Leopold I of Belgium
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.
| Leopold I of Belgium | |
|---|---|
| King of the Belgians | |
 Leopold as a Russian general | |
| 21 July 1831 – 10 December 1865 | |
| Successor | Leopold II |
| Born | 16 December 1790 Ehrenburg Palace, Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld |
| Died | 10 December 1865 (aged 74) Laeken/Laken, Belgium |
| Spouse | Princess Charlotte of Wales Louise of Orléans |
| Issue | Louis-Philippe, Crown Prince of Belgium Leopold II of Belgium Philippe, Count of Flanders Charlotte, Empress of Mexico |
| House | House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
| Father | Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld |
| Mother | Countess Augusta Reuss |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
| Signature |  |
Titles and styles
- 16 December 1790 – 12 November 1826 His 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 1831 His Serene Highness (His Royal Highness in the UK) Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Saxony
- 21 July 1831 – 10 December 1865 His Majesty The King of the Belgians
Leopold I Of Belgium Media
Ehrenburg Palace in Coburg, where Leopold was born in 1790, pictured c. 1900
Engraving of the wedding of Charlotte and Leopold in 1816
Leopold taking the constitutional oath during his enthronement. By the artist Gustaf Wappers
Leopold I's personal monogram
Leopold depicted on the first Belgian postage stamp, issued in 1849
Leopold (right), with Queen Victoria, the Duke of Oporto (future Luís I of Portugal) (center) and rest of the family in an early photograph of 1859
Leopold's funeral cortege in Brussels on 16 December 1865
Coat of Arms of the King of the Belgians (1831-1865)
References
- ↑ Lundy, Darryl. "The Peerage: Leopold I Georg Christian Friedrich, Roi des Belges". Retrieved 8 September 2010.