Huwelijk van Leopold I, koning der Belgen en Louise van Orleans te Compiegne 1832

This bronze medal was made by M. Borrel to commemorate the marriage of Leopold I, King of the Belgians, to Louise of Orleans in 1832. Royal marriages were never just about love; they were highly political affairs. The union of Leopold, a German prince, to Louise, daughter of the French King Louis-Philippe, was a strategic alliance aimed at solidifying Belgium’s newly-formed monarchy after its independence from the Netherlands in 1830. The medal uses visual codes to express this. On one side, we see the conjoined profiles of Leopold and Louise, symbolizing unity. The inscription on the reverse, framed by a wreath of roses, declares "Union of Two Peoples," highlighting the intended message of harmony and mutual benefit. Consider this medal within the context of 19th-century European power dynamics and the role of monarchy. It's a reminder that art, even in the form of a small commemorative object, is deeply embedded in the social, political, and institutional frameworks of its time. Further research into the archives of the Belgian monarchy and French diplomatic records would shed more light on the marriage.