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74-482: The task of the FWO and F.R.S.–FNRS is to stimulate the development of new knowledge in all scientific disciplines. The means to achieve this, is to finance excellent scientists and research projects after an inter-University competition and with an evaluation by foreign experts. The criterion for support is the scientific quality of the scientist and the research proposal, irrespective of scientific discipline. Both institutions,

148-521: A Catholic monk in Belgium, Albert wrote: "Consecrating oneself wholly to the service of Our Lord gives, to those touched by grace, the peace of soul which is the supreme happiness here below." Albert used to tell his children: "As you nourish your body, so you should nourish your soul." In an interesting meditation on what he viewed as the harm that would result if Christian ideals were abandoned in Belgium, he said: "Every time society has distanced itself from

222-475: A morganatic marriage and that he had bestowed upon her the title of Countess Montgomery. He would have broken this marriage when the possibility arose that he could become King of Greece . The son of Baron Stockmar denied that these events ever happened, and indeed no records have been found of a civil or religious marriage with the actress. Following a Greek rebellion against the Ottoman Empire , Leopold

296-551: A boulder at the top of the mountain that became dislodged; the second that the pinnacle to which his rope was belayed broke, causing him to fall about 60 feet (18 metres). In 2016, DNA testing by geneticist Dr. Maarten Larmuseau and colleagues from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven on bloodstained leaves that were collected in 1934 from Marche-les-Dames concluded that King Albert had died at that location. Like his predecessors Leopold I and Leopold II, King Albert

370-615: A constitution for the new state. Fears of " mob rule " associated with republicanism after the French Revolution of 1789 , as well as the example of the recent, liberal July Revolution in France, led the Congress to decide that Belgium would be a popular , constitutional monarchy . The choice of candidates for the position was one of the most controversial issues faced by the revolutionaries. The Congress refused to consider any candidate from

444-477: A deep mutual affection based on a rare affinity of spirit. They also make clear that Albert and Elisabeth continually supported and encouraged each other in their challenging roles as king and queen. The spouses shared an intense commitment to their country and family and a keen interest in human progress of all kinds. Together, they cultivated the friendship of prominent scientists, artists, mathematicians, musicians, and philosophers, turning their court at Laeken into

518-473: A demotion for Charlotte. The couple lived initially at Camelford House on Park Lane , and then at Marlborough House on Pall Mall. After already having suffered a miscarriage the previous year, Princess Charlotte gave birth to a stillborn son on 5 November 1817. She suffered complications and, just after midnight on 6 November, also died. Leopold was said to have been heartbroken by Charlotte's death. Had Charlotte survived, she would have become queen of

592-460: A harsh, restrictive treaty against Germany to prevent future German aggression. He also considered that the dethronement of the princes of Central Europe and, in particular, the dissolution of the Habsburg Empire would constitute a serious menace to peace and stability on the continent. The Allies considered Belgium to be the chief victim of the war, and it aroused enormous popular sympathy, but

666-750: A hero's welcome. The King Albert I Memorial in Nieuwpoort is dedicated to King Albert and the Belgian troops during the Great War. There are also at least two memorials to Albert outside Belgium, to commemorate his role in the Great War: Nancy, France has a Boulevard Albert Ier and a statue of the King, and Le Havre , France has a Boulevard Albert Ier. Interestingly, the Nancy statue is marked "Albert Ier" even though, when it

740-662: A kind of cultural salon. Albert and Elisabeth had three children: Following the death of his uncle, Leopold II , Albert succeeded to the Belgian throne in December 1909, since Albert's own father had died in 1905. Previous Belgian kings had taken the royal accession oath only in French; Albert innovated by taking it in Dutch as well. He and his wife, Queen Elisabeth, were popular in Belgium due to their simple, unassuming lifestyle and their harmonious family life, which stood in marked contrast to

