Queen Mathilde's Family - d'Udekem d'Acoz

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

From Point de Vue

Elisabeth and her (then still) fiancé Alfonso Pallavicini were at the wedding of count Nicolas du Chastel de la Howarderie and countess Soline de Looz-Corswarem in Buvrinnes. The reception was held at the castle of Bois-le-Compte in Buvrinnes, property of the bride's parents.

1. the married couple with the brideschildren, dressed in the court style of Mary of Hungary.
2. archduke Rudolphe of Austria and his wife, archduchess Marie Gabrielle
3. Antonio Becherucci and countess Aurore de Limburg Stirum
4. the marquis and marchioness de Cossé Brissac
5. countess Elisabeth d'Udekem d'Acoz, marquis Alfonso Pallavicini, Honorine de Cock de Rameyen and countess Louis de Limburg Stirum
6. archduke and archduchess Carl Peter of Austria with Isabelle Goldsmith-Patiño
7. princess Hélène d'Orléans and infanta Pilar of Spain.

 

[Eva-Britt]

Congratulations for the couple ! I was wondering if they speak French with each other because I read the mass was in Italian, German and English ...

 

[Anna Nowak]

Mathilde is half-Polish - do you know about it?

Mathilde's mother Anna Komorowska is a Polish countess. Her grandfather Leon Komorowski was a count, her grandmother Zofia Sapieha was a member of one of the most powerful aristocratic families in Poland - she was a princess. Anna's family left Poland after II world war, when Poland was under communist regime. They lost everything. I suppose they were forced to leave. First they had moved to Congo, few years later they moved to Belgium. Since then - they have had to earn a living. I don't know much about Belgian gentry, I don't know too much about d'Udekem d'Acoz family - but I think they weren't well known in Belgium - just one of many noble families. The Sapieha family was at the top of Polish society for centuries. Mathilde doesn't speak Polish, but she remembers her background. I think it should be mentioned sometimes that she's half-Polish, her maternal grandparents were members of two (Sapieha and Komorowski) families well-deserved for Poland. Believe me - their history would be a great material for a film.

 

[Coquine]

Thank you for this interesting explanation. I didn't know that yet (although I have to say that I know very little about our royal family, just the general facts). However, I dare to say that even before the mariage of Mathilde & Philippe, the d'Udekem d'Acoz family was already quite known in Belgium because of the disputes between the brothers and Henri being mayor of Poperinge.

 

[Snoepy]

i thought mathilde did speak polish

 

[Anna Nowak]

I mean - Mathilde's mother married beneath her. I don't think about money and wealth, but about position.

 

[magnik]

No, she doesn't speak, but she little understand what someone say to her on Polish. She also can say few words on Polish.
I remember when she and Phillipe was in Poland few years ago and our former First Lady Jolanta Kwaśniewska welcome Mathilde and said Dzień dobry./Good morning. Mathilde anwsered to her the same on Polish.


Btw. about the Countess Komorowska's wedding - maybe anyone know the guest list or know where to find photos of her wedding?

 

[Emily]

I am curious what the disputes were between Mathilde's fathers and his brothers. What is that about? And do you know how many siblings each of Mathilde's parents has -- who is living and where?

 

[Regina]

I think there was a recent disput betwen Mathild's father and uncle. I think it was about some farms or some property that her uncle sold without his brother's permission, but maybe someone can tell us more about it.

 

[Anna Nowak]

Princess Sofia Sapieha-Kodenska (1919-1997), m.1942 Count Leon Komorowski (1907-1992)
Their children:
Countess Gabriella Komorowska (*1943)
Countess Róża Komorowska (*1945)
Countess Anna Komorowska (*1946)
Count Michał Komorowski (*1953)
Countess Krystyna Komorowska (*1955)
Countess Maria Komorowska (*1958)
They left Poland in 1957 - so, all their children (except Maria) - were born there).

