HRH Prince Leopold of Saxe-Saalfeld-Coburg KG GCB GCH

Prince Leopold was the husband of Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of George, Prince Regent. He was born Leopold George Frederick on 16th Dec 1790, the youngest son of the the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. He had early military training and was a major-general at the age of 12. He met Napoleon in 1806 and was offered the job of adjutant with him, but he turned it down. He fought against the French at the battle of Kulm where he distinguished himself at the head of a cuirassier division.
He married Princess Charlotte on 2nd May 1816 and they were happy until she died on 6th Nov 1817. He was colonel of his wife's regiment, the 5th Dragoon Guards from 18th Oct 1816 until he became King of the Belgians in 1831. He had been offered the throne of the newly independent state of Greece in 1830 but turned down the job. But when Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in Oct 1830 he accepted the title of Leopold I King of the Belgians. One of his pet projects was the first railway in continental Europe, and this opened in 1835, connecting Brussels to Mechelen. Another of his projects was the marriage of his nephew, Prince Albert to Queen Victoria (his niece). He himself re-married, to Queen Louise-Marie in 1832 and they had four children before Louise-Marie died of TB in 1850. King Leopold died on 10th Dec 1865.

Regimental details | Colonels