The New York herald., 1851-09-08
King Leopold and the Royal Children or
Belgium.

From the London News
Leopold, King Of the Belgians, may fairly claim
to rank among the best and, in many respects, the
most fortunate of monarchs. His reign, viewed po-
liticaly, is peculiarly prosperous He rules over
free, moral industrious, and eonented people, who,
AFTER achieving their oTn emancipation, have had
the further rare and pre-eminent good fortune of
knowing how TO make use Of liberty, With them,
under the guidance Of their King all has been
tion conciliation, and moderation. Whilst the ma
tions around them have been conyulsed by revou.
tons and discord, the Belgians have kept steadily
the same, their energies devoted to agriculture,
manufactures, and commerce, and their Ewes spent
IN the .urtherance Of internal order and domestic
comfort.
The story of this Belgian people. escaping so
well. aiter the malice domestic aud foreign, that
shook them not many years ago, il strange one,
but far stranger is the biography of their present
king. His life Is curiousy mingled up with some
~ the most important events in the modern history
Of Europe; he seems, indeed 10 have always hap
pened to come adyantageously upon the s,ene
when there was any regal or political difficulty to
be oyereome-a Kind Of providential interl0per
such as Horace alluded TO when he speakI Of the
henp riailcc nodus The salient points Of this
monarch's condition and career are very interest
ing. and well worth contemplating.
Leopold, King Of the Belgians, now in his sixty
hrst year, un nceasngy fortunate in his political ca
reer, has, in his domestic life, experienced much
happiness, checluered by much grief and sorrow.
Ills alliance with Princess-the nope aad darling
oi Englind-ended, before twenty months had
elapsed, in day Of the deepest mourning tAat per-
Pc, ever Iell upon nuSb&ad or a naIOn. CT
from his House came the light that was TO dispel
peoples despair, and 70 relume and realize their
brigktest aspirations. The Royal widowers sister
hersef widow-espOuses the Dake Of Kent aud
Leorol becomes the uncle Of Englsnds most cher
ished OF sovereigns, Queen Victoria. who strength
ems the tie by her alliance with his nephew, Prince
Albert.
A revolution gives Leopold himself a throne and
another bride endowed with every virtue. The
house Of SAKE COburg Is once moe in close affinity
with that Of Guelph, which, by Leopold second
marriage, is sls) in some measure linked TO the
House Of brleans-a union most fortunate 70 the
dethroned family Of France. The Royalty OF Ing
land gives the exies warm welcome, and Leo
pold s house at Claremont affords them home.
King Leopold, meanwhile, and his little kingdom
are calmly isolated in the centre Of " sea OF tr1u-
bles." Amid the convulsions Of empires and the
crash OF revolutions, the Belgian monarch wields
mistaken sceptre. One, too, cannot but here note
the recent death Of the King Of Holland, whom
Leopold had by 50 strange and mys:erious eonea;
tenation Of circumstances unvittingly ousted Of
bride and throne. short time, and Leopold has
to undergo another trying hour Of sorrow.
His second consort, the excellen. Queen Loitsa OF
Orleans. the friend Of Queen Victoria, and the de-
light Of ell who knew her, passes away in the sum
mer Of her life, borne down. no d)ubt, by the ailic
tons Of her house she leaves TO her husband and
his kingdom three surviving children. Inc king Is
at present widower, with two son and daughter
In the names given TO his royal issue, mis- Majesty
Of Belgium has displayed his usual good feeling
ard good taste. There cannot be stronger
proof Of how anxiously he wishes to cherish
the recollection of every one connected with his
two marriages, so bright, 80 happy, and, alas
so transitory in their duration. King Leopolds
elder son. the Duke Of Brabant, the Prince
Royal and heir Of Belgium, now in his seven
teenth year, s styled Leopold Philippe Marie thus
uniting the names Of his father, his grandfather,
and his mother The second son, the Co mt Of
FIander. now aged fourteen, is styled Philip Marie
Leopold George, thus not cnly recalling the re-
membrance Of the same relatives as his brother, but
also bearing a sign Of his fathers affinity TO the
hou.e Of Brunswick. LaFly, the King Of the Bel