814-424: A striking resemblance to Charlotte. Caroline was a cousin of his advisor Baron Christian Friedrich von Stockmar . She came to England with her mother and took up residence at Longwood House, a few miles from Claremont House . But, by mid-1829, the liaison was over, and the actress and her mother returned to Berlin. Many years later, in memoirs published after her death, she declared that she and Leopold had engaged in

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888-603: Is interred in the Royal Crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken , next to Louise-Marie. Leopold was succeeded by his son, Leopold II , aged 30, who would rule until 1909. A monument in his memory was erected in Brussels at the initiative of Leopold II. Belgian naval vessels named in his honour include the Leopold I , a frigate acquired by Belgium in 2007. His monogram features on

962-610: Is interred in the Royal Crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels. In 1935, prominent Belgian author Emile Cammaerts published a widely acclaimed biography of King Albert I, titled Albert of Belgium: Defender of Right . In 1993, a close climbing companion of the King, Walter Amstutz , founded the King Albert I Memorial Foundation , an association based in Switzerland and dedicated to honouring distinguished individuals in

1036-552: The Belgian general strike of 1913 the promise had been made to have constitutional reform for one man, one vote universal suffrage but the German invasion of Belgium in August 1914 and the subsequent occupation delayed the implementation of the commission's proposal. In 1918, King Albert forged a post-war "Government of National Union" made up of members of the three main parties in Belgium,

1110-558: The Benedictine monastery of Maredsous in Belgium, King Albert wrote a letter to him in which he spoke of the joy of giving oneself to God. He said: "May you spend many years at Maredsous in the supreme comfort of soul that is given to natures touched by grace, by faith in God's infinite power and confidence in His goodness." To another friend, Lu Zhengxiang , a former prime minister of China who became

1184-603: The FNRS-2 , which was the first ever bathyscaphe built. Albert I of Belgium Albert I (8 April 1875 – 17 February 1934) was King of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 until his death in 1934. He is popularly referred to as the Knight King (Dutch: Koning-Ridder , French: Roi-Chevalier ) or Soldier King (Dutch: Koning-Soldaat , French: Roi-Soldat ) in Belgium in reference to his role during World War I. Albert

1258-656: The Napoleonic Wars , Leopold went to Paris where he became part of the Imperial Court of Napoleon . Napoleon offered him the position of adjutant, but Leopold refused. Instead, he went to Russia to take up a military career in the Imperial Russian cavalry, which was at war with France at the time. He campaigned against Napoleon and distinguished himself at the Battle of Kulm at the head of his cuirassier division. By 1815,

1332-481: The Place Royale/Koningsplein in Brussels. A stand had been erected on the steps of the Church of St. James on Coudenberg , surrounded by the names of revolutionaries fallen during the fighting in 1830. After a ceremony of resignation by the regent, Leopold, dressed in the uniform of a Belgian lieutenant-general, swore loyalty to the constitution and became king. The enthronement is generally used to mark

1406-524: The Roche du Vieux Bon Dieu at Marche-les-Dames , in the Ardennes region of Belgium near Namur . His death shocked the world and he was deeply mourned, both in Belgium and abroad. Because King Albert was an expert climber, some questioned the official version of his death and suggested that the King was murdered (or even committed suicide) somewhere else and that his body had never been at Marche-les-Dames, or that it

1480-563: The United Netherlands rose up against Dutch rule. The rising, which began in Brussels , pushed the Dutch army back, and the rebels defended themselves against a Dutch attack. International powers meeting in London agreed to support the independence of Belgium, even though the Dutch refused to recognize the new state. In November 1830, a National Congress was established in Belgium to create

1554-801: The United States . King Albert and his party arrived in New York City on 2 October. The party would then proceed to visit several sites in the Eastern United States including Boston and Niagara Falls , before heading to the Western United States. King Albert and his party arrived in California on 10 October. Upon arrival in Sacramento , the King awarded the Order of Leopold II to the engineer who