 

[magnik]

Patrick's parents:
Charles baron d'Udekem d'Acoz since 1921 (1885-1968) "Ancien bourgmestre de Proven (Flandre occidentale)" married twice:
1) XX
2) 1933 Suzanne van Outryve d'Ydewalle (1898-1983). Children:
1. Henri, baron d'Ud'A, comte d'Ud'A (1999) (1933 in Proven- ) "Président du Conseil provincial de Flandre occidentale et bourgmestre de Poperinge. Il a aussi été bourgmestre de Proven et avocat au barreau d'Ypres."
2. Raoul, comte (1999) (1935 in Uccle - ) married to X de Maere d'Aertrycke. Children:
-1. Anne (1961 in Courtrai- )
-2. Diana (1963- ) married to X de Lhoneux (I think) - 6 children
-3. Bernard (1965- ) married to X Verhaege (I think) - 3 children
-4. Nadine (1968- ) married to X - 2 children
3. Patrick, comte (1999)

From: http://geneweb.inria.fr/roglo?lang=en&m=NG&n=d%27udekem+d%27acoz&t=PN

 

[magnik]

Anna Maria's parents:
Leon Michał, comte Komorowski (1907-1992) married 1942 to princess Zofia Sapiecha (1919-1997). All children bear the title of count and countess:
1. Gabriel Maria (1943 in Siedliska- )
2. Róża (Rose) Maria (1945 in Cracow- ) married 1969 to Jean Michel Maus de Rolley (1943- )
-1. Sophie (1972- ) married to Christopher Fery
-2. Xavier (1973-1996)
-3. Bernard
3. Anna Maria (1946 in Białogard, near Koszalin- ) married Patrick -civil 1.IX.1971 - Forville, church 11.IX.1971 -Hannut;
4. Michał Leon (1953 in Cracow- ) married 1976 to Dominique Willems (1956- ). Childrens are counts and was born in Liege.
-1. Leon Godefroi (197
-2. Rudolf (1980- )
-3. Charlotta (1981- )
-4. Maria Jadwiga (1989- )
5. Krystyna Maria (1955 in Cracow- ) married c.1984 to Alain de Brabant
-1. Pierre Ladislaus
-2. Noemie MArie
-3. Benedicte Chantal
-4. Clotilde Isabelle
-5. Jean Baptiste
-6. Martin Bernard
6. Maria Teresa (1958 in Gomo, Congo- ) married to Gerard Braun.
-1. Xavier
-2. Olivier.

From: http://genealog.home.pl/

 

[Roxsteve]

Her family looks so classy. She is definitely the perfect CP!

 

[Anna Nowak]

http://genealog.home.pl/ - There are Mathilde's maternal grandparents pictures. I hope it works.

 

[Anna Nowak]

Go to this site:
- choose language
- go to "Dynasties and Aristocratic Families"
- choose "s" and go to "Sapieha" - find Zofia Sapieha (poge 15 - with a small camera on the right) - There are some information about her and her family, and her picture (she was a beautiful lady).

Zofia Sapieha and her granddaughter Marie-Alix d'Udekem d'Acoz died in 1997 in a car accident.

More about family:
Sapieha

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Sapieha (Belarusian: Сапега; Lithuanian Sapiega) is a Polish-Lithuanian princely family descending from medieval boyars of Smolensk.[1] Family acquired great influence in the 16th century.

History

The creator of fortune and power of the Sapieha family was Court and Great Chancellor and Great Hetman of Lithuania Lew Sapieha, a powerful magnate.
On September 14, 1700 Michal Franciszek Sapieha obtained the title of Prince from Emperor Leopold I. The title became extinct upon his death on November 19, 1700. In 1768 members of the Sapieha family obtained recognition of the princely title from the Polish Sejm. After the partitions of Poland, the family appeared in the list of persons authorised to bear the title of Prince of the Kingdom of Poland in 1824. The title was recognised in Austria in 1836 and 1840, and in Russia in 1874 and 1901. In 1905 the family obtained the qualification of Serene Highness in Austria.

Coat of Arms and Motto

The Sapieha family used the "Lis" arms and their motto was: ?

