Caroline Lacroix

Blanche Zélia Joséphine Delacroix, better known as Caroline Lacroix (13 May 1883 – 12 February 1948), was the most well known mistress of Leopold II of Belgium.

Delacroix was of French origin. She met Leopold in Paris as a young girl. She was only 16 and he was 65. At that time, she was a prostitute. They soon started a relationship. It lasted until his death in 1909. Leopold gave her large sums of money, estates and gifts. He also gave her a noble title, baronne de Vaughan (Baroness Vaughan). Because of these presents, Caroline was unpopular in Belgium and other countries. People did not like the greedy actions of Leopold in the Congo Free State. This area was his own personal colony. Since Caroline was being supported by the king's income from the colony, she became known as La reine du Congo ("The Queen of the Congo").

She and Leopold married in a religious ceremony five days before his death. The did not have a civil ceremony so the marriage was not legal under Belgian law. After the king's death, it was learned that he had left her many properties, items of high value and other valuable sources of income. All of this turned her into a multimillionaire. For years, the Belgian government and Leopold's daughters tried to recover some of these items. They had varying ammounts of success. Caroline died on 12 February 1948 in Cambo-les-Bains, France.

Category:1883 births
Category:1948 deaths
category:Belgian nobility
Category:People from Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Category:Prostitutes