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

[Marengo]

'nonkel Henri' - uncle Henri - Count Henri d'Udekem d'Acoz - has died at the age of 87 (the Wallonian press claims he was 88). The former mayor of Poperinge and uncle of Queen Mathilde passed away on the night of sunday to monday in his house 't Couthof in Proven, near Popperinge in West-Flanders.

https://www.sudinfo.be/id413779/art...cle-henri-dudekem-dacoz-est-decede-lage-de-88

https://www.rtl.be/people/royautes/la-reine-mathilde-endeuillee-son-oncle-est-decede-1321750.aspx

https://www.dhnet.be/actu/belgique/...poperinge-est-decede-612cb9187b50a601fe6d5b09

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2021/08/30/d_udekem/

 

[An Ard Ri]

Wasn't he involved in a financial scandal some years back?

 

[Marengo]

Yes, there was a scandal in 2015 where Henri and two others were accused of defrauding a man from Ingelmunster for 100.000 Euros. Although first convicted the count was acquited in 2016. His lawyer claims that the count was to gullible / trusting.

There were other issues. From 1999 to 2009 the count and his brother Raoul were in a public fight with their younger brother Patrick (father of Mathilde). Raoul called his brother a 'show off' while Henri called him a 'psychopat'. Patrick claimed that the inheritance of their parents was not shared equally. He claimed his elder brothers received 'much more' than him and accused them of jealousy.

The matter escalated when Patrick bought a farm in Proven. Henri - the mayor at the time- declared the farm ininhabitable. Patrick accused his brother of abusing his power as mayor and of conflict of interest. Soem sources claim that the three brothers made amends shortly before the death of Patrick and both attended his funeral. Though other sources say the family rift was only mended a year after Patrick's death.

In 2010 count Henri was warned by the monument association for the neglect of his castle 't Couthof. He promissed that he would pay more attention and later donated the castle to his nephew Count Bernard 'd Udekem d'Acoz, son of Count Raoul and future the head of the family. Earlier he stated that the castle would become property of Pss Mathilde, which was strongly denied by the palace.

In 2010 his membership of the Flemish christian democrat party -of which he was a member for 40 years- was suspended, as they claimed he became a member of the N-VA - a Flemish seperatist party. The NV-A denied that Henri was a member but he did ask for an information package.

The count was a bachelor for most of his life. He claimed that -as a lawyer- he had witnessed way to many divorces. In 2005 he surprised everybody when he married Jkvr. Marie-Madeleine Kervyn d'Oud Mooregehm, member of a noble family that originates in Ghent and was the widow of Knight Roland van Havre, a good friend of Henri. She has three children from her first marriage: Muriel - wife of Viscount Philippe de Biolley, Micheline, who married Bruno Masure and Ivan, who married a woman from Texas.

 

[rominet09]

I wonder if the rift between him and his brother's family was ever solved ?
And if Mathilde's family had a relationship with him.

 

[maria-olivia]

Comte Henri passed away !

 

[eya]

Funeral of Count Henri d'Udekem d'Acoz in Poperinge today 3 September

https://www.rexfeatures.com/set/12408623

 

[iceflower]

Here’s another gallery of the funeral today:


** gettyimages gallery **

 

[An Ard Ri]

Queen Mathilde and her sister Countess Elisabeth d'Udekem d'Acoz are very alike I actually thought it was the queen for a moment.

 

[rominet09]

Elisabeth becomes more and more beautiful with age !

 

[Mbruno]

Funeral of Count Henri d'Udekem d'Acoz in Poperinge today 3 September

https://www.rexfeatures.com/set/12408623

I haven't seen the photos, but did Queen Mathilde attend her uncle's funeral?

 

[Princess_Eleanor]

I haven't seen the photos, but did Queen Mathilde attend her uncle's funeral?

No, she didn't attend. The Palace has announced this week that Mathilde & Philippe are limiting their social contacts as one of their children has Covid-19. Sad that she couldn't be there.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Is Elisabeth still married to the marquis...I think his name is Pallavicini?

 

[maria-olivia]

Yes she is . She prepresented the late Count Patrick 's Family, I don't see Pictures of her Mother , Sister and Brother.

 

[leidi]

Yes she is . She prepresented the late Count Patrick 's Family, I don't see Pictures of her Mother , Sister and Brother.

Well, they had a long feud with him and some of his actions were not exactly commendable, so I'm not surprised.

Elisabeth is the second eldest (living) child of Patrick, so since Mathilde couldn't make it, I guess that's why she represented the family.

 

[Stefan]

Yes she is . She prepresented the late Count Patrick 's Family, I don't see Pictures of her Mother , Sister and Brother.

There are pics of Queen Mathilde's sister Hélène, her brother and her mother in the gettyimages picture gallery.

