Title: A commoner married a king
Description: This is the memoir of King Leopold II’s mistress Caroline de la Croix, Baronness de Vaughan. King Leopold II is known for making the Congo his personal state and becoming extremely rich from exploiting people, animals and the environment. Upon his death he left an unknown but large sum to Caroline and her (their) two sons, virtually ignoring his three daughters by his first wife. King Leopold’s exploits are recounted hauntingly in the book King Leopold’s ghost. Author Joseph Conrad’s great work, The Heart of Darkness, draws from events in King Leopold’s Congo.
Subjects: European royal mistresses, Belgium history, King Leopold II
People: Léopold II King of the Belgians (1835-1909)