Members

• Lew Sapieha (1557-1633), Court Chancellor and Great Hetman of Lithuania
• Kazimierz Lew Sapieha (1609-1656), Marshal of the Crown, son of Lew Sapieha
• Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Younger, (ca. 1642–1720), Field Hetman
• Michal Franciszek Sapieha (1670-1700), General, Koniuszy
• Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Elder (?–1730), Grand Hetman of Lithuania
• Jan Fryderyk Sapieha (1680–1751), Grand Recorder of Lithuania
• Teresa Sapieha (?-c.1784), was married to Hieronim Florian Radziwill and Joachim Karol Potocki
• Kazimierz Nestor Sapieha (1757-1798), political activist, General
• Anna Zofia Sapieha (1799-1864), was married to Adam Jerzy Czartoryski
• Leon Sapieha (1803-1878), political and economic activist
• Adam Stefan Cardinal Sapieha (1867-1951), Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal

 

[Emily]

What does Mathilde's father do, or what did he do, for a living?

 

[magnik]

I've found some info about d'Udekem d'Acoz family on the Dutch Wikipedia.
(Maybe someone can translate it or told what is write there.)

Patrick d’Udekem d’Acoz werd geboren te Ukkel op 28 april 1936, als de jongste zoon. Hij bracht zijn jeugd door in Proven. Na zijn studies als landbouwkundige vestigde hij zich in 1958 in de Provincie Luxemburg, waar hij in de bosbouw werkzaam was. Hij is tevens oud-Burgemeester van Villers-la-Bonne-Eau (Provincie Luxemburg). Nadien was hij nog Gemeenteraadslid van de stad Bastenaken en Provincieraadslid van de Provincie Luxemburg.
Ook is hij Ere-Reserve-Luitenant-kolonel bij de Luchtmacht en op dit ogenblik Consulair Rechter aan de Handelsrechtbank te Neufchâteau.
Het echtpaar woont nu in het Kasteel van Losange, een kasteel in Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, nabij Bastenaken, dat indertijd het toneel vormde voor de prinselijke verloving tussen Kroonprins Umberto van Savoie en Marie-José van België. Zeer recent maakte het paar de verloving van hun dochter Elisabeth bekend, met prins Alfonso Pallavincini.

More about d'Udekem d'Acoz family:http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Udekem_d%27Acoz

And two more:
http://users.skynet.be/koen.hendrickx/udekem/voorvaderen.html
http://www.angelfire.com/in/heinbruins/Udekem.html

 

[Prinses Lauren10]

TRANSLATED:

Patrick d Udekem d Acoz was born at Ukkel on 28 April 1936, as the youngest zoon. He spent its youth in Proven. After its studies as an agronomist he established himself in 1958, in the province Luxembourg, where he was in sylviculture operative. He is tevens oud-Burgemeester of Villers-la-Bonne-Eau (province Luxembourg). Afterwards he still municipality Council member of the city bast Aachen and province Council member of the province was Luxembourg.
Also he is Ere-Reserve-Luitenant-kolonel at the air power and on this moment consular judge to the trade court at Neufchâteau.
The couple lives now in the castle of Losange, a castle in Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, near bast Aachen that originally it stage formed for the princely verloving between crown prince Umberto van Savoie and Marie-José of Belgium. Very recent made the couple confessed the verloving of their for the Elisabeth, with prince Alfonso Pallavincini

 

[magnik]

Thanks a lot Princes Lauren10

 

[Emily]

Thank you for the explanation! There are some words I don't understand though....what is sylviculture? And what is a tevens oud-Burgemeester?

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Thank you for the explanation! There are some words I don't understand though....what is sylviculture? And what is a tevens oud-Burgemeester?

oud-burgemeester = ex mayor

"He studied to be an agronomist, specialized in forestry.He was for many years the mayor of Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, the small town where Mathilde and her family have always lived.
he has also been the local councillor of the city Bastogne, and now he's a judge at the court of commerce in Neufchâteau."

 

[Emily]

Thanks for the help, Catherine!

