Huwelijk van Leopold I, koning der Belgen en Louise van Orleans te Compiegne, ter ere van Lodewijk Filips, koning der Fransen 1832

This silver medal commemorates the marriage of Leopold I of Belgium to Louise of Orléans, celebrated in 1832. Raymond Gayrard, the artist, made it in honour of Louise's father, Louis-Philippe, King of the French. The medal embodies the political climate of post-Napoleonic Europe. On one side, Louis-Philippe, adorned with a laurel wreath, symbolizes the paternalistic ideal of kingship. The inscription emphasizes his role as a father figure to both his daughter and his country. The reverse shows the royal couple. This union was not merely a personal affair but a strategic alliance, reinforcing the ties between Belgium and France after the Belgian Revolution. The Rijksmuseum, like many national museums, plays a role in preserving and interpreting such artifacts, shaping our understanding of history. The medal becomes a lens through which we examine 19th-century European power dynamics. To truly understand the piece, historians consult diplomatic archives, royal family records, and period newspapers, to reveal the intricate social and institutional forces at play.