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1628-502: The 1815 Congress of Vienna . Leopold took his oath as King of the Belgians on 21 July 1831, an event commemorated annually as Belgian National Day . The following year, he married Princess Louise of Orléans , with whom he had four children: Louis Philippe , Leopold , Philippe , and Charlotte , all first cousins of both Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha . The King had another two sons, George and Arthur, by his mistress Arcadie Meyer . Leopold's reign

1702-512: The 1848 revolutions in Belgium was posed by Belgian émigré groups. Shortly after the revolution in France , Belgian migrant workers living in Paris were encouraged to return to Belgium to overthrow the monarchy and establish a republic. Around 6,000 armed émigrés of the " Belgian Legion " attempted to cross the Belgian frontier. The first group, travelling by train, was stopped and quickly disarmed at Quiévrain on 26 March 1848. The second group crossed

1776-478: The Belgian throne as his reigning uncle Leopold II's son had already died. When, however, Albert's older brother, Prince Baudouin of Belgium , who had been subsequently prepared for the throne, also died young, Albert, at the age of 16, unexpectedly became second in line (after his father) to the Belgian Crown. Retiring and studious, Albert prepared himself strenuously for the task of kingship. In his youth, Albert

1850-563: The Belgians , and his wife, Louise-Marie of France , and the younger brother of King Leopold II of Belgium ( r.  1865–1909 ). Princess Marie was a relative of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany ( r.  1888–1918 ), and a member of the non-reigning, Catholic branch of the Hohenzollern family. Albert grew up in the Palace of the Count of Flanders , initially as third in the line of succession to

1924-734: The Catholics, the Liberals, and the Socialists and attempted to mediate between the parties in order to bring about one man, one vote universal suffrage for men. He succeeded in doing so. The Belgian Government sent the King to the Paris Peace Conference in April 1919, where he met with the leaders of France, Britain and the United States. He had four strategic goals: He strongly advised against

1998-551: The Church's influence in politics and society, while supporting free trade , personal liberties and secularization . The Catholics wanted religious teachings to be a fundamental basis for the state and society and opposed all attempts by the liberals to attack the Church's official privileges. Initially, these factions existed only as informal groups with which prominent politicians were generally identified. The liberals held power through much of Leopold I's reign. An official Liberal Party

2072-618: The Congress was able to draw up a shortlist. The viable possibilities were felt to be Auguste of Leuchtenberg , son of Eugène de Beauharnais , and Louis, Duke of Nemours , son of the French King Louis-Philippe . All the candidates were French and the choice between them was principally between choosing the Bonapartism of Beauharnais or Leuchtenberg and supporting the July Monarchy of Louis-Philippe. Louis-Philippe realized that

2146-647: The Constitution was ambiguous or unclear while generally avoiding involvement in routine politics. Leopold I's reign was also marked by an economic crisis which lasted until the late 1850s. In the aftermath of the revolution, the Dutch had closed the Scheldt to Belgian shipping, meaning that the port of Antwerp was effectively useless. The Netherlands and the Dutch colonies in particular, which had been profitable markets for Belgian manufacturers before 1830, were totally closed to Belgian goods. The period between 1845 and 1849

2220-469: The Dutch ruling house of Orange-Nassau . Some Orangists had hoped to offer the position to William I or his son, William, Prince of Orange , which would bring Belgium into personal union with the Netherlands like Luxembourg. The Great Powers also worried that a candidate from another state could risk destabilizing the international balance of power and lobbied for a neutral candidate. Eventually

2294-519: The FWO and the F.R.S.–FNRS, are located in the same building at Egmontstraat 5 rue d'Egmont in B-1000 Brussels. The National Fund for Scientific Research (NFSR) was founded on 2 June 1928 after a call by king Albert I of Belgium for more resources for scientific research. On 1 October 1927, in a speech at Cockerill in Seraing , King Albert I strongly emphasized the importance of scientific research to

