Category Archives: Belgian Royals

Wedding of King Leopold III of the Belgians and Princess Astrid of Sweden

by Emily McMahon  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

King Leopold III of the Belgians and Princess Astrid of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant (the future King Leopold III of the Belgians) and Princess Astrid of Sweden were married in a civil ceremony in the throne room of the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden on November 4, 1926, and in a religious ceremony on November 10, 1926, at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels, Belgium.

Leopold’s Early Life

Left to right Leopold, his brother Charles, his mother Queen Elisabeth, and his sister Marie José;Credit – Wikipedia 

Leopold was born in Brussels, Belgium on November 3, 1901, to the future Albert I, King of the Belgians and Elisabeth of Bavaria. Leopold had a younger brother Charles who later served as the Regent of Belgium. His younger sister Marie-Jose was briefly Queen of Italy after World War II. Leopold was educated in the United Kingdom at Eton College, in Belgium at Ecole Militare (the Belgian equivalent of Sandhurst), and later in the United States at St. Anthony Seminary in California.

The product of a happy marriage (particularly for a royal couple), Leopold had a contented, rather bohemian upbringing. Unlike his uncle and predecessor King Leopold II, Albert preferred a quieter, almost middle-class domestic life for his family. Albert and Elisabeth were well-educated and enthusiastic about developing a Belgian cultural scene. Elisabeth was particularly supportive of musicians. She was also an avid gardener and encouraged her son’s budding interest in botany. Albert was known to jump into haystacks with his children while on vacation in the Belgian countryside. Leopold was close to his father and shared with him a love of outdoor sports.

Following a short stay with his siblings in the United Kingdom, Leopold served as a private and later a sergeant in the 12th Belgian Regiment during World War I, particularly devastating to his home country. Leopold held the unique position of being the youngest known soldier to fight for Belgium during the war. He was fully enlisted by his father at the age of 13. The enlistment was not a ceremonial one. Leopold was treated as any other Belgian private during his service. The 12th Belgian Regiment was later named in honor of its most famous soldier.

Leopold thrived at sports during his school years. After he completed his education, Leopold maintained his physical regimen by swimming, riding, and, like his father, mountain climbing. He also enjoyed some of the typical pursuits of young royal men of the time,  fast cars, airplanes, and photography. Leopold also had a very keen interest in boxing, later following well-known American boxers such as Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney.

After the war, Leopold served as a lieutenant in the Belgian Grenadiers. He also traveled extensively throughout Europe and Africa as the capstone of an education interrupted by the war. Leopold reportedly said to a friend that if had he not been born an heir to a kingdom, he would have become a sea captain and traveled the world.

During his young adulthood, Leopold continued to cultivate his interest in nature, particularly in tropical vegetation and animals. In 1925, Leopold made a long trip to the Congo, where he took extensive notes and collected several specimens of the flora and fauna he encountered. Leopold remained fascinated with botany and zoology throughout his life, keeping hothouses and apiaries at his various homes.

For more information about Leopold see:

Astrid’s Early Life

Left to right: Astrid’s sister Margareta, her mother Princess Ingeborg, her sister Märtha and Astrid; Photo Credit – By Municipal Archives of Trondheim – Flickr: H. K. H. Prinsessan Ingeborg med Prinsessorna Margareta, Märta och Astrid (1910), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25766188

Astrid was born in Stockholm, Sweden on November 17, 1905, to Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland, and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. Astrid was the grandchild of both King Frederik VIII of Denmark and King Oscar II of Sweden. Astrid’s uncle was King Gustav V of Sweden, her father’s older brother. She had two older sisters, Margaretha, who married into the Danish royal family, and Märtha, who married the future King Olav V of Norway. Astrid’s only brother Carl was born in 1911. Astrid spent most of her childhood at Arvfurstens Palace in central Stockholm and at the family’s summer residence in Fridhem.

Although never academic, Astrid had a warm, friendly personality, social ease, and considerable charm. She collected Swedish folk art and was an expert in the regional variations of needlework. Astrid also enjoyed the outdoors and sports – swimming, skiing, climbing, horseback riding, and golf – loves she later shared with her husband. As she was not a direct descendant of the Swedish king (Gustav V), Astrid and her sisters enjoyed more freedom and the benefits of a less formal schedule. The girls were occasionally seen shopping unaccompanied on the streets of Stockholm.

Like many princesses of the time, Astrid was encouraged to undertake works of public service in preparation for a life devoted to charitable causes. Astrid worked for a time at a Stockholm orphanage, caring for infants. She also completed a home economics course at a Swedish school dedicated to preparing women for domestic lives. During that time, Astrid developed a flair for cooking and would often try out new recipes on her family.

For more information about Astrid see:

The Engagement

Astrid and Leopold’s engagement photo; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold came of age during World War I, a watershed and devastating time for much of Europe. Several Catholic princesses who may have been available before the war were now left destitute or on the side of Belgium’s former enemies. Many, such as the daughters of King Alfonso XIII of Spain, were simply too young for Leopold. Albert and Elisabeth realized that a suitable bride would likely need to come from an area less affected by the Great War.

Knowing her son’s love of travel, Elisabeth began organizing trips to various European countries to meet eligible princesses. There was some interest in the two eldest daughters of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and a Romanian princess (likely the future Maria of Yugoslavia or her sister Ileana), but despite trips to these areas, no engagement came about.

Astrid and Leopold first met during Leopold’s trip to Scandinavia in the fall of 1925. Leopold and Elisabeth traveled under the name “de Rethy” to avoid public speculation about the reason for the trip. During the first visit, Leopold and Astrid chatted in their common language (English) and developed an attachment to one another immediately.

Following this initial meeting, the residents of Fridhem began to notice a plainly dressed young man arrive for frequent visits. He traveled by third-class carriage and carried his own luggage. Some assumed that the man, dignified, but otherwise unassuming, was a new butler for Astrid’s father, as he entered Prince Carl’s home via the rear entrance. The young man was actually Leopold continuing to visit Astrid semi-incognito.

As the Great War had left a shortage of Protestant, non-German princesses eligible for marriage, Astrid and her sisters became unexpectedly popular potential brides for the royalty of the time. At the beginning of 1926, Astrid was repeatedly linked to Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) as his likely bride. As late as August 1926, Astrid was romantically tied to the future King Olav V of Norway, who later became her brother-in-law. Meanwhile, Leopold periodically visited Astrid privately in Sweden. The couple was exchanging letters while they were separated.

After the announcement of their engagement, the international press amusingly remarked on how Astrid’s culinary skills supposedly impressed Leopold. At a dinner during one of his visits to Sweden, Leopold was said to have been bowled over by an endive salad of Astrid’s own recipe and creation. At least one newspaper printed a handwritten copy of the recipe with an English translation for eager girls to win over their own princes.

The two met again publicly at the christening of Prince Michael of Bourbon-Parma in the middle of 1926. On September 21, 1926, shortly after the christening, Astrid and Leopold announced their engagement. Whereas royal marriages were often arranged purely for convenience or political gain, this engagement seemed different. Not long after the announcement Astrid and Leopold were seen periodically in Stockholm holding hands.

