Leopold II of Belgium

King Leopold II (April 9, 1835 – December 17, 1909) succeeded his father, Leopold I of Belgium, to the Belgian throne in 1865 as Leopold II, King of the Belgians, and remained king until his death.

Sourced

• "The Congo Free State is unique in its kind. It has nothing to hide and no secrets and is not beholden to anyone except its founder."
  • Clive Foss, The Tyrants: 2500 Years of Absolute Power and Corruption, London: Quercus Publishing, 2006, ISBN 1905204965
• "I do not want to miss a good chance of getting us a slice of this magnificent African cake."
  • Thomas Pakenham, The Scramble for Africa: White Man's Conquest of the Dark Continent From 1876 to 1912, New York: Avon Books, 1992, 22.

Unsourced

• "La musique est un bruit qui coûte cher."
  • Translation: Music is an expensive noise.

• "Petit pays, petit esprit."
  • Translation: Small country, small minds.
  • Commenting on the unwillingness of the parliament and people of Belgium to engage in colonial adventures.