Delacroix, who was of French origin, met the king in Paris as a young girl, when she was only 16 and he was At that time, she earned her living from prostitution. They soon embarked upon a relationship that was to last until his death in Leopold lavished upon her large sums of money, estates, gifts, and a noble title, baronne de Vaughan Baroness Vaughan.
Because of these presents, Caroline was deeply unpopular both among the Belgian people and internationally, as Leopold became increasingly criticized for his greed-induced actions in the Congo Free State , his own personal colony.
She and Leopold married in a religious ceremony five days before his death, though their failure to perform a civil ceremony rendered the marriage void under Belgian law. After the king's death, it was soon discovered that he had left Caroline numerous properties, items of high material value, Congolese bonds, and other valuable sources of income β all of which turned her into a multimillionaire.
For years, the Belgian government and Leopold's three estranged daughters attempted to recover some of this wealth, with their success varying depending on the case. Caroline died on 12 February in Cambo-les-Bains , France. There remains a small degree of mystery concerning Caroline's early life. Various sources assert that Caroline was a prostitute living in Paris.
He is a very high personage, but his exalted position obliges me to withhold his name". A meeting was arranged for the following day; Caroline went to a secluded room, where Leopold arrived with two aides.
