Leopold II of Belgium Quotes

I want it to be and it will be.

You just have to dare to succeed.

I do not want to miss a good chance of getting us a slice of this magnificent African cake.

We went to live in full Portuguese territory without the permission of Portugal. I don't quite understand our claim.

One aim of the hostilities is a reunification of Catholics under one crown, with the rivers as the northern boundary, to reach that goal we must launch a decisive attack on Amsterdam, depose the king, and at the very least let the people decide which government it prefers.

In the prosecution of these labours, the Committee of the Baptist Missionary Society desire gratefully to acknowledge the many signal and helpful proofs they have received of Your Gracious Majesty's approval and support; and very specially at this juncture they are pleased to express to Your Majesty their respectful appreciation of the great boon granted "to all religious, scientific and charitable institutions," by the reduction of direct and personal taxes by 50 per cent, from, on, and after the first day of July last, as proclaimed by Your Majesty's command in the May and June issues of the Bulletin officiel de I'Etat independant du Congo, which the Committee regard as a further and significant proof of Your Majesty's desire to promote the truest welfare of Your Majesty's Congo subjects, and to help forward all institutions calculated to produce enduring and beneficent results."

You don't have to worry in the least, because in Belgium you will be able to enjoy all the benefits with which I will shower you, choose your replacement carefully, and appoint him only with my approval, until then then you will remain on your post my faithful cloak. May God guide and support you in the missions I entrust to you for the sake of my subjects, I wish that all your duties have already been carried out, so that when you come to Belgium I can prove to you that I am a true friend my faithful cloak, I pray to God that he may protect you, Leopold.

If there is some way to hasten the introduction of civilization to the only part of the world where it has not entered and to interest the public in the matter. I would be flattered if Brussels became the headquarters of this humanitarian and scientific movement which, if it succeeded in developing, would mark the end of the century with a good deed.

Whoever has a cold is stupid, because he just had to avoid catching a cold.

Small country, small people.

I will give them my Congo, but they have no right to know what I did there.

These expeditions respond to an extraordinarily civilizing Christian idea: to abolish slavery in Africa, to dispel the darkness that still reigns in part of the world, to get to know the resources that seem gigantic, in short, pouring out the treasures of civilization, that's it. purpose of this modern crusade worthy of our era.

Our only programme is the work of moral and material re-generation.

If the knowledge of foreign languages is particularly useful in our time, that of national languages is a necessity. It is necessary to have them taught to the youth simultaneously, and it is to be desired that their use should become more and more common to all Belgians.

On the occasion of my 65th birthday, I wish to hand over to the State my properties that contribute to the attractiveness and beauty of the places where they are located.