The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-21
KING LEOPOLD OF BELGIUM.

Our advices by the steamer Cuba an
nounco the death of King Leopold l.
Of Belgium, a monarch whose name
has often been conspicuous i'm the his
| tory OF the thirty-fOur years during
which he occupied the Belgian throne
At the time of his death King Leopold
was % years of age, being born on Dec
| l6. 1890. lie was one of the most aged
mon archs of Europe, only tw0-the
Landgrave of Hesse-H Hamburger and
the Prince of Reuss- Schleis-being his
elders.
King Leopold descended from the du-
cal house of Sake COburg, being the
youngest son of the Duke Fr..neis of
SAKE -Saaifeld-C oburg, who was the
grandfather of the present Duke of
SaxeC oburg Gotla. The latter prince,
therefore, and Prince Albert, the late
Prince Consort of England, were his
nephews. He was also an uncle of
of the present king and of Queen Vie
toria, whose mother, the Duchess of
Kent, was his sister.
In May. 1916, Leopold married the
Princess Charlotte, the Princess Royal
of England, who was daughter of George
the Fourth, then Prince Regent, and
heir to the throne. Had his wife lived,
Leopold would have become, in the
course of time, Prince Consort, a posi-
| ton which his nephew, Prince Albert,
subsequently obtained by marrying
Queen Victoria but Princess Charlotte
| died in November, 1917, after having
been deliveredOfa still-born child. Leo
pOld's relations to the English Court
continued, however, to remain most in
innate. On his marriage he had been
made Duke of Kendall, with pension
Of $3.50, 900 a year.
He declined, in 1880, the Crown of
Greece, but, in the following year, ac-
cepted that of Belgium. In 1899, he
married Princess Louisa, the daughter
of Louis PHILIPPE, by whom he had
three children, Prince Leopold, Duke of
Brabant, who succeeds his father as
King Leopold H.; Prince Philip, Count
the wife of Macmillan of Mexico.
Queen Louisa died In 1850. or late King
Leopold was reported to have entered a
morganatic marriage with German
lady and to have greatly offended his
children by his attempt to introduce his
wife at Court.
In his private life, Leopold was
known to be one of the most parsimo-
NOUS princes, and TO have aulassed
very large property. He lived, i'm gen
eral, retired, and carefully abstained
from taking a personal part in the con-
flict between the Liberal and the Catho-
lie parties, which continued during all
his roign. He was by birth a Protest
ant and remained so until his death.
although his children were brought up
Catholics, his natural sympathics were
with the Liberal party but he was care
full to withhold any public exhibition of
his own views, and always subordinated
them to the majority of the Belgium
Parliament.
As regards foreign policy, King Leo
pold was frequently called upon by
other sOvereigns to give his adj vice on
Important questions. He was anxiOusly
intent upon avoiding any complications
with foreign Powers, and upon strngth-
ening, by all means within his power.
the independence of his Kingdom. In
this endeavOr he was, on the whole,
very successful, as Belgium throughout
his reign enjoyed q profound peace.
Even with Louis Napoleon, who Sc
vuestrated property of his wife. together
with that of the other members If the
House of Orleans, he managed TO re-
main on good terms. =7.Isn#
The death of Leopold leaves, how
ever, the prospects of Belgium some-
what clouded. Louis Napoleon hardly
conceals his desire to annex, at least, the
French speaking portion of the king
dom of France, and the astute Prime
Minister of Russia. Count Bismark is
known to make desperate efforts TO con-
firm the Emperor in this opinion, spec
uating, in the ease of the destruction of
Belgian independence, on the annexa-
ton of the Flemish or German districts
to Prussia. OF the ability of King Lee
opold |. to avert this foreign danger lit
tie Is as yet known, and it remains to be
seen whether he will be as successful as
his father to conjure the gathering
storm