 

[Fie]

The row between count Patrick and his brothers Raoul and Henri has more than one cause.
There was some discussions about the inheritance of their parents belongings, I believe it was Patrick against the other two. That may have been the reason for Count Patrick to buy Losanges in order to get some distance between him and his siblings.
But the Count is still very attached to his childhood home in Proven, near Poperinge and still has a family grave there. Daughter Marie-Alix was burried in Proven if I remember correctly. He also wanted his children to learn Dutch so CP Mathilde went to stay with in Proven with her uncle Henri (or was it Raoul). Count Patrick also bought a little cottage in Proven. But a few years later his brother Henri (mayor of Proven) condemned the cottage (meaning that the cottage was in a terrible state that he couldn't allow anyone to live in it). Count Henri claims he didn't know his brother was the owner, Count Patrick states exactly the opposite. Don't know how it was solved though.

Count Henri married a few years back at Christmas. His wife to be was the widow of one of his best friends. And I believe he's not the mayor of Proven anymore...

The engagement of Marie-Jose and Umberto was indeed finalised at Losange, but also another famous couple spend some lovely days there. In the 1930's the castle belonged to a lady-in-waiting of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. Crown Prince Leopold (the later king Leopold III) was a frequent guest there. There is also some evidence that princess Astrid of Sweden (later Queen Astrid) was invited to Belgium so it is suggested that some of the pictures taken in the spring/summer of 1926 of Crown Prince Leopold fishing on the estate were taken by princess Astrid. Astrid does not appear on any of the photo's though, but they did visit the castle soon after their honeymoon and there seem to be some pictures of that event, although I have never seen them.

 

[Hannelore]

the castle of Losange was originally bought by count Patrick d'Udekem's mother.

When she died, she had made practically no will. That's when the row between the brothers started, about who was entitled to how much. Before her death she had already passed on the estate of Losange to Patrick (probably because he was specialized in forestry).

A few years ago there was a court case between the brothers. Patrick wanted to rebuild a little house that was completely in ruin. The house was on a piece of land in Proven (part of Poperinge), at the time Henri was mayor of Proven. He did not want to usher a building permit because the house was in ruin. According to Patrick, Henri used his function to deny him something that he was entitled to (in Dutch this is called "belangenvermenging", no idea what it is in English).

Patrick won this case but he still doesn't have the permit.

The reason Patrick was so keen to get this building permit was because his daughter Marie-Alix is burried close to the house in ruin, in the family grave, a long way from the castle of Losange.

Intresting to know is that Patrick's daughter Hélène acted as his lawyer.

None of the brothers has ever turned to the media in this case, they tried to keep it indoors. Didn't really work of course.

Some mini pics of the house in ruin (ww.gva.be):

 

[Marengo]

As posted by Zoe Louise on the Benelux Royals MB, very charming...

[FONT=verdana, arial](Translated)
FATHER OF PRINCESS MATILDE PUTS FAMILY PROBLEMS ON DISPLAY...IN A TV PROGRAM
The father the future queen of the Belgians, Patrick d' Udekem d' Acoz, after three years of verbal and legal confrontations with his brother Henri, has decided to count the problems of the family through a magazine and a program of television to put to the Belgian citizens to the last current of trifulcas between the d' Udekem d' Acoz. Patrick and Henri have been years discussing by the inheritance of their late mother and by a house in ruinous state that Patrick bought at the end of the Nineties in Poperinge (Flandes the West) for his Heléne daughter and rest of the family, in Proven, the native Earth of the grandparents to pater to us of princess Matilde. The house, declared in 1999 like unhealthy inhabitable and by a municipal decree emitted by Henri d' Udekem d' Acoz, then, mayor of that locality, was sold by this one without previous warning having created a conflict of interests between the families that has not been able to solve. Perhaps the father of the princess accused in his televising appearance to his brother Henri of to him to have threatened of death two years ago recalling the style aristocrat with whom the horsemen of their ancestry solved to their differences and their insults: “If he now had to turn around, he killed to you right here. The father of the Princess described to his brother Henri like “a vulgar thief, a pathological mentiroso, a manipulator and a tyrant”. Patrick d' Udekem added that, before the continuous threats, he had taken precautions and that its daughter, princess Matilde, “supports to me completely”.
[/FONT]

Link: http://www.hola.com/casasreales/2007/03/08/belgica-escandalo//​

 

[Henri M.]