 

[maria-olivia]

I did not recognize the Queen's Mother with white Hair . Sorry for that !

 

[Biri]

According to Descendants of Baron Jacques Albert d'Udekem d'Acoz the Queen's only brother, Count Charles-Henri d'Udekem d'Acoz (b.1985) married Caroline Philippe this year.

Does anyone know more details?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

That is really totally new for me. There is nothing about it in media, while the marriages of Mathilde's sisters were events.

 

[sjetajiem]

Yes a very private wedding at Pont l'Evèque in Normandy on September 3rd 2022.

Source: Le figaro

 

[Biri]

Yes a very private wedding at Pont l'Evèque in Normandy on September 3rd 2022.

Source: Le figaro

So they are still not married, just engaged?

 

[rominet09]

2022 ? Is it a typing error for 2021 ?
I am surprised there were not anouncements in Belgian press, like his sisters.

 

[Marengo]

The link also says 2022, but without a date.

Perhaps he preferred to have a low-key wedding? Or perhaps the religious wedding still needs to take place? As the family has a castle at their disposal Losange/Villers-la-Bonne-Eau would have been an obvious choice for a bigger wedding.

He is the first one of the Udekem siblings and cousins to marry outside of the nobility, after esp. his sisters all had brilliant matches. In the link that was posted we can see that junior branches of the family have some marriages to non-nobles but not a lot.

 

[Alisa]

Is anything known about aside from her being non-noble.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

He is the first one of the Udekem siblings and cousins to marry outside of the nobility, after esp. his sisters all had brilliant matches.

I have noticed the same pattern in other families, for example the King of Sweden's nieces have largely married nobility whereas his nephews have married commoners. I wonder if it is due to the fact that, in most cases, a woman who marries above her rank is entitled to take on the social or even legal rank of her husband whereas the same does not hold true for a man.

So they are still not married, just engaged?

There have been numerous previous instances when the website to which you linked, heinbruins.nl, documented an announced future marriage before it had actually taken place.

 

[*Mara*]

The religious wedding will take place in Pont-L'Evêque on September 3rd 2022. It’s listed in the marriage announcement section on the homepage of Charles-Henri’s home parish in Bastogne.
https://www.paroisses-de-bastogne.be/annonces/mariages
So maybe the civil wedding will take place in Belgium (Bastogne, Brussels?) – if it didn’t happen already.
Caroline Philippe seems to be a Brussels based French investment manager, currently working for a philanthropy investment agency (all according to LinkedIn). Pont-L'Evêque is probably her hometown, hence the choice for a religious wedding in France. She seems to take great interest in sustainable agriculture/forestry which comes in handy for the management of the d'Udekem d'Acoz property.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

The religious wedding will take place in Pont-L'Evêque on September 3rd 2022. It’s listed in the marriage announcement section on the homepage of Charles-Henri’s home parish in Bastogne.
https://www.paroisses-de-bastogne.be/annonces/mariages
So maybe the civil wedding will take place in Belgium (Bastogne, Brussels?) – if it didn’t happen already.
Caroline Philippe seems to be a Brussels based French investment manager, currently working for a philanthropy investment agency (all according to LinkedIn). Pont-L'Evêque is probably her hometown, hence the choice for a religious wedding in France. She seems to take great interest in sustainable agriculture/forestry which comes in handy for the management of the d'Udekem d'Acoz property.

Thanks! Is there any indication of how much property Count Charles-Henri is expected to inherit? My understanding that the principles of forced heirship in Belgian succession laws would not permit noble families to settle all property on the eldest son (or any other given child) and disinherit the other siblings.

 

[rominet09]

Thanks! Is there any indication of how much property Count Charles-Henri is expected to inherit? My understanding that the principles of forced heirship in Belgian succession laws would not permit noble families to settle all property on the eldest son (or any other given child) and disinherit the other siblings.

You are right, the property is shared between the children, the only thing you can do is give more to one children.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

You are right, the property is shared between the children, the only thing you can do is give more to one children.

Or to place the property in hands of a foundation (établissement d'utilité publique). Then not a private person but a specially created legal entity owns the properties, with -for an example- members of the family d'Udekem d'Acoz in the management of said foundation.

That is the modern-day version of a fideï commis which was a remainder to a inheritance with the purpose to keep it together for the eldest son.

 

[Marengo]

In 2013 the Queen and her siblings already founded the Groupement Forestier de Losange , to protect the estate from falling apart.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

In 2013 the Queen and her siblings already founded the Groupement Forestier de Losange , to protect the estate from falling apart.

That is a S.P.R.L. (société de personnes à responsabilité limitée) a sort of private company structure. Very wise from the this branch of the d'Udekem d'Acoz family to keep their patrimonium together.