Leopold II of Belgium

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. This template should be removed from the article 4 October 2023.

Leopold II of Belgium (Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor; 1835 – 1909) was the second King of Belgium from 1865 to 1909 and the owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908. Leopold's administration as king was controversial due to the systematic brutality and crimes against humanity while as sovereign of the Congo Free State.

Biography

Born in Brussels in 1835, Leopold was the second eldest son of King Leopold I and Queen Consort Louise of Orléans. After the death of his father, he became the King of Belgium at the age of thirty. At the end of the Franco-Prussian War, he maintained neutrality and frequently communicated with the Austrian Templar Countess Konstanze von Visler about having Belgium saved from any more warfare.

In September 1876, Leopold orchestrated the Brussels Geographic Conference to gather experts and discuss global exploration. One expert happened to be Maynard Poole, a cartographer and Templar who held a map of known Pieces of Eden. At the conference, Leopold requested a meeting with Countess von Visler after seeing her, even as she was on a secret Assassin mission to kill Poole. After they discussed exploring new footholds in other parts of the world, Leopold also broached the same topic with the Welsh journalist Henry Morton Stanley, who was renowned for finding the lost Scottish explorer Dr. David Livingstone in Tanzania.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot (mentioned only)