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2368-500: The French candidates and the increased international pressure for a solution led to his reconsideration. On 22 April, he was finally approached by a Belgian delegation at Marlborough House to officially offer him the throne. Leopold, however, was reluctant to accept. On 17 July 1831, Leopold travelled from Calais to Belgium, entering the country at De Panne . Travelling to Brussels, he was greeted with patriotic enthusiasm along his route. The accession ceremony took place on 21 July on

2442-510: The Gospel, which preached humility, fraternity, and peace, the people have been unhappy, because the pagan civilisation of ancient Rome, which they wanted to replace it with, is based only on pride and the abuse of force" (Commemorative speech for the war dead of the Battle of the Yser , given by Dom Marie-Albert, Abbot of Orval Abbey , Belgium, in 1936). The war inflicted great suffering on Belgium, which

2516-531: The King's advice played a small role in Paris. Albert spent much of the remainder of his reign assisting in the postwar reconstruction of Belgium. In 1920 Albert changed the family name from " Saxe-Coburg-Gotha " to " House of Belgium " ( van België , in Dutch; de Belgique in French) as a result of strong anti-German sentiment. This mirrored the British royal family's name-change to House of Windsor in 1917. Albert

2590-714: The Queen of Portugal, Maria II . He promoted the marriage of his niece, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom , to his nephew, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha . In foreign policy, Leopold's principal object was the maintenance of Belgian neutrality imposed by Article VII of the Treaty of London (1839) . Despite pressure from the Great Powers, especially over the Crimean War (1853–56), Belgium remained officially neutral throughout

2664-622: The Regent was displeased, he found Leopold to be charming and possessing every quality to make his daughter happy, and so approved their marriage. The same year Leopold received an honorary commission to the rank of Field Marshal and Knight of the Order of the Garter . The Regent also considered making Leopold a royal duke , the Duke of Kendal , though the plan was abandoned due to government fears that it would draw Leopold into party politics and would be viewed as

2738-622: The Tiwas Indians. Ten thousand people travelled to Isleta for this occasion. That same year he was elected an honorary member of the New York Society of the Cincinnati . In New York, the King received a ticker tape parade in his honor. The visit was considered a success by the Belgian authorities. Since the Belgian general strike of 1893 , plural votes had been granted to individual men based on their wealth, education, and age, but after

2812-520: The United Kingdom on the death of her father and Leopold presumably would have assumed the role of prince consort , later taken by his nephew Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha . Despite Charlotte's death, the Prince Regent granted Prince Leopold the British style of Royal Highness by Order in Council on 6 April 1818. From 1828 to 1829, Leopold had an affair with the actress Caroline Bauer , who bore

2886-409: The age of 58, and he was succeeded by his son Leopold III ( r.  1934–1951 ). Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad was born 8 April 1875 in Brussels , the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders , and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen . Prince Philippe was the third (second surviving) son of Leopold I ( r.  1831–1865 ), the first King of

2960-477: The aloof, autocratic manner and the dissolute private life of Leopold II. An important aspect of the early years of Albert's reign was his institution of many reforms in the administration of the Belgian Congo , Belgium's only colonial possession. King Albert was a devout Catholic . Many stories illustrate his deep and tender piety. For instance, when his former tutor General De Grunne, in his old age, entered

3034-444: The arrival of their Armée du Nord in Belgium forced the Dutch to accept a diplomatic mediation and retreat back to the pre-war border. Skirmishes continued for eight years, but in April 1839, the two countries signed the Treaty of London , whereby the Dutch recognised Belgium's independence. Leopold was generally unsatisfied with the amount of power allocated to the monarch in the Constitution, and sought to extend it wherever

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3108-408: The border on 29 March and headed for Brussels. They were confronted by Belgian troops at the hamlet of Risquons-Tout and, during fighting, seven émigrés were killed and most of the rest were captured. To defuse tension, Leopold theatrically offered his abdication, if this was the wish of the majority of his people. The defeat at Risquons-Tout effectively ended the revolutionary threat to Belgium, as