TRANSLATED:
Council member of the city bast Aachen
Elisabeth, with prince Alfonso Pallavincini

bast Aachen = a misspelling of Bastogne (in french) or Bastenaken (in Dutch)

And Alfonso Pallavincini is no Prince but a Marchioness.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



BRUSSELS - Belgium has a royal family by which the press licks off its fingers: at least one scandal in every week.


This time it are the father and the uncles of Belgium's future Queen whom are rolling over the street in a fight. Well, that is an euphemism: Patrick Comte d'Udekem d'Acoz (Mathilde's father) accuses his brother Henri for threathening him to death, two years ago: 'If I had a gun right now, I would kill you right now!' so stated Mathilde's uncle, whose noble family was founded in an era, that this kind of problems were settled with a blanc sable in the early hours.

Mathilde’s father has sought the media and tells his story in three episodes in a gossip magazine. He had no problems at all to appear on Belgian television yesterday and hang his family's dirty laundry out of the window. He openly named his brother Henri 'an ordinary thief, a pathological liar, a manipulator and a tyrant'.

But Princess Mathilde's father, Patrick Comte d'Udekem d'Acoz, has no message to that. 'She [Mathilde] supports me completely and I have taken my precautions against my brother'.

 

[Aurora810]

Her family looks so classy. She is definitely the perfect CP!

I know this was orignally posted back in August of 2006 but still just more than 7 months later and I'm not so sure we could say this now. Just goes to show you how quick things can change. It seems really common to air ones dirty laundry and use ones connection to a royal family in doing that is popular right now.

 

[flcty]

BRUSSELS - Belgium has a royal family by which the press licks off its fingers: at least one scandal in every week.

It is all about a mansion in a state of decay, situated in the West-Flemish municipality of Poperinge. It was acquired by Patrick Comte d'Udekem d'Acoz (Mathilde's father) but his elder brother Henri, who accidentally is Mayor of Poperinge, declared this property uninhabitable, making it worthless. This caused bad temper between the brothers.

Mathilde’s father has sought the media and tells his story in three episodes in a gossip magazine. He had no problems at all to appear on Belgian television yesterday and hang his family's dirty laundry out of the window. He openly named his brother Henri 'an ordinary thief, a pathological liar, a manipulator and a tyrant'.

The royal family, that already has to deal with an illegitimate daughter by King Albert, an Heir that commits the one stupidity after the other, a Prince which lets his villa to be renovated with Defence money and a Princess which is heavily involved in a Flemish/Walloon war inside the Belgian Red Cross, now scrupulously tries to remain stoney silent.

But Princess Mathilde's father, Patrick Comte d'Udekem d'Acoz, has no message to that. 'She [Mathilde] supports me completely and I have taken my precautions against my brother'.

I think it was very stupid of Patrick to go and tell a gossip magazine about his "little" issue and drag Mathilde and the already "shaky" and "damaged" Belgium Royal Family into it by saying that his daughter supports him. I beleive that Mathilde has made a huge mistake by taking sides and telling her father that she supports him - this might be the evidence that some people need to suggest that the BRF [can't think of an adjective to fit this situation]..rotton/no family values/power hungry. I think that this little debarcle over some property between two brothers is going to the extreme - calling your own brother a liar/manipulator and a tyrant [I'm sorry but who uses the word tyrant now-a-days to describe a family member it's not the 1600's its the 21st century]. Sorry if I sound like I'm bashing good "angelic", "intelligent" Mathilde; I write this post just to say that if Mathilde has made any mistakes so far as CP it is this.

 

[Henri M.]

- calling your own brother a liar/manipulator and a tyrant [I'm sorry but who uses the word tyrant now-a-days to describe a family member it's not the 1600's its the 21st century

You forget that the Messires Henri, Patrick and Raoul d'Udekem d'Acoz are scions of a mediaeval noble dynasty, all grew up with martial portraits of ancestors, with harnesses, crests and swords hanging all around at the family castle. 'Thou art a Tyrant!' maybe is common conversation at family dinners.

 

[Aurora810]

'Thou art a Tyrant!'

Funny Henri, very funny. Maybe I should try and slip "Thou art a tyrant" into my family gathering I have to go to tomorrow it could liven the event up or get me quite a few stares.