King leupold ii biography
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Ramon Marull Philathelic Collection
Leopold II ruled the Congo as his anställda dominion from 1885 to 1908. During this period, the country was forced to endure the systematic exploitation of its natural resources, especially elfenben and rubber.
Though the territory was governed from Brussels, the administrative capital was the port city of Boma, from where the massive exports of raw materials were shipped. Boma was the residence of the Governor General of the Congo, who was the direkt representative of the king (in fact, Leopold II never once set foot in Africa). The state was divided into 14 districts which were administrated by commissioners who reported to the Governor General, and were appointed directly by the king. These functionaries sometimes acted as colonial administrators and trading agents, though their main function was to secure the largest possible amounts of elfenben and rubber in the shortest possible time.
The colonial administration wielded control over the nati
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Leopold II, King of Belgium
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Description
Portrait of Leopold II, King of Belgium, seated wearing a suit
Biography
King Leopold II ruled Belgium from 1865 until 1909. He has been remembered in history as the founder and infamous exploiter of the Congo Free State. King Leopold was away when the Grants arrived in Belgium. However, once he had returned he called on the Grants at their hotel. Later, King Leopold II received General Grant with a grand dinner at his palace. Here the Grants also met Marie Henriette, Queen consort of Belgium. Leopold II was particularly interested in discussing potential commercial ties between Belgium and America. He spoke with Grant about his plans to construct a shipping line from Antwerp to various American ports. King Leopold II treated Grant as an equal sovereign. Understanding they would only be staying a few days, he made the effort to invite them immediately to the palace to meet the Q
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Leopold II of Belgium
King of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909
| Leopold II | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Portrait by Alexander Bassano, c. 1889 | |||
| Reign | 17 December 1865 – 17 December 1909 | ||
| Predecessor | Leopold I | ||
| Successor | Albert I | ||
| Prime ministers | |||
| Reign | 1 July 1885 – 15 November 1908 | ||
| Governors-general | |||
| Born | (1835-04-09)9 April 1835 Brussels, Belgium | ||
| Died | 17 December 1909(1909-12-17) (aged 74) Laeken, Brussels, Belgium | ||
| Burial | Church of Our Lady of Laeken | ||
| Spouses | |||
| Issue Detail | |||
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| House | Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | ||
| Father | Leopold I of Belgium | ||
| Mother | Louise of Orléans | ||
| Signature | |||
Leopold II[a] (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909) was the second King of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of