Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/764

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

408

BELGIUM.

(ROYAUME DE BeLGIQUE.)

Reigning King.

Leopold II., born April 9, 1835, the son of King Leopold I., former Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and of Princess Louise, daughter of the late King Louis Philippe of the French ; ascended the throne at the death of his father, Dec. 10, 1865 ; married, Aug. 22, 1853, to Queen Marie Henriette, born Aug. 23, 1836, the daughter of the late Archduke Joseph of Austria.

Children of the King.

I. Princess Louise, born Feb. 18, 1858; married, February 4, 1875, to Prince Philip of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, born March 28, 1844, eldest son of Prince August, cousin of the reigning duke, and of Princess Clementine of Orleans, daughter of the late King Louis Philippe of the French.

J I. Pwaicess Stejihanie, born May 21, 1864 ; married to the late Archduke Diede Rudolf, only son of the Emperor of Aus- tria and King of Hungary, May 10, 1881 ; widow January 30, 1889.

III. Princess Clementine, born July 30, 1872.

Brother and Sister of the King.

I. Philippe, Count of Flanders, born March 24, 1837 ; lieutenant-general in the service of Belgium ; married, April 25, 1867, to Princess Marie of HohenzoUern-Sigmaringen. Offspring of the union are three children living : — 1. Princess Henriette, born November 30, 1870 ; married February 12, 1896, to Prince Emmanuel of Orleans, Due de YendOme. 2. Princess Josephine, born October 18, 1872 ; married, May 28, 1894, to Prince Cliarles-Antoine of Holienzollern. 3, Prince Albert, born April 8, 1875.

II. Princess Charlotte, born June 7, 1840 ; married, July 27, 1857, to Arch- duke Maximilian of Austria, elected Emperor of Mexico July 10, 1863 ; widow June 19, 1867.

King Leopold II. has a civil list of 3,300,000 francs.

The Kingdom of Belgium formed itself into an independent State in 1830, having previously been a part of the Netherlands. The secession was decreed on October 4, 1830, by a Provisional Government, established in consequence of a revolution which broke out at Brussels on August 25, 1 830. A National Congress