Léopold II of the Belgians

Born Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor Crown Prince of Belgium; created Duc de Brabant in 1840; succeeded his father as Léopold II King of the Belgians in 1865.

Named for his father Leopold I King of the Belgians and his maternal grandfather Louis-Philippe King of the French.

Son of Leopold I King oft he Belgians (1790-1865) and his second wife Louise, Princess d’Orléans (1812-1850).

Born: Brussels 9. Apr 1835

Married:

  1. Brussels 22. Aug 1853 Marie Henriette Archduchess of Austria (1836-1902), daughter of Joseph Archduke of Austria, Palatine of Hungary (1776-1847) and his third wife Maria Dorothea Duchess of Württemberg (1797-1855).

  2. Brussels 14. Dec 1909 (in a religious ceremony with no validity under Belgian law since a civil ceremony wa not performed) Blanche Delacroix, cr. Baroness Vaughan in 1906 (1883-1948), daughter of Jules Delacroix and Catherine Sebille

Issue of first marriage:

Illegitimate issue by Blanche Delacroix:

Died: Laeken Palace (Château de Laeken) 17. Dec 1909

Buried: Royal Crypt, Church of Our Lady of Laeken (Église Notre-Dame de Laeken)

Georges Dufoux ”Les Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha. Une dynastie mythique”, Fontainbleau 2000