Albert and Elisabeth were delighted at their son’s choice of a bride. They found Astrid quite pretty, yet natural and unassuming. Elisabeth remarked of Astrid, “I might not, even had I tried, have succeeded in finding for my son an ideal bride, but Leopold has done more, he has found for me an ideal daughter-in-law!” An amused (and short-statured) Elisabeth also remarked that Astrid was tall enough to reach Leopold’s eyes. Albert declared this engagement, “a love match … a marriage of inclination,” decided entirely by Leopold and Astrid and not solely for political gain.

King Gustav V held a celebratory dinner in honor of his niece and her new fiancé the night of the announcement. Gustav toasted the couple among members of both families, the Belgian ministry, and the Swedish cabinet.

Wedding Preparations

At the time of the engagement, both countries had sizable socialist populations. The fathers of Astrid and Leopold were concerned about the impact of criticism about the wedding from socialists. Carl selected Stockholm’s socialist mayor Carl Lindenhagen to officiate the civil ceremony despite Lindenhagen’s previous record of calling for the dissolution of the monarchy.

Previous royal weddings in Belgium had been held with excessive formality, particularly with the official arrival of the bride. Albert was careful to note that Astrid’s arrival in Belgium would be marked by as little ceremony as possible. However, the Belgian public was keenly interested in their soon-to-be princess. Wax figures and photographs of Astrid began appearing in shops soon after the engagement was announced. News footage of Astrid was also included before feature films in theaters. Seats on balconies along wedding parade routes in Antwerp (where Astrid would arrive in Belgium) and Brussels sold for several hundred francs.

Unusual for a royal bride at the time, Astrid initially kept her Lutheran faith after marrying Leopold. A dispensation was sought (and granted) to Leopold by Pope Pius XI for marrying a non-Catholic. Astrid agreed that any children born of the marriage would be raised Catholic. Leopold urged Astrid to adopt the Catholic faith only if she felt an individual desire to do so. Astrid later converted three years after the marriage.

The Belgians and Swedes extended the good cheer surrounding the events to the prison inmates of both countries. Convicts had their sentences reduced or were released, based on their behavior during incarceration, their crimes, and the length of their sentences.

Leopold left Belgium for Sweden on October 30, 1926, in preparation for the civil wedding scheduled for November 4, 1926. He stayed at the home of his in-laws in order to spend as much time with Astrid as possible. In the days leading up to the wedding, he and his fiancée were seen periodically walking around Stockholm, arm in arm.

The remainder of the Belgian royal family arrived in Stockholm on November 3, 1926. A crowd gathered to welcome the family as Leopold met his parents and siblings outside the city. Crown Prince Olav of Norway, Prince Axel of Denmark, and Princess Margaretha of Denmark joined the spectators in street clothes and went unrecognized as royalty. Meanwhile, Astrid tried on her wedding dress and baked a chocolate cake for Leopold’s 25th birthday celebrations. Lean reindeer steaks, a Swedish delicacy, were served to the receptive Belgian guests. Following the dinner, the couple and several members of the entourage attended an opera performance.

The Civil Wedding in Sweden

The Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden where the civil wedding was held; Credit – Wikipedia

The civil ceremony was held in the throne room of the Swedish Royal Palace in Stockholm on November 4, 1926. King Gustav V of Sweden and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium led the procession of royal guests into the Throne Room, followed by King Haakon VII of Norway,  King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, and several minor princes and princesses. Astrid and Leopold followed, holding hands, to the strains of the Swedish processional, “The Peasant’s Wedding.”

The ceremony was officiated by Carl Lindhagen, the mayor of Stockholm and a socialist. The wedding marked the first time a couple had been married at the Swedish Royal Palace by anyone other than a member of the clergy. For his part, Mr. Lindhagen said he was happy to marry a couple who appeared to be so in love. The groom presented his bride with a simple gold band as a wedding ring. Astrid and Leopold were reported to have smiled throughout the ceremony. At the close of the service, the orchestra played the Belgian and Swedish national anthems.

The light snow that fell on the day of the wedding was seen as a sign of good luck, as per an old Swedish proverb that foretold of a happy marriage if snow fell on the bride’s myrtle crown. Hundreds of Swedish and Belgian flags decorated the streets of the capital city

A 21-gun salute announced the marriage to the Swedish public, followed by a dinner given by Gustav V to the guests. Despite an unseasonably cold evening, Astrid and Leopold left the palace by horse-drawn carriage through illuminated Stockholm.

As they had not yet been religiously married, Astrid and Leopold were allowed only four hours alone after the civil wedding. The couple then departed separately with their families – Astrid to Malmo and Leopold to Gothenburg.

The Religious Wedding in Belgium

St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral in Brussels, Belgium; Photo Credit – By I, Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4789498

The religious wedding was held on November 10, 1926, at 11:15 AM in the 13th-century St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral in Brussels, Belgium. The cathedral was reportedly full an hour before the scheduled ceremony with an estimated 9,000 guests. The weather was reported to be bright and mild for a November day. Leopold and Astrid set off from the royal palace just before 11:00 AM on a street lined with soldiers, ordinary citizens, and decorations. The remainder of the royal entourage followed, all in open carriages.

The streets of Brussels had not seen such large crowds since Armistice Day in 1918. So enthusiastic were the 200,000-300,000 spectators gathered to see the newly married couple that several injuries were reported due to trampling and crowding. As in Antwerp, Belgian and Swedish flags were displayed on the streets of Brussels. An estimated 15,000 soldiers joined the crowds, many World War I veterans who gathered specifically for the occasion.

Female guests were instructed not to wear black (the color of mourning) or white (as it was thought to be distracting), but instead wore mostly pastel dresses popular at the time. Most covered their heads in lace or, in the case of wealthier guests, donned tiaras.

The international press again took delight in reporting Astrid and Leopold’s affections for one another, declaring the marriage a true love match and lamenting the long distance that had separated the two during their courtship. The ceremony was also broadcast on the radio, a first for Belgian royal weddings.

The ceremony began at 11:30 AM, later than planned due to slow traffic. As the couple entered the church, a 21-gun salute sounded. The cheering was apparently so loud that the salute could barely be heard.

Bells were rung throughout the wedding both inside and outside of the church. The religious service, lasting about forty minutes, was officiated by Archbishop Van Roey, a cleric who had originally declined to participate due to the differences in religion between Leopold and Astrid. No Nuptial Mass was performed as Astrid was not a practicing Catholic. A choir of sixty men and 100 children sang songs of celebration during the processional and recessional. During the ceremony, Leopold gave Astrid a large diamond ring to compliment her plain gold wedding band presented at the civil wedding.

Upon leaving the church, the new couple waved at the crowds before passing under a tunnel of swords held up by Leopold’s former classmates at the Ecole Militaire. Following a carriage processional through Brussels, Leopold and Astrid appeared on the palace balcony again waving at the crowds.

A reception from 3:00 PM-5:00 PM followed the religious service with 3,000 guests, mostly other royals and members of the wedding party. Shortly after the reception, Leopold and Astrid left by car for an undisclosed honeymoon location.

The wedding celebrations had hardly ended before speculation began on another Belgian-Scandinavian union – Olav of Norway and Leopold’s sister Marie-Jose.