3182-667: The choice of either of the Bonapartists could be first stage of a coup against him, but that his son would also be unacceptable to other European powers suspicious of French intentions. Nemours refused the offer. With no definitive choice in sight, Catholics and Liberals united to elect Erasme Louis Surlet de Chokier , a minor Belgian nobleman, as regent to buy more time for a definitive decision in February 1831. Leopold of Saxe-Coburg had been proposed at an early stage, but had been dropped because of French opposition. The problems caused by

3256-664: The economic development of Belgium. He repeated his appeal for more resources, on 26 November 1927, in a speech to the Academy . This led to the creation within the University Foundation of the National Fund for Scientific Research on 2 June 1928. The new institute was led by Emile Francqui . Financial support initially came from the public, and from the Solvay family that gave 100 million Belgian francs . Financial contributions from

3330-547: The end of the revolution and the start of the Kingdom of Belgium and is celebrated each year as the Belgian national holiday . Less than two weeks after Leopold's accession, on 2 August, the Netherlands invaded Belgium, starting the Ten Days' Campaign . The small Belgian army was overwhelmed by the Dutch assault and was pushed back. Faced with a military crisis, Leopold appealed to the French for support. The French promised support, and

3404-629: The father of Albert, Prince Consort of the United Kingdom . In 1797, at just six years old, Leopold was given an honorary commission of the rank of colonel in the Izmaylovsky Regiment , part of the Imperial Guard , in the Imperial Russian Army . Six years later, he received a promotion to the rank of Major General . When French troops occupied the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg in 1806 during

3478-484: The future peace and stability of Europe. Neither Germany nor the Entente were favourable to the idea, tending instead to seek total victory, and Albert's attempts to further a negotiated peace were unsuccessful. At the end of the war, as commander of the Army Group Flanders , consisting of Belgian, British and French divisions, Albert led the final offensive of the war that liberated occupied Belgium. King Albert, Queen Elisabeth, and their children then reentered Brussels to

3552-415: The mountaineering world. To celebrate 175 years of the Belgian royal family and the 100th anniversary of his accession, Albert I was selected as the main motif of a high-value collectors' coin: the Belgian 12.5 euro Albert I commemorative coin , minted in 2008. The obverse shows a portrait of the King. Leopold I of Belgium Leopold I (French: Léopold ; 16 December 1790 – 10 December 1865)

3626-475: The native population and further technological progress in the colony. Albert was married in Munich on 2 October 1900 to Bavarian Duchess Elisabeth Gabrielle Valérie Marie , a Wittelsbach princess whom he had met at a family funeral. A daughter of Bavarian Duke Karl-Theodor , and his second wife, the Infanta Maria Josepha of Portugal , she was born at Possenhofen Castle , Bavaria , Germany , on 25 July 1876, and died on 23 November 1965. The civil wedding

3700-506: The only child of the Prince Regent (the future King George IV ). Leopold and Charlotte's marriage was happy, but it ended after a year and a half when Charlotte died after delivering a stillborn son. Leopold continued to enjoy considerable status in Britain. After the Greek War of Independence (1821–1830), Leopold was offered the throne of Greece under the 1830 London Protocol that created an independent Greek state, but turned it down, believing it to be too precarious. Instead, he accepted

3774-574: The reigns of Leopold I and II, although Belgian historian Jan Anckaer has interpreted Leopold's diplomatic efforts in the Second Egyptian-Ottoman War in 1840 and Belgium's manufacture of arms for Russia during the Crimean War as breaches of neutrality. Leopold married Louise-Marie of Orléans (daughter of Louis Philippe I ) on 9 August 1832. They had four children: Queen Louise-Marie died of tuberculosis on 11 October 1850, aged 38. Leopold had two sons, George and Arthur, by his mistress Arcadie Meyer ( née  Claret ). George von Eppinghoven

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3848-403: The situation in Belgium began to recover that summer after a good harvest, and fresh elections returned a strong Liberal majority. Because of his family connections and position at the head of a neutral and unthreatening power, Leopold was able to act as an important intermediary in European politics during his reign. As a result of this, he earned the nickname the " Nestor of Europe", after

