King Leopold II of Belgium is that country’s most infamous king. Mostly known as the king who took over and exploited the Belgian Congo, he also hurt his own family with his self-centeredness and uncaring ways. As the second king of independent Belgium, he had a duty to keep the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family secure and continue it into the next generation. Unfortunately, his loveless marriage with Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria was a disaster. Their only son and heir died young, and King Leopold neglected his daughters. Although he was a forceful and powerful king, as a husband and father King Leopold II was a failure.
The Early Life of King Leopold II of Belgium
The future King Leopold II of Belgium (1835–1909) was a difficult child. He was somewhat withdrawn and not good with people. He also seemed lazy and was not particularly intelligent, and did not do well at school. His tutors and father responded by beginning Prince Leopold’s military training at the young age of ten. This increase in discipline helped with his education, but he was still stubborn and had an abrasive manner. He was also neither handsome nor charming.
The Marriage of King Leopold II of Belgium and Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria
King Leopold I of Belgium wanted his son and heir to make a diplomatic marital union. He chose the Habsburgs of Austria, an old, well-established, and powerful Catholic royal family. The Austrian Emperor Franz Josef was amenable to an alliance between his family and the Belgian royals. After looking around at eligible brides, King Leopold I chose Archduchess Marie Henriette (1836–1902), the daughter of Archduke Josef, the prince of Hungary and Bohemia. Prince Leopold and Archduchess Marie Henriette were married in 1853.
The couple was completely ill suited for each other and had a very unhappy marriage. King Leopold II was serious and delicate, while Queen Marie Henriette was undisciplined, outspoken, and boisterous. Leopold in particular made no effort to understand or accommodate his spouse, and even tried to break her spirit with his criticisms and infidelity. Queen Marie Henriette, however, was more charming than her abrasive husband and actually became quite popular with the Belgians. But she eventually decided to retire from court life to get away from her husband, and lived the rest of her life in Spa near the Ardennes.
The Children of King Leopold II of Belgium
The four children of King Leopold II and Queen Marie Henriette of Belgium are known for their tragic lives. The couple had three children early in their marriage—Louise (in 1858), Leopold (in 1859), and Stephanie (in 1864)—and much later had another child, Clementine (in 1872). These children grew up in an incredibly cold, austere, formal setting, and their family life had little affection.
Although King Leopold II had little interest in his daughters, he doted on his son and in him saw the future of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha dynasty in Belgium. Tragically, when he was nine the young Prince Leopold caught pneumonia and died. The king never recovered from his grief and the loss to the dynasty. He even reconciled briefly with his wife to try to have another heir, but when the couple had another girl he pretty much lost interest in his family.
His daughters had difficult lives. Princess Louise of Belgium was married to her cousin Prince Philip of Saxe-Coburg, a harsh man fourteen years older. She had a disastrous marriage and after she tried to elope with her lover her family had her committed to an asylum. She was finally granted a divorce in 1907. Princess Stephanie of Belgium was married to the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Crown Prince Rudolf, but their marriage was similarly terrible. The couple never got along, and Rudolf had many affairs before committing suicide with his mistress at Mayerling. Princess Stephanie later married Count Elmer Lonyay, which caused her to become estranged from her family. Princess Clementine was the good daughter, taking care of her elderly parents and carrying on the public role her mother fled. Only after her father died was she able to marry her patient fiancé, Prince Victor Napoleon, the heir to imperial France who never got the throne.
The Late Life of King Leopold II of Belgium
Estranged from his family, King Leopold II of Belgium turned increasingly to his mistresses. In fact, he had so many mistresses and liaisons with young prostitutes that it scandalized the country and his people called him Le Roi des Belges et des Belles (“The King of the Belgians and of the Beauties”). On his deathbed in 1909, he married his favorite mistress, Caroline Lacroix, on whom he had bestowed the title Baroness de Vaughan.
King Leopold II of Belgium is not only infamous for his exploitation of the Belgian Congo, but also for his harsh treatment of his family. He was so cruel to his wife, Archduchess Marie Henriette, that she eventually left him. He arranged bad marriages for his daughters and rejected them. He loved his son, Prince Leopold, but after his heir’s death King Leopold II retreated even more from his family. The present Belgian royal family is descended from his nephew King Albert I, and fortunately King Leopold II’s way of governing and treating his family were not carried on by his successor.
Source:
Aronson, Theo. Coburgs of Belgium, The. London: Cassell & Company Ltd., 1968.
Emily Chauviere - Emily Chauviere earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in history and theology and a concentration in International Studies from the University ...
Join the Conversation