Wedding Attire

Astrid wore different dresses for her two wedding ceremonies, both of satin. The Swedish dress featured a scooped neckline with scalloped layers of lace-trimmed satin at the hem. At the Belgian wedding, Astrid wore a cream wrap dress with sprigs of lilies of the valley at her waist. The train was trimmed with embroidered flowers and seed pearls. The color was reported to be “very becoming” to the dark-haired Astrid. The skirt of her dress featured more Brussels lace, with a train carried by four pages dressed in white. Astrid carried a bouquet of lilies of the valley and orchids.

Astrid’s veil was made of Brussels, fitting for her future role as Queen of the Belgians, which had previously been worn by her mother and older sister Margaretha. During the Swedish ceremony, Astrid wore the crown of myrtle in her hair, typical for Swedish brides. While Astrid wore the same veil for both weddings, the wearing of the Swedish myrtle crown necessitated a slightly different style for the veil. Astrid and her bridesmaids wore their hair in short, shingled styles. The bridesmaids wore sleeveless apricot-colored dresses of crepe georgette with hems that fell just below the knees.

Leopold wore the khaki field uniform of the Belgian Grenadiers. He was photographed in this uniform in many official pictures. However, Leopold’s attire differed slightly by the orders worn at the Swedish and Belgian ceremonies. At the Swedish civil wedding, Leopold wore the Order of the Seraphim, the Order of Leopold, and the Order of Leopold II. In addition to the first three, Leopold included the Order of the Crown, the Order of the African Star, and the Royal Order of the Lion at the religious wedding in Belgium.

The Wedding Party

Astrid and Leopold chose a mix of royal attendants (all were also family members of the couple) and their non-royal friends. Aside from Astrid and Leopold, there were four future monarchs and consorts serving as bridesmaids or groomsmen.

Astrid’s bridesmaids were Marie-Jose of Belgium, Leopold’s sister and future queen of Italy; Martha of Sweden, sister of Astrid and future Crown Princess of Norway; Feodora of Denmark, daughter of Prince Harald of Denmark and a cousin of the bride; and Ingrid of Sweden, another cousin of the bride and future Queen of Denmark and mother of Queen Margrethe II. Four of Astrid’s non-royal friends also served as bridesmaids: Alfhild Ekelund, Anne Marie von Essen, Margareta Stähl, and Anna Adelswärd. The bridesmaids traveled with Astrid from Malmo to Antwerp.

Leopold’s supporters were Prince Charles of Belgium, the groom’s younger brother; Prince Carl of Sweden, brother of the bride; Crown Prince Olav of Norway, a cousin of the bride; Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden, a cousin of the bride; Count Folke Bernadotte, another of Astrid’s cousins; Count Claes Sparre, Baron Sigvard Beck-Friis, Baron Carl Strömfelt, all friends of Leopold.

Wedding Guests

Sweden hosted more than 1,200 at the civil wedding, while more than 3,000 attended the Belgian service. The guests at both events included the following royalty and dignitaries:

  • Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
  • King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium
  • Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden
  • Princess Carl, Duke of Ostergotland
  • Princess Märtha of Sweden
  • King Gustav V and Queen Victoria of Sweden
  • King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark
  • King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway
  • Olav, Crown Prince of Norway
  • Crown Prince Gustav Adolf and Crown Princess Louise of Sweden
  • Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten
  • Prince Sigvard of Sweden, Duke of Uppland
  • Princess Ingrid of Sweden
  • Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma
  • Prince Knud and Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark
  • Prince Harald and Princess Helena of Denmark
  • Princess Thyra of Denmark
  • Prince Axel and Princess Margaretha of Denmark
  • Robert Woods Bliss, U.S. Envoy to Sweden, and his wife, Mildred Barnes Bliss
  • Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma
  • Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma
  • Prince Rene of Bourbon-Parma
  • Count Carl de Wisborg
  • Count Folke de Wisborg

The Honeymoon

Ciergnon Castle; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold and Astrid began their honeymoon with a brief stay at Castle Ciergnon, a secluded royal property in a heavily wooded area in Namur, Belgium. Rumors had circulated that the couple was on their way to Switzerland and Cairo. These rumors may have been fabricated to allow the newlyweds some privacy.  Leopold and Astrid the traveled through France via Paris to the Riviera. Outside Paris, the two stopped and toured around Montmartre, a former artists’ colony. The couple was known to be staying at a hotel in Menton (near the Italian border) in mid-December under the names of Monsieur and Madame Losange. Unrecognized in southern France, the couple visited tourist sites as any other honeymooning couple. Locals noticed the two taking several long walks together along the countryside.

 

Leopold and Astrid had three children:

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Queen Paola of Belgium hospitalized with spine fracture

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

According to the official website of the Belgian Monarchy, “As a result of a spinal fracture caused by a fall, Her Majesty Queen Paola has been admitted to the Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc in Brussels, Belgium. Fortunately, the injury has caused no neurological complications. Rehabilitation of Her Majesty Queen Paola will take several months.” Queen Paola, aged 79, is the wife of King Albert II who abdicated in favor of their son King Philippe in 2013.

Queen Paola is the fifth royal who has had medical issues this past week: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Queen Sonja of Norway both missed Christmas services due to cold, Queen Silvia of Sweden was hospitalized after feeling dizzy and Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg was hospitalized with bronchitis.

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Marie Henriette of Austria, Queen of the Belgians

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Marie Henriette of Austria, Queen of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria (Marie Henriette Anne) was born on August 23, 1836, at Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary. She was the youngest of the five children of Joseph, Archduke of Austria, Palatine of Hungary and his third wife Maria Dorothea of Württemberg.

Her father’s first wife Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia, daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, died from puerperal fever, a childbirth complication, shortly after giving birth to a daughter, who died on the day of her birth.

Marie Henriette had two half-siblings, fraternal twins, from her father’s second marriage to Princess Hermine of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym.  Princess Hermine died from childbirth complications at the age of 19, after giving birth to the twins.

Marie Henriette had two full sisters and two full brothers:

Marie Henriette’s father Archduke Joseph was appointed Palatine of Hungary in 1796. The Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor was also King of Hungary, and the Palatine of Hungary was a deputy of the King of Hungary when he was absent from the country. Archduke Joseph was very popular with the Hungarian people and his statue stands in a square named after him in Budapest, Hungary.

Athletic and energetic, Marie Henriette grew up with her brothers and sisters in Hungary, where she rode the horses she loved. She was interested in painting and music, and even composed an opera, Wanda. On August 22, 1853, 16-year-old Marie Henriette married 18-year-old Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant, the heir to the Belgian throne, and the future King Leopold II of the Belgians. The marriage had been carefully orchestrated to strengthen the infant Belgian monarchy by marrying its future second monarch to a member of a prestigious Catholic dynasty. Marie Henriette had tearfully protested the marriage. Princess Pauline von Metternich wrote the marriage was “between a stable-boy and a nun, and by a nun, I mean the Duke of Brabant.”

Leopold and Marie Henriette;  Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold and Marie Henriette had four children:

The marriage started unhappy, remained unhappy, and the couple lived mostly separate lives. Leopold had many mistresses and made no real attempt to have a successful marriage. Marie Henriette was cold and inaccessible. Her only passion remained her Hungarian horses. Their children were brought up very strictly and with discipline. In 1869 when her only son Leopold died, Marie Henriette was devastated. King Leopold blamed Marie Henriette for their son’s death. Little Leopold had fallen into a pond, caught pneumonia, and died.

