Leopold, Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, was the first King of the Belgians reigning from 1831 to 1865. He served in the Russian Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars and married the daughter of King George IV of Great Britain after which he was made a Field Marshal in the British army. After her death he married Princess Louise Marie of France. In 1830 the Belgians rose up against Dutch rule and the Belgian National Congress asked Leopold to become the first King of the Belgians. He accepted and reigned over a period of great growth and prosperity. He encouraged national greatness through foreign policy and royal marriages. In time he became known as the "nestor of Europe" and one of the most accomplished statesmen of his time. When revolutions swept Europe in 1848 Belgium was spared the turmoil. He offered to abdicate if the people desired it but no one did. His wife predeceased him and he died in 1865 at the age of 74 in Laeken.
From The Mad Monarchist (18 March 2012)
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