# Leopold III of Belgium

> He surrendered Belgium to the Nazis in 1940 and spent the war under house arrest — a decision his own government called unconstitutional. When he finally came home in 1950, the country nearly tore itself apart.

*King of the Belgians from 1934 to 1951 (1901–1983)*

**Canonical URL:** https://fame.am/person/leopold-iii-of-belgium

## Identity
- **Profile type:** Historical Figure ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2798645))
- **Category:** Historical Figures
- **Born:** 1901-11-03
- **Died:** 1983-09-25
- **Status:** deceased
- **Gender:** male

## Bio

Leopold became King of the Belgians on 23 February 1934. When Germany invaded in May 1940, he surrendered his country over the objections of Prime Minister Hubert Pierlot, who fled to London and declared the act unconstitutional. The Germans placed Leopold and his family under house arrest until 1944, when they were moved to Germany, then Austria, and finally liberated by the Americans. His first wife, Astrid of Sweden, had died in a road accident in Switzerland in August 1935 — Leopold was driving when the car hit a tree. In captivity in 1941, he married Lilian Baels in a morganatic union that violated Belgian law by holding the religious ceremony before the civil one; when Lilian became pregnant, they formalized it civilly on 6 December 1941, though she was never permitted the title of queen. Banned from Belgium for years, his brother Prince Charles served as regent. Leopold's return in 1950 nearly sparked civil war and secessionist calls in Wallonia. Under pressure, he abdicated in favour of his son Baudouin on 16 July 1951.

## Fame
- **Popularity score:** 63.0 / 100
- **Momentum:** 9.5 / 100  (trend: STABLE)
- **Historical depth:** 26.3 / 100
- **Now attention:** 3.6 / 100
- **Source confidence:** 60.0 / 100
- **Profile completeness:** 60.0 / 100
- **Category rank:** #244

## Topics
#Politicians, #Historical Figure, #Royalty, #Politics, #Photography, #20th Century

## Sources
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III_of_Belgium)
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12973)
- [Pantheon 2.0](https://pantheon.world/profile/person/Leopold%20III%20of%20Belgium)
- [Leopoldo III de Belchica](https://an.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopoldo_III_de_Belchica)
- [ليوبولد الثالث (ملك بلجيكا)](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB_(%D9%85%D9%84%D9%83_%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%A7))
- [ليوبولد التالت ملك بلجيكا](https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA_%D9%85%D9%84%D9%83_%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%A7)
- [اۆچونجو لئوپولد](https://azb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%DB%86%DA%86%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%88_%D9%84%D8%A6%D9%88%D9%BE%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AF)
- [III Leopold](https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/III_Leopold)
- [Леапольд III (кароль Бельгіі)](https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B4_III_(%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C_%D0%91%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B3%D1%96%D1%96))
- [Леополд III](https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B4_III)
- [Leopold III a Velgia](https://br.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III_a_Velgia)
- [Leopold III, kralj Belgijanaca](https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III%2C_kralj_Belgijanaca)
- [Leopold III de Bèlgica](https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III_de_B%C3%A8lgica)
- [Leopold III. Belgický](https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III._Belgick%C3%BD)
- [Leopold III, brenin Gwlad Belg](https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III%2C_brenin_Gwlad_Belg)
- [Leopold 3. af Belgien](https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_3._af_Belgien)
- [Leopold III. (Belgien)](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III._(Belgien))
- [Λεοπόλδος Γ΄ του Βελγίου](https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%9B%CE%B5%CE%BF%CF%80%CF%8C%CE%BB%CE%B4%CE%BF%CF%82_%CE%93%CE%84_%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%92%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%B3%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85)
- [Leopoldo la 3-a (Belgio)](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopoldo_la_3-a_(Belgio))
- [Leopoldo III de Bélgica](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopoldo_III_de_B%C3%A9lgica)
- [Léopold III](https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9opold_III)
- [Leopoldo III.a Belgikakoa](https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopoldo_III.a_Belgikakoa)
- [لئوپولد سوم](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%84%D8%A6%D9%88%D9%BE%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AF_%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%85)
- [Leopold III (Belgia)](https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III_(Belgia))
- [Léopold III (roi des Belges)](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9opold_III_(roi_des_Belges))
- [Wikiquote](https://bn.wikiquote.org/wiki/%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%83%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC_%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%93%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A1_(%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE))
- [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Leopold_III_of_Belgium)
- [Wikiquote](https://fr.wikiquote.org/wiki/L%C3%A9opold_III_(roi_des_Belges))
- [Wikiquote](https://pl.wikiquote.org/wiki/Leopold_III_Koburg)
- [Leopold III van België](https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_III_van_Belgi%C3%AB)

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