Marie Henriette and her son Leopold; Credit – Wikipedia

Hoping for a crown prince Marie Henriette became pregnant again, but the long-awaited crown prince did not materialize as the child was a girl named Clémentine. The couple completely separated after the birth of Clémentine and in 1895 Marie Henriette moved to Spa, Belgium where she lived out the rest of her life at Hôtel du Midi, the home she had bought there. Her youngest daughter Clementine replaced her as the first lady of the Belgian court.

Marie Henriette in 1875; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Marie Henriette suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 66 on September 19, 1902, at her home Hôtel du Midi in Spa, Belgium. She was buried in the Royal Crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium. King Leopold II died seven years later and was buried with her, but not before marrying (not legally as it was a religious and not a civil marriage) his long-time mistress Caroline Lacroix five days before his death.

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Tomb of King Leopold II and Queen Marie Henriette; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Kingdom of Belgium Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Leopold II, King of the Belgians

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Leopold II, King of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold II, King of the Belgians, was the second monarch of Belgium and is known for his exploitation of the Congo Free State for his personal gain and the atrocities committed against the native people. Leopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor was born in Brussels, Belgium on April 9, 1835. He was the second-born but first surviving child of King Leopold I of the Belgians and his second wife Louise-Marie of Orleans, daughter of  Louis-Philippe I, King of the French and Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies.

Leopold II’s father was born Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. In 1831, he was asked to become king of the newly independent Belgium. King Leopold I was the uncle of both Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Leopold II was the first cousin of both Victoria and Albert. Leopold II’s mother died of tuberculosis when he was fifteen years old.

Leopold II had three siblings:

Leopold on the left, with his family; Credit – Wikipedia

When Leopold was nine years old, he received the title of Duke of Brabant, now the traditional title of the heir apparent to the Belgian throne, and was appointed a sub-lieutenant in the army. Leopold served in the military until he became king in 1865.

Leopold in 1844; Credit – Wikipedia

On August 22, 1853, eighteen-year-old Leopold married sixteen-year-old Marie Henriette of Austria, daughter of Joseph, Archduke of Austria and his third wife Maria Dorothea of Württemberg. The marriage had been carefully orchestrated to strengthen the infant Belgian monarchy with a Protestant first king and a Catholic populace by marrying its future second monarch to a member of a prestigious Catholic dynasty.

Leopold and Marie Henriette; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold and Marie Henriette had four children:

The marriage was not happy and the couple lived mostly separate lives. After the death of their only son, Leopold and Marie Henriette tried to have another son, but the result was another daughter Clémentine. The couple completely separated after Clémentine’s birth. In 1895, Marie Henriette moved to Spa, Belgium where she lived out the rest of her life at Hôtel du Midi, the home she had bought there.

Leopold believed that overseas colonies were the key to a country’s greatness. However, since the Belgian government showed little interest in overseas colonies, Leopold eventually began to acquire a colony as a private citizen. The Belgian government lent him money for this venture. On February 5, 1885, the Congo Free State, an area 76 times larger than Belgium, was established under Leopold II’s personal rule and a private army. Leopold amassed a huge personal fortune by exploiting the natural resources of the Congo.

A child victim of Belgian atrocities in Congo stands with a missionary; Credit – Wikipedia

The Congo Free State government used forced labor in the rubber industry which effectively enslaved the native population. Workers were beaten, mutilated, and killed if quotas were not met. Accurate records were not kept of these atrocities, but it is estimated that between two million to fifteen million were killed. Leopold took steps to limit the knowledge of the atrocities reaching the outside world. However, news of the atrocities eventually became known. In 1908, the Belgian parliament forced Leopold to cede the Congo Free State to Belgium. The Congo Free State was transformed into a Belgian colony under parliamentary control known as the Belgian Congo. After independence in the mid-20th century, the Belgian Congo was renamed the Republic of the Congo, then Zaire, and is currently called the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In 1914, American poet Vachel Lindsay wrote a poem called The Congo containing the following lines:

“Listen to the yell of Leopold’s ghost
Burning in Hell for his hand-maimed host
Hear how the demons chuckle and yell
Cutting his hands off, down in Hell.”

In 1998, King Leopold’s Ghost, a best-selling popular history book by Adam Hochschild, was published.  It explored the exploitation of the Congo Free State by King Leopold II as well as the horrible atrocities that were committed against the Congolese people. In June 2020, during the worldwide protests against racism after the police death of American George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a statue of King Leopold II was removed from a public square in Antwerp, Belgium. Many Belgians demanded the removal of all statues of King Leopold II.

Leopold had many mistresses giving him the nickname “The King of Belgians and the Beautiful Women.” His most prominent and notorious mistress was Blanche Zélia Joséphine Delacroix, better known as Caroline Lacroix.  In 1899, Leopold met Caroline in Paris, France where she was working as a prostitute. Leopold was 65 and Caroline was 16. Their affair lasted until he died in 1909. Because Leopold gave Caroline large sums of money, estates, gifts, and a noble title, Baroness Vaughan, she was deeply resented by the Belgian people. Caroline had no scruples in appearing in public. She accompanied Leopold to the funeral of his first cousin Queen Victoria in 1901, causing a great scandal. Her unpopularity in Belgium dramatically increased once it was realized that the riches from the Congo were not benefiting the country, but rather Leopold and his mistress. Five days before his death, Leopold and Caroline married in a Catholic ceremony. However, the marriage was not legal as a civil marriage is required in Belgium. After Leopold’s death, his daughters and the Belgian government engaged in long-term legal battles to recover a $10,000,000 trust fund Leopold had placed in the names of Caroline and their two sons. Despite both the government and Leopold’s daughters eventually receiving some funds, Caroline remained a multimillionaire.

Caroline and Leopold had two sons together:

  • Lucien Philippe Marie Antoine ( 1906–1984), Duke of Tervuren
  • Philippe Henri Marie François (1907 – 1914), Count of Ravenstein

Caroline Lacroix with her two sons by King Leopold II; Credit – Wikipedia

The last photo of Leopold II before his death;  Credit – Wikipedia

King Leopold II, aged 74, died on December 17, 1909, at the Palace of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium and he was succeeded by his nephew King Albert I.  At the time of his death, Leopold was extremely unpopular with the Belgian people, and his funeral procession was booed.

Leopold II’s funeral procession passes the Royal Palace of Brussels, December 22, 1909; Credit – Wikipedia

King Leopold was buried with his wife Marie Henriette, who died in 1902, at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium.  Many Belgians remember Leopold II as the “Builder King” for his extensive public works projects, and many remain unaware of his part in the exploitation and atrocities in the Congo Free State.

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Tomb of King Leopold II and Queen Marie-Henriette; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer, August 2013

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Louise-Marie of Orleans, Queen of the Belgians

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Louise-Marie of Orleans, Queen of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise-Marie Thérèse Charlotte Isabelle d’Orleans was born in Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy, on April 3, 1812. She was the eldest daughter and second child of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French and Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies. Among her ancestors are Kings of France, Spain, Poland, Sicily and Naples, and Holy Roman Emperors. Marie Antoinette, Queen of France was her mother’s aunt. Her paternal grandfather was Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, known as Philippe. He actively supported the French Revolution and adopted the name Philippe Égalité. He was a deputy for Paris to the National Convention, had a role in arresting the French royal family, and voted in favor of the death sentence for King Louis XVI. Philippe Égalité eventually met the same fate as Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette.