3922-434: The state were not needed until 1947. Today, part of the funding still comes from non-governmental sources, such as from the charitable television station Télévie . The NFSR was the first Belgian organization to finance fundamental scientific research. Among the earliest projects funded were the stratosphere flights of professor Auguste Piccard . The FNRS-1 was a balloon that set a world altitude record. The NFSR also funded

3996-430: The throne of Belgium in 1831 following the country's independence in 1830. The Belgian government offered the position to Leopold because of his diplomatic connections with royal houses across Europe, and because as the British-backed candidate, he was not affiliated with other powers, such as France, which were believed to have territorial ambitions in Belgium which might threaten the European balance of power created by

4070-521: The time of the final defeat of Napoleon, he had reached the rank of lieutenant general at only 25 years of age. Leopold received British citizenship in March 1816. Leopold married Princess Charlotte of Wales at Carlton House, London on 2 May 1816. Charlotte was the only legitimate child of Prince George, Prince Regent (later George IV), and therefore second in line to the British throne . The Prince Regent had hoped Charlotte would marry William, Prince of Orange , but she favoured Leopold. Although

4144-408: The wise mediator in Homer 's Iliad . Leopold played a particularly important role in moderating relations between the hostile Great Powers . In the later part of his reign, his role in managing relations between the United Kingdom and the French Empire of Napoleon III was particularly important. In 1835–1836, he promoted the marriage between his nephew Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and

4218-455: Was occupied by German forces . Other crucial events of his reign included the adoption of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, the ruling of the Belgian Congo as an overseas possession of Belgium along with the League of Nations mandate of Ruanda-Urundi , the reconstruction of Belgium following the war, and the first five years of the Great Depression (1929–1934). Albert died in a mountaineering accident in eastern Belgium in 1934, at

4292-432: Was a committed conservationist and in 1925, influenced by the ideas of Carl E. Akeley , he founded Africa's first national park, now known as Virunga National Park , in what is now Democratic Republic of Congo . During this period, he was also the first reigning European monarch to visit the United States. A passionate alpinist , King Albert I died in a mountaineering accident on 17 February 1934, while climbing alone on

4366-403: Was able to slightly expand the monarch's powers during his reign. He also played an important role in stopping the spread of the Revolutions of 1848 into Belgium. He died in 1865 and was succeeded by his son Leopold II. Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duke of Saxony , was born in Coburg in the tiny German duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in modern-day Bavaria on 16 December 1790. He

4440-401: Was born in 1849, and Arthur von Eppinghoven in 1852. At Leopold's request, in 1862 his two sons were created Freiherr von Eppinghoven by his nephew, Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha ; in 1863 Arcadie was also created Baronin von Eppinghoven. Leopold died in Laeken near Brussels on 10 December 1865. His funeral was held on 16 December, on what would have been his 75th birthday. He

4514-432: Was born in Brussels as the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders , and Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen , Albert succeeded his uncle Leopold II to the Belgian throne in 1909. He married Elisabeth of Bavaria , with whom he had three children. Albert ruled during an eventful period in the history of Belgium , which included the period of World War I (1914–1918), when most of Belgium

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4588-400: Was completed in 1835. When completed, it was one of the first passenger railways in continental Europe . The success of economic reforms partially mitigated the effects of the economic downturn and meant that Belgium was not as badly affected as its neighbours by the Revolutions of 1848 . Nevertheless, in early 1848, a large number of radical publications appeared. The most serious threat of

4662-417: Was conducted by Friedrich Krafft Graf von Crailsheim in the Throne Hall, and the religious wedding was conducted by Cardinal von Stein , assisted by Jakob von Türk , Confessionar of the King of Bavaria. Based on the letters written during their engagement and marriage (cited extensively in the memoirs of their daughter, Marie-José ) the young couple appear to have been deeply in love. The letters express

