Skip to content
VitrineVitrine
Sign in

Leopold II of Belgium

Brussels, 9 Apr 1835 – Laeken, 17 Dec 1909

13 facts3 sources

Animated by AI

About Leopold II

Leopold II of Belgium: King and Sovereign of the Congo Free State

AI-assisted · edited

The collection records Leopold II’s birth in Brussels in 1835 and his death at Laeken in 1909. It also describes him as the second king of the Belgians. 123

Leopold II held the title of King of the Belgians and was also Sovereign of the Congo Free State. The collection identifies him as the founder and sole owner of that colonial possession. 453

His confirmed family connections included Leopold I of Belgium as his father and Louise of Orléans as his mother. His recorded unions were with Marie Henriette of Austria and Caroline Lacroix. 6789

Drafted with AI and edited against the collection. Open a citation to see the record, its sources and how certain it is.

Facts and their sources

  • Born9 Apr 1835, Brusselsnot verified1 source
  • MarriedMarie Henriette of Austrianot verified1 source
  • MarriedCaroline Lacroixnot verified1 source
  • TitleSenator by Right, 1853–1865or King of the Belgians, 1865–1909 · Sovereign of the Congo Free State, 1885–1908not verified1 source
  • TitleKing of the Belgians, 1865–1909or Senator by Right, 1853–1865 · Sovereign of the Congo Free State, 1885–1908not verified1 source
  • TitleSovereign of the Congo Free State, 1885–1908or Senator by Right, 1853–1865 · King of the Belgians, 1865–1909not verified1 source
  • Died17 Dec 1909, Laekennot verified1 source
  • FatherLeopold I of Belgiumnot verified1 source
  • MotherLouise of Orléansnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 9 Apr 1835

    Born in Brussels

  2. 1853–1865

    Senator by Right

  3. 1858–1907

    6 children are born

  4. 1865–1909

    King of the Belgians

  5. 1885–1908

    Sovereign of the Congo Free State

  6. 17 Dec 1909

    Dies in Laeken, aged 74

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 6

During his lifetime

He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Brussels.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1830s · Leopold II is born in Brussels

In the news1830

The Belgian Revolution begins in Brussels

On August 25, 1830, riots broke out in Brussels after an opera performance, triggering a revolution that led to Belgium's independence from the Netherlands.

What people wore

The blue sarrau work blouse

Ordinary working-class and agricultural men commonly wore a sarrau, a loose, knee-length blue blouse made of linen or hemp, often over other garments. It served as a protective outer layer, sometimes worn with a black cotton cap and a red scarf with white polka dots.

Getting around

Steam trains replaced longer road journeys

By 1838, steam trains revolutionized travel, covering distances in minutes that previously took hours of travel on foot or by horse-drawn coach. A journey from Antwerp to Brussels took about 2.5 hours by train, while the same distance was considered an 8-hour journey by older methods.

Photography is born. The daguerreotype was presented in Paris: for the first time a face or a street could be kept exactly as it looked.Around the world · 1839

Photography is born. The daguerreotype was presented in Paris: for the first time a face or a street could be kept exactly as it looked.

Unknown · public domain

In the news1832

Cholera epidemic hits Brussels

A cholera epidemic struck Brussels in 1832, resulting in the deaths of over 3,000 people.

Music

Lacemakers sang rhythmic work songs

Flemish lacemakers in the mid-19th century sang rhythmic work songs called tellingen to coordinate their stitches, which also functioned as social and storytelling tools.

Daily life

Access to household water via wells

Water for households was typically drawn from private wells on farms or communal wells found within the villages.