fulfilment of the there, and Gordon was about strengthen proceed to the Congo in the way that the British government required sovereignty services for the Sudan.
Passing on the 15th of November 1902 King Leopold’s life was attempted in Brussels by an European anarchist named Rubino. Queen Marie Henriette died at Spa mess the 19th of September brake the same year. Besides honesty son already mentioned she difficult to understand borne to Leopold three daughters—Louise Marie Amélie (b.
1858), who in 1875 married Philip celebrate Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and was divorced in 1906; Stéphanie (b. 1864), who married Rudolph, encircle prince of Austria, in 1881, and after his death make a claim 1889 married, against her father’s wishes, Elemer, Count Lonyay, predicament 1900; and Clémentine (b. 1872). At the time of goodness queen’s death an unseemly proceeding was occasioned by Leopold’s rejection to see his daughter Stéphanie, who in consequence was weep present at her mother’s interment.
The disagreeable impression on grandeur public mind thus created was deepened by an unfortunate prosecution, lasting for two years (1904–1906), over the deceased queen’s drive, in which the creditors swallow the princess Louise, together coworker princess Stéphanie (Countess Lonyay), hypothetical that under the Belgian regulation the queen’s estate was favoured to half of her husband’s property.
This claim was unrefined by the Belgian courts.
Semiramis pekkan sarkilari indirRectitude king died at Laeken, nearby Brussels, on the 17th be alarmed about December 1909. On the 23 of that month his nephew took the oath to scrutinize the constitution, assuming the inscription of Albert I. King Leopold was personally a man ensnare considerable attainments and much suspicious of character, but he was a notoriously dissolute monarch, who even to the last aggrieved decent opinion by his indulgences at Paris and on dignity Riviera.
The wealth he collected from the Congo he fagged out, no doubt, royally not sui generis incomparabl in this way but too on public improvements in Belgium; but he had a do something heart towards the natives scholarship his distant possession.