Louise-Marie had nine siblings:

Because her father was in exile due to the French Revolution, Louise-Marie’s early years were spent under British protection in Palermo, Italy, in a palace given to her parents by her maternal grandfather Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies.  Upon the abdication of Napoleon as Emperor of France in 1814, Louise-Marie’s family returned to France. However, the family had to leave France again when Napoleon escaped from Elba in 1815 and briefly returned to France before his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. In 1817, the family was permitted to return to France, where they lived at the Palais-Royal, which had been the home of Marie-Louise’s paternal grandfather Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (Philippe Égalité). In 1830, the July Revolution resulted in the overthrow of King Charles X, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin and Louise-Marie’s father as Louis-Philippe, King of the French. 18 years later, Louis-Philippe was overthrown. He spent his exile in England, where he was well-received by Queen Victoria, who let him live in Claremont House for life.

Louise-Marie’s paternal aunt Adelaide of Orléans never married and instead lived with her brother’s family. Adelaide was devoted to her nieces and nephews and was a second mother to them. Historian Jules Michelet taught Marie-Louise history. The painter and botanist Pierre Joseph Redouté taught her the art of painting flowers.

In 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, uncle of both Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, became the first King of the Belgians. Leopold’s first wife had been Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of King George IV of the United Kingdom, who would have become Queen if she had not tragically died due to childbirth complications in 1817. Leopold needed to marry again to provide for the Belgian succession, and his choice was Louise-Marie. She did not hide her distaste for this marriage, which she called “a sacrifice for a very difficult future.” Leopold was 22 years older than Marie-Louise, had been a widower for 14 years, and was an austere Lutheran. After meeting Leopold at a dinner, Marie-Louise described Leopold as a cold and gloomy man who “is as indifferent as the man one passes on the street.” The marriage inspired French writer Alfred de Musset, a schoolmate of Marie-Louise’s brothers, to write the play Fantasio in which a princess is forced to marry a fat and ridiculous prince.

Nevertheless, on August 9, 1832, the nearly 42-year-old Leopold married 20-year-old Louise-Marie at the Château de Compiègne, in France. Since Leopold was Protestant and Louise-Marie was Catholic, they had both a Catholic and a Protestant ceremony. Although Leopold remained Protestant, his children were raised as Catholics because the majority of Belgians were Catholic.

Wedding of Louise-Marie d’Orléans and Leopold; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise-Marie in her wedding gown; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold and Louise-Marie had four children:

Louise-Marie, Leopold, and their family; Credit – Wikipedia

Despite her original misgivings, Louise-Marie quickly changed her mind when she got to know Leopold. She wrote to a friend, “All I can say is that the king makes me perfectly happy. His kindness to me touches me deeply. I deeply believe that he has strong and endearing qualities which alone could satisfy my heart. ” Leopold never forgot his beloved Charlotte and considered his second wife as a very dear friend. He regularly spent evenings in Louise-Marie’s salon, where she read aloud recent literary works. However, sometime between 1842 and1844, Leopold started an affair with Arcadie Claret that would last until his death. Leopold and Arcadie had two sons.

Louise-Marie had difficulties getting used to the mentality of her new Belgian subjects. She readily communicated her thoughts to friends. In one letter she wrote, “I do not denigrate the Belgians or Belgium. I would never make fun of them, at least publicly. If they were not so vain, I really would love them because they are very good people. ” Frequently, Louise-Marie’s father had to advise his daughter to be more cautious. Eventually, Louise-Marie’s attitude toward the Belgian people changed. Every morning, she received reports about some needy families. She then personally visited their homes to bring them comfort and financial aid. Sometimes Louise-Marie did not have enough money for his charitable works and then borrowed money without telling her husband.

Queen Louise-Marie; Credit – Wikipedia

In August 1850, during a memorial service for Louise-Marie’s father at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels, Belgium, it was noticed that Louise-Marie had difficulty walking and needed support from her husband to prevent her from falling. A month later, suffering from tuberculosis and feeling increasingly weak, she moved to Ostend, Belgium by the sea. Surrounded by her mother, her husband, and her children, Louise-Marie died at the age of 38 on October 11, 1850.

Death of Queen Louise-Marie (Oostende, 11 October 1850) by Jozef Meganck; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise-Marie’s actual deathbed; “Reine Marie Louise de Belgique” by karel leermans – Own work.

Louise-Marie expressed a desire to be buried in Laeken in Brussels, Belgium. Leopold had the Church of Our Lady of Laeken built in her memory. Louise-Marie was buried there, and the crypt there has become the burial site for the Belgian royal family. Leopold survived her by nearly 15 years, dying on December 10, 1865, at the age of 74. King Leopold was buried in the Royal Crypt in the Church of Our Lady in Laeken, in Brussels, Belgium with his wife Queen Louise-Marie.

Tomb of King Leopold I and Queen Louise-Marie; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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Leopold I, King of the Belgians

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Leopold I, King of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold I, King of the Belgians was born a Prince of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld on December 16, 1790, at Ehrenburg Palace in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany. He was the youngest surviving son of Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf. Among his siblings was the mother of Queen Victoria and the father of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband. In 1826, during the reign of his brother Ernst I, Saxe-Coburg acquired the city of Gotha from the neighboring Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and gave up Saalfeld to Saxe-Meiningen, thereby becoming the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

Leopold had eight siblings:

Due to the marriage of his sister Juliane to Grand Duke Konstantine Pavlovich of Russia, Leopold, at the age of five, received the honorary rank of Colonel of the Izmaylovsky Regiment, part of the Imperial Guard of the Imperial Russian Army. When the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was conquered in 1806 by Napoleon’s troops, Leopold went to Paris and became part of Napoleon’s court. Emperor Napoleon offered Leopold the position of Adjutant by Emperor Napoleon, but Leopold refused. In 1812, Leopold joined the Russian Imperial Army and was assigned to the staff of his brother-in-law Grand Duke Konstantine Pavlovich. At the time, Russia was at war with France and Leopold fought against Napoleon’s army and distinguished himself at the Battle of Kulm leading the cuirassier division. In 1815, the year of Napoleon’s final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Leopold was 25 and had reached the rank of Lieutenant General in the Imperial Russian Army.

In 1814, at a party at the Pulteney Hotel in London, England, Leopold met Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV). Charlotte was second in the line of succession to the British throne and assuredly would succeed her father on the throne. Charlotte invited Leopold to call on her, and he did, remaining for 45 minutes, and then writing a letter to Charlotte’s father apologizing for any indiscretion. This letter impressed George very much, although he did not consider the impoverished Leopold as a possible husband for his daughter.

Charlotte’s father and his advisers had selected Willem, Hereditary Prince of Orange, son and heir-apparent of Prince Willem VI of Orange, as her future husband. Charlotte was not impressed with Willem and now had in her mind that Leopold would be her husband. Her father refused to give up hope that Charlotte would agree to marry the Dutch Prince. However, Charlotte wrote, “No arguments, no threats, shall ever bend me to marry this detested Dutchman.” In January 1816, Charlotte made a desperate plea to her father to allow her to marry Leopold. Leopold came to England in February 1816 to be interviewed by the Prince of Wales, who was impressed with Leopold and agreed to the marriage. On March 14, 1816, an announcement was made in the House of Commons that Charlotte and Leopold were to marry. Parliament voted Leopold £50,000 per year, purchased Claremont House for the couple, and allowed them a generous single payment to set up house.

