Leopold II of the Belgians & Queen Marie Henriette (Archduchess of Austria)

She was "the stable boy" while her husband was known as "the nun"...

Queen Marie Henriette

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The religious marriage of Leopold II and Baroness Vaughan
Source: ansichtskarten-center

Scandalous !!! 

Leopold and Marie Henriette at the beginning of their marriage :

The "Nun" & The "Stable Boy".

The "Nun" & The "Stable Boy".

Queen Victoria who appreciated and knew well the couple, wrote on their subject, shortly after their marriage : " On all the subjects, I found her (Marie Henriette) particularly intelligent and sound in mind, very educated and very cultivated. All these gifts give her a net superiority on Léo and unfortunately, there is no community of tastes and ideas between them ".

I agree with Theo Aronson that Leo set up to break his wife's high spirits and turned her into a sour old woman.

The duchess of Brabant and her two brothers Stephane, ex palatine of Hungary, and Joseph spouses of a niece of Léopold Ier, to Wiesbaden :



Marie Henriette had remained very attached to her native family and returned her frequent visits.

Love to see a picture of Marie Henriette and her elder sister Elisabeth. They look very similar as young women. :-)