4736-410: Was deposited there. Several of those hypotheses with criminal motives were investigated by authorities, but doubts have remained ever since, being the subject of popular novels, books, and documentaries. Rumors of murder have been dismissed by most historians. There are two possible explanations for his death, according to the official juridical investigations: the first was that the king leaned against

4810-507: Was erected in 1934 following his death earlier that year, he was the only King of the Belgians to have been called Albert. Upon his return to Brussels, King Albert made a speech in which he outlined the reforms he desired to see implemented in Belgium, including an improved military, universal suffrage and the establishment of a Flemish University in Ghent . From 23 September to 13 November 1919, King Albert, Queen Elisabeth of Bavaria , and their son Prince Leopold made an official visit to

4884-504: Was formed in 1846, although a formal Catholic Party was only established in 1869. Leopold, who was himself a Protestant, tended to favor liberals and shared their desire for reform, even though he was not partisan. On his own initiative, in 1842, Leopold proposed a law which would have stopped women and children from working in some industries, but the bill was defeated. Leopold was an early supporter of railways, and Belgium's first stretch of railway, between northern Brussels and Mechelen ,

4958-417: Was marked by attempts by the Dutch to recapture Belgium and, later, by internal political division between liberals and Catholics. As a Protestant , Leopold was considered liberal and encouraged economic modernisation, playing an important role in encouraging the creation of Belgium's first railway in 1835 and subsequent industrialisation . As a result of the ambiguities in the Belgian Constitution , Leopold

5032-429: Was offered the throne of an independent Greece as part of the London Protocol of February 1830 . Though initially showing interest in the position, Leopold eventually turned down the offer on 17 May 1830. The role would subsequently be accepted by Otto of Wittelsbach in May 1832 who ruled until he was finally deposed in October 1862. At the end of August 1830, rebels in the Southern provinces (modern-day Belgium) of

5106-431: Was on board the King's special train. During his brief stay in Sacramento thousands came to see the Belgian royals, with mothers even holding out their babies for the King to kiss. During a visit of the historic Native American pueblo of Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico , King Albert decorated Father Anton Docher with Knight in the Order of Leopold II . Docher offered the King a turquoise cross mounted in silver made by

5180-548: Was particularly hard in Flanders, where harvests failed and a third of the population became dependent on poor relief, and have been described as the "worst years of Flemish history". The economic situation in Flanders also increased the internal migration to Brussels and the industrial areas of Wallonia , which continued throughout the period. Politics in Belgium under Leopold I were polarized between liberal and Catholic political factions, though before 1847 they collaborated in " Unionist " governments. The liberals were opposed to

5254-448: Was seriously concerned with the situation of the working classes in Belgium, and personally travelled around working-class districts incognito, to observe the living conditions of the people. Shortly before his accession to the throne in 1909, Albert undertook an extensive tour of the Belgian Congo , which had been annexed by Belgium in 1908, finding the country in poor condition. Upon his return to Belgium, he recommended reforms to protect

5328-458: Was subjected to a harsh German occupation. The King, fearing the destructive results of the war for Belgium and Europe and appalled by the huge casualty rates, worked through secret diplomatic channels for a negotiated peace between Germany and the Entente based on the "no victors, no vanquished" concept. He considered that such a resolution to the conflict would best protect the interests of Belgium and

5402-429: Was the first King of the Belgians , reigning from 21 July 1831 until his death in 1865. The youngest son of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld , Leopold took a commission in the Imperial Russian Army and fought against Napoleon after French troops overran Saxe-Coburg during the Napoleonic Wars . After Napoleon's defeat, Leopold moved to the United Kingdom, where in 1816 he married Princess Charlotte of Wales ,

5476-408: Was the youngest son of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld , and Countess Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf . In 1826, Saxe-Coburg acquired the city of Gotha from the neighbouring Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and gave up Saalfeld to Saxe-Meiningen , becoming Saxe-Coburg and Gotha . The dynasty of this name was therefore founded by Leopold's eldest brother, Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha ,

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