Charlotte and Leopold were married on May 2, 1816, in the Crimson Drawing Room at Carlton House, the Prince of Wales’ London home. Oatlands in Surrey, the country home of Charlotte’s uncle Prince Frederick, Duke of York, was the site of the honeymoon. After the honeymoon, the newlywed couple settled at Claremont House near Esher, England which the British nation had purchased by an Act of Parliament as a wedding gift for Charlotte and Leopold. Leopold was made a British citizen, received the honorary rank of Field Marshal, and was created a Knight of the Order of the Garter The marriage was deemed to be a success and the couple was blissfully happy.

Engraving of the wedding of Charlotte and Leopold in 1816; Credit – Wikipedia

Charlotte suffered two miscarriages in the early months of her first two pregnancies, but the third pregnancy in 1817 gave Charlotte and Leopold hope. Charlotte was second in the line of succession, and she would have succeeded her father, the future George IV, as the queen but on November 6, 1817, a great tragedy struck the British Royal Family. After a labor of over 50 hours, Charlotte delivered a stillborn son. Several hours later, twenty-one-year-old Princess Charlotte, the only child of George, Prince of Wales and King George III’s only legitimate grandchild, died of postpartum hemorrhage. The British people mourned Charlotte like the mourning of Diana, Princess of Wales. She was buried in the Royal Tomb House at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle with her stillborn son at her feet. Charlotte’s pregnancy and delivery had been grossly mismanaged, and the doctor in charge later died by suicide.

After Charlotte’s death, Leopold continued to live at Claremont House and was granted the British style of Royal Highness. In 1828-1829, Leopold had an affair with actress Karoline Bauer, a cousin of his adviser Baron Christian Friedrich von Stockmar. Karoline came to England with her mother and took up residence at Longwood House, a few miles from Claremont House. In 1830, after the Greeks rebelled against the Ottoman Empire, Leopold was offered the Greek throne. He refused because he considered the country too unstable, and Otto of Bavaria became King of Greece.

In August 1830, the southern provinces (modern-day Belgium) of the Netherlands rebelled against Dutch rule. International powers meeting in London agreed to support the independence of Belgium, even though the Dutch refused to recognize the new country. On April 22, 1831, Leopold was asked by the Belgian National Congress if he wanted to be King of the Belgians. Leopold swore allegiance to the new Belgian constitution on July 21, 1831, and became the first King of the Belgians. Each year July 21 is celebrated as Belgian National Day.

Leopold taking the constitutional oath by Gustaf Wappers; Credit – Wikipedia

Less than two weeks after Leopold became King of the Belgians, the Netherlands invaded Belgium. The small Belgian army was overwhelmed by the Dutch attack. Leopold appealed to the French for support and after the arrival of the French Armée du Nord in Belgium, the Dutch were forced to accept a diplomatic intervention and retreat to the pre-war border. Skirmishes continued for eight years, and finally, in 1839, Belgium and the Netherlands signed the Treaty of London establishing Belgium’s independence.

Leopold had to marry to provide for the Belgian succession. On August 9, 1832, Leopold married Princess Louise-Marie of Orléans, daughter of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French and Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies, at the Château de Compiègne, in France. Since Leopold was Protestant and Louise-Marie was Catholic, they had a Catholic and a Protestant ceremony. Although Leopold remained Protestant, his children were raised as Catholics because the majority of Belgians were Catholic. Louise-Marie died on October 11, 1850, at the age of 38 from tuberculosis. She expressed a desire to be buried in Laeken in Brussels, Belgium. Leopold had the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium built in her memory. Louise-Marie was buried there and the crypt there has become the burial site for the Belgian royal family.

Wedding of Leopold and Marie Louise of Orleans in the chapel of the Château de Compiègne; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold and Louise-Marie had four children:

Drawing of King Leopold I and his family; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1840, Leopold helped arrange the marriage of his niece Queen Victoria, his sister’s daughter, to his nephew Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, his brother’s son. Even before Victoria succeeded to the throne, Leopold had been advising her by letter, and after her accession continued to influence her.

Leopold (right), with Queen Victoria and the British royal family, in an early photograph of 1859; Credit – Wikipedia

In foreign policy, Leopold’s principal objective was Belgium’s neutrality. Because of his family connections and position as the head of a neutral and non-threatening country, Leopold acted as an important intermediary in European politics during his reign. Leopold played a particularly important role in moderating relations between the Great Powers, especially between Great Britain and the French Empire under Napoleon III.

Leopold had a twenty-year relationship with Arcadie Claret (1826-1897). Arcadie was from Brussels and was the daughter of Major Charles-Joseph Claret (1789-1867), a veteran of Napoleon’s army and the treasurer of the Ministry of War’s Fund for Widows and Orphans of the Belgian Army. Leopold met Arcadie sometime between 1842-1844. She was only in her late teens, and almost immediately became his mistress. Leopold installed her in a luxurious house in Saint-Josse-ten-Node near Brussels. Because the affair did not go unnoticed and was discussed in detail in the press, Leopold arranged a marriage in 1845 between Arcadie Claret and his servant and friend Ferdinand Meyer, originally from Coburg.

Arcadie Claret; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold and Arcadie had two sons: George (1849-1904), born a few days before the death of Queen Marie-Louise, and Arthur (1852-1940). The boys were recognized as the sons of Ferdinand Meyer. After Queen Marie-Louise’s death, with financial and political support from Leopold, Arcadie bought Castle Stuyvenberg in Laeken, and she lived there with her children until Leopold died in 1865. Her second son was born there, and her mother, sisters, and brothers also lived there. In 1862, at Leopold’s request, his sons were created Freiherr von Eppinghoven (Baron of Eppinghoven) by his nephew, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In 1863, Arcadie was created Freifrau von Eppinghoven (Baroness of Eppinghoven).

George and Arthur had a princely upbringing and were privately taught by tutors. Leopold spent much of his afternoons, and sometimes whole days with Arcadie and their sons. Arcadie often accompanied him on his trips. In Leopold’s old age, Arcadie was his nurse and she was with him during his last illness. Before his death, Leopold secured the futures of Arcadie and their sons. After Leopold’s death, Castle Stuyvenberg was secretly sold to his son and successor King Leopold II. In 1900, the castle became part of the Royal Trust.

After Leopold’s death, his son George was placed in the protection of his first cousin Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Later he became an officer in the Prussian army. Arthur became the Grand Marshal of the Ducal Court of Coburg. As a representative of Coburg in 1909, he was present at the funeral of his half-brother King Leopold II.

King Leopold I of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

King Leopold I of the Belgians died on December 10, 1865, at the age of 74 at the Royal Palace in Laeken, Belgium.  Among his last words were “Charlotte…Charlotte.”  Was he calling to his daughter or his beloved first wife Princess Charlotte of Wales? King Leopold was buried in the Royal Crypt in the Church of Our Lady in Laeken, in Brussels, Belgium with his wife Queen Marie-Louise.

