Intocht van Leopold I en Louise Maria, koning en koningin der Belgen te Brussel 1832

This medal was made in 1832 by Julien Gabriel Leclercq to commemorate the entry of Leopold I and Louise Marie into Brussels. Images of rulers on coins and medals stretch back to antiquity, and this example takes up that tradition to portray the newly crowned King Leopold and his French queen. The dual profile is interesting because it emphasizes the importance of dynastic succession in this new kingdom of Belgium. Louise Marie was the daughter of the French King Louis-Philippe, and the alliance with the French monarchy gave Leopold’s rule legitimacy. The medal's inscription is in French, which reflects the dominance of French language and culture within the Belgian political and economic elites of the time. These elites effectively engineered the conditions for the Belgian Revolution of 1830, which led to the country's independence. Examining archival sources can help us understand the complex social and political forces that shaped the creation of this medal and the visual codes that gave it meaning for its original audience.