LEOPOLD I., GEORGE CHRISTI:1N FREDERICK (1790-18(i5). King of the Belgians from 1831 to 1865. He was the son of Francis, Duke of Coburg, and was born December 16. 1790. Ile received an excellent literary and scientific cation, and hail the reputation of being one of the most cultured princes in Europe. He became a general in the Russian army in 1805, and joyed high favor with the Emperor Alexander I. lle was present at the battles of Liitzen, zen, and Leipzig, and took part in the invasion of France in 1814. Ile visited England after the Peace of 1815, and in the following year was betrothed to the Princess Charlotte, the heiress of the throne. He was naturalized by act of Parliament, and received an annual pension of 150,000. The marriage took place on May 2 1316: but the Princess died in ehild-bed , her 5, 1817, and the child did not survive. Prince Leopold now lived in complete retirement in London, and at his seat of Claremont. Ile received in February, 1830, the offer of the erown of Greece, and at first favorably enter tained the proposal, but afterwards rejected it, finding that it would not be granted to him by the Powers under conditions just or satisfactory to the Greeks. On June 4, 1831, he was elected
by a national congress King of the. Belgians, the people having risen against the rule of Holland, and on July 21 of that year his coronation took place at Brussels. In 1832 lie married Princess Louise, daughter of Louis Philippe, King of the French, who died in 1850. As a monarch, Leo pold conducted himself with great prudenee, firm ness, and moderation, and with constant regard to the principles of the Belgian Constitution. He (lied December 10, 1865, and was succeeded by his son, Leopold 11. His (laughter, Carlotta, was the wife of Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico. Con sult: Juste, Lcs fondateurs de la monarchic beige, Leopold I", roi des /trifles (Brussels. 1868), trans. into English as .ficnioirs of Leopold I. (London. 1868 I ; also a monograph, L'acrtion de Leopold ler (Brussels, 1892) Taillandier, Le roi Leopold et la rein' Victoria (Paris, 1578).