Funeral of Leopold in Brussels; Credit – Wikipedia

Tomb of Leopold and Louise-Marie; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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The Royal Palace of Laeken

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

source: Wikipedia

The Royal Palace of Laeken

The Royal Palace of Laeken is the official residence of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. Since Belgian independence in 1831, the palace has been the primary residence of the Belgian sovereigns, with the exception of King Albert II and Queen Paola, who chose to remain at the nearby Chateau Belvédère after his accession. The Palace is owned by the Belgian State (along with the Royal Palace of Brussels) and is placed at the disposal of the Sovereign.

At the time part of the Austrian Netherlands, the palace was built between 1782-1784 as a summer residence for the Governors of the Austrian Netherlands, Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria and her husband Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen. After the area came under French rule in 1794, the palace was left abandoned for some time, and was near demolition. In 1804, it was purchased for 5 million francs by Napoleon Bonaparte, who went on to restore the palace to its former glory. He stayed there several times with his first wife, Josephine de Beauharnais, and later gave the property to her following their divorce.

In 1815, the Kingdom of the Netherlands was created, and the palace was acquired by King Willem I who also made renovations, adding an orangery and a theater. Following Belgian independence, the Palace of Laeken became the official residence of the newly elected King Leopold I in 1831.

It was King Leopold II (1865-1909) who made the most significant changes to the palace and the surrounding park. In 1874, he began building the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken, a project which would take over 20 years to complete. A fire in the palace on January 1, 1890 destroyed the dome and much of the north wing, which was soon rebuilt with the addition of two small pavilions on either side of the main palace block. Beginning in 1902, King Leopold II had two large wings built to flank the palace. The right-wing was to be the private apartments, while the left-wing was to be for guests. The work was not finished until after his death in 1909.

His successor, King Albert I, finished much of the remaining work. He also had an art studio built in the grounds for his wife, Queen Elisabeth (born Princess Elisabeth of Bavaria). King Albert I was succeeded by his son, King Leopold III in 1934. Within the year, Leopold’s wife Queen Astrid died tragically, and he and his children moved to the Palace of Laeken. From 1940-1944, Leopold III and his family were held under house arrest at the palace before being sent from the country. During his absence, his brother Charles, Count of Flanders, served as Regent and lived in the palace until Leopold’s return, and subsequent abdication, in 1951. Leopold was succeeded by his elder son, King Baudouin. Despite having abdicated, King Leopold III continued to live at the palace along with the new King, until Baudouin’s marriage in 1960.

After Baudouin’s death in 1993, Laeken remained the residence of his widow, Queen Fabiola. King Albert II chose to remain at Château Belvédère instead of moving to the larger palace. Queen Fabiola lived there until 1998 when she moved to the smaller Château Stuyvenberg just across the park. The Palace of Laeken then became the home of the Duke of Brabant, now King Philippe, in 1999 upon his marriage to Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz. Since Philippe’s accession to the throne in 2013, the Royal Palace of Laeken has once again become the home of the reigning Belgian monarch.

View image | gettyimages.com

Along with the Royal Palace of Brussels, the Palace of Laeken is often used to host official functions including State dinners. In addition, prior to his accession, King Philippe often hosted foreign guests at the palace. The photo above shows The Prince of Wales visiting with the then-Duke and Duchess of Brabant in 2008.

The palace is situated in The Royal Domain of Laeken – a large park (the size of Monaco!) which also includes several other royal residences, the Royal Stables, the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken, the Japanese Pagoda, and the Chinese Pavilion which are part of the Museums of the Far East, as well as a lake and golf course. The other royal residences are the Château Belvédère, the home of King Albert II and Queen Paola; Château Stuyvenberg, the former home of the late Queen Fabiola; and Villa Schonenberg, the home of Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz and their family.

The Royal Greenhouses. source: Wikipedia

The Royal Greenhouses were built by King Leopold II for the purpose of housing his vast collection of exotic and rare flowers and trees, many of which found their origins in the Congo. The buildings – particularly the large domed Winter Garden – have often been used for formal functions. The Greenhouses are open to the public for several weeks each spring.

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The Royal Palace of Brussels

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

photo © Susan Flantzer

photo © Susan Flantzer

Royal Palace of Brussels

The Royal Palace of Brussels is the official home of the Belgian monarchy. Although not currently used as an official residence of the Belgian royal family, the palace is used for official and State functions and houses the offices of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, as well as the Royal Court. The Royal Palace of Brussels is owned by the Belgian State.  The King and Queen reside instead at the Royal Palace of Laeken.

Brussels became one of the joint capitals (along with The Hague) of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands following the Congress of Vienna in 1814. In order to provide a residence for the King of the Netherlands, two large mansions in downtown Brussels – the Di Belgioioso House and the Von Vender House – were joined together. The street between them was closed, and a gallery was built, connecting the two buildings to form one larger, albeit rather disjointed, palace. Work took place for several years, and in 1829, the property was made available to King Willem I. However, after the Belgian Revolution the following year, the palace became the official residence of the newly elected Belgian sovereign, King Leopold I (Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha). The new king used the palace primarily for official functions while using the nearby Palace of Laeken as his primary residence.

The Royal Palace in 1852; Credit – Wikipedia

It was during the reign of King Leopold II that the palace underwent significant change. Feeling that the palace was not grand enough for a Sovereign, he nearly doubled the size of the building, adding many of the formal state rooms and galleries which exist today. His contributions include the Grand Staircase and The Throne Room among many others. He also established formal apartments for foreign guests. Following his death in 1909, the building was given a new façade, which included a formal garden in front of the palace.

Subsequent sovereigns and their consorts have added their own touches to the palace. Most prominent is Queen Paola who began to incorporate some modern art into the decor, seamlessly blending it with some of the old paintings and sculptures from the royal collection.

The Grand Staircase. photo: © Susan Flantzer

The Grand Staircase. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Empire Room. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Empire Room. photo © Susan Flantzer.  The Empire Room was added by King Willem I of the Netherlands to serve as a ballroom.

The Large White Drawing Room. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Large White Drawing Room. photo © Susan Flantzer.  The Large White Drawing Room, along with the adjoining Small White Drawing Room, are decorated with furniture given by the King of France to his daughter and son-in-law, King Leopold I.

The Venice Staircase. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Venice Staircase. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Goya Room. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Goya Room. photo © Susan Flantzer.  The Goya Room takes its name from the tapestries on the walls, depicting works by Francisco de Goya.

The Coburg Room. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Coburg Room. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Louis XVI Room. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Louis XVI Room. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Pillar Room. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Pillar Room. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Throne Room. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Throne Room. photo © Susan Flantzer.  Added by King Leopold II, the Throne Room features bas-reliefs by Auguste Rodin, representing the provinces of Belgium (with the exception of Brabant, where the palace is located)

The Grand Gallery. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Grand Gallery. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Blue Room originally served as an antechamber, but later became a dining room for court dignitaries.  source: Wikipedia

One of the grandest rooms in the palace is The Hall of Mirrors (see photo here).  Added by King Leopold II, the room was intended to evoke the Congo. Decorated with marble and copper, the King had planned for allegorical scenes of Africa to adorn the walls. However, he died before it could be completed, and his successor, King Albert I, adorned the walls with mirrors instead, thus giving the room its name. An art project in 2002, under the initiative of Queen Paola, saw the unfinished ceiling finally completed. The artist Jan Fabre installed over a million shells of the Thai Jewel Beetle, giving the ceiling a beautiful green hue. One of the grand chandeliers was also incorporated into the design.

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Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Joséphine-Charlotte Stéphanie Ingeborg Elisabeth Marie José Marguerite Astrid of Belgium was born on October 11, 1927, at the Royal Palace of Brussels in Brussels, Belgium. She was the eldest child, and only daughter, of King Leopold III and Princess Astrid of Sweden. Her two younger brothers were:

 

Joséphine-Charlotte was christened at the Church of St. Jacques-sur-Coudenberg in Brussels, Belgium. Her godparents were:

The family lived at Stuyvenberg Castle, on the Royal Domain at Laeken, Brussels, Belgium. In 1934, her grandfather King Albert I, an avid mountain climber, died in a climbing accident, and her father became Leopold III, King of the Belgians. The following year, her mother Queen Astrid was killed in an automobile crash in Switzerland. Soon after, the family moved to the Royal Palace of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium where they would later be held under house arrest following the German invasion of Belgium in 1940.

Princess Joséphine-Charlotte was primarily educated at the palace and attended boarding school briefly before the war began. In 1941, while the family was confined to the Palace of Laeken, her father secretly married Lilian Baels, who was given the title Princess de Réthy. Three more children were born from this marriage, Joséphine-Charlotte’s half-siblings:

After the war, Joséphine-Charlotte finished her studies in Switzerland, where the family had settled after the war, pending the “Royal Question” of her father’s actions during the war. She was able to return to Belgium in 1949 and worked toward restoring her father’s reputation and for his return to the Belgian throne. The following year, a referendum was held to determine if the King should return. With a winning percentage, King Leopold III returned to the country. However, he soon transferred his powers to his elder son Baudouin, and then formally abdicated the following year.

 

On April 9, 1953, Princess Joséphine-Charlotte married Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, the eldest child of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma. They were second cousins once removed, through their mutual descent from King Miguel I of Portugal. The two had become engaged in October 1952, with the announcement made on December 26, 1952. Following a civil ceremony held at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, a religious ceremony was held at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Luxembourg City.

The couple settled at Betzdorf Castle, in eastern Luxembourg, where they raised five children:

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and his wife Josephine-Charlotte  in1964; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 12, 1964, Grand Duchess Charlotte abdicated, and Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte became the new Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. The couple left Betzdorf and moved to Berg Castle, the traditional residence of the reigning Grand Duke. Both before and after their accession, Joséphine-Charlotte worked extensively with organizations focused on children, families, and the arts. She served as honorary president of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, and president of the Luxembourg Red Cross, and oversaw the 5-year restoration of the Grand Ducal Palace from 1991-1996.

 

On October 7, 2000, Grand Duke Jean followed his mother’s footsteps and abdicated in favor of his elder son Grand Duke Henri. Jean and  Joséphine-Charlotte soon left Berg Castle and settled at Fischbach Castle in central Luxembourg. Sadly, in 2003 it was reported that Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte had been diagnosed with lung cancer and the planned ceremonies and celebrations for the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary were canceled. Two years later, on January 10, 2005, Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte passed away at Fischbach Castle, surrounded by her family. She was 77 years old.

Her funeral was held at the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the site of her marriage nearly 52 years earlier, and was attended by a large contingent of foreign royals. In accordance with her wishes, her remains were then cremated, and her ashes were placed in the Grand Ducal Crypt at the Cathedral.

 

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Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Marie José of Belgium, Queen of Italy

by Scott Mehl   © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Marie José of Belgium, Queen of Italy – photo: Wikipedia

Princess Marie José of Belgium, Queen of Italy

Princess Marie José Charlotte Sophie Amélie Henriette Gabrielle of Belgium was born on August 4, 1906, in Ostend, Belgium, the youngest child and only daughter of the future King Albert I of Belgium and Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. She had two elder brothers:

 

Marie José was initially educated at home and developed an early passion for music and the arts. She studied piano, and violin under the direction of the famed violinist and close friend and her mother, Eugène Ysaÿe. After the outbreak of World War I, she was sent to the Convent of the Ursulines of Brentwood, in Essex, England. In 1917, she studied at the College of the Santissima Annunziata in Italy for two years, before returning to Belgium, attending the College of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, in Linthout, until 1924.

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During her time in Italy, Marie José first met her future husband, Crown Prince Umberto of Italy, Prince of Piedmont, the son of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy and Princess Elena of Montenegro. Despite being their first meeting, a marriage between the two had been discussed between the two families since their early childhood. Finally, on January 8, 1930, the couple married in the Pauline Chapel at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, Italy. Now styled HRH The Princess of Piedmont, Marie José and her husband settled briefly at the Royal Palace of Turin before settling in Naples. They had four children:

Distraught when the Germans invaded her homeland, Marie José quickly developed an aversion to all things German. For some time, she attempted to negotiate some sort of peace treaty between Italy and the United States, without the knowledge of her husband or father-in-law. When this was discovered, King Victor Emmanuel sent Marie José and her children to Sarre, in northern Italy. Following the armistice in September 1943, she and her children were told to leave the country. Fearing for their safety, particularly that of her son, they settled in Switzerland where they would remain until the end of the war. Her return to Rome in June 1945 came amid turmoil within the House of Savoy.

Her father-in-law, King Victor Emmanuel III, had transferred much of his authority to Umberto in April 1944. After Rome was liberated, Umberto assumed all the rest of his father’s constitutional powers, becoming Lieutenant General of the Realm, while his father retained the title of King. Finally, in hopes of garnering support for an upcoming referendum on the monarchy, King Victor Emmanuel III abdicated on May 9, 1946. Marie José and her husband became the new King and Queen of Italy.

Sadly, their reign was short-lived. The referendum was held on June 2, with the majority voting to abolish the monarchy. Accepting the will of the people, Umberto and Marie José left Italy on June 13 and were barred under the terms of the new constitution from returning to Italian soil. They settled in Portugal, but soon separated, with Marie José and her children eventually living once again in Switzerland. Both deeply religious, the couple never divorced, and continued to appear together at family events and occasionally went on holiday together. Years later, Queen Marie José would state in an interview that the couple was never happy and that she “should have run away the night of the wedding.”

In her 55 years in exile, Queen Marie José traveled extensively and continued her interest in music and the arts. She wrote several books about her family and the history of the House of Savoy, receiving the French Order of the Legion of Honor in recognition of her work. She also instituted a music competition,  as her mother had done years earlier.

1983 would be a year of great loss for the Queen. In March, her estranged husband King Umberto II died in Portugal. And in June and December, she lost her two brothers – Prince Charles, Count of Flanders, and King Leopold III. After her husband’s death, she was finally permitted to make several visits to Italy.

photo source: La Repubblica

photo source: La Repubblica

In 1992, she sold her home in Switzerland and spent the next few years living with her daughter Marie-Béatrice in Mexico. She returned to Switzerland in 1996, and on January 27, 2001, 94-year-old Queen Marie José of Italy passed away in Geneva, Switzerland. Per her wishes, she was buried beside her late husband at Hautecombe Abbey in Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille, France, the traditional burial site of the House of Savoy. The tremendous outpouring of grief within Italy at the Queen’s death led the Italian government to repeal the ban on members of the House of Savoy from entering the country.

Tomb of King Umberto II and Queen Marie José, Hautecombe Abbey. photo: Wikipedia

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