General Discussion about Belgian Royal Residences

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Edit Marengo (31 Oct. 2008): This thread can be used for a general discussion about Belgian royal palaces, castle's, residences, parks, domains and other buildings with a connection to Belgian royalty.

[Josefine]

there are great castles in belgium
thank you so much for the info

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Here's the site of Flamant, an Belgian interior decoration shop where all the members of the Belgian RF are clients. (Albert, Paola, Philippe & Mathilde are regular customers; Claire & Laurent had a wedding list laying there and most of the furniture for Astrid's new home came from here).

http://www.flamant.com/

[Marengo]

Princess Lea, widow of prince ALexander, has put her castle in Belgian Luxembourg up for sale.

La princesse Léa vend son château dans le Luxembourg (PHOTOS) - La Libre

She bought the castle in 2011.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Princess Lea, widow of prince ALexander, has put her castle in Belgian Luxembourg up for sale.

La princesse Léa vend son château dans le Luxembourg (PHOTOS) - La Libre

She bought the castle in 2011.

What a wonderful house. That region is really full with beautiful stately homes.

[cdm]

Journalists from different organisations have put the Royal Donation under the microscope.

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2019/11...-the-taxpayer/

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/dossier...11/immo-royal/

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by cdm

Journalists from different organisations have put the Royal Donation under the microscope.

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2019/11/27/is-the-royal-family-milking-the-taxpayer/

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/dossiers/2019/11/immo-royal/

The controversy seems to be that, while the Royal Donation is an independent public trust which was supposed to be self-funded, taxpayer's money is actually used to pay for the maintenance of several buildings that belong to the trust.



The Royal Donation of course argues that public funds in those cases are justified because either there is a public interest (e.g. maintenance of historic buildings and parks, I presume, some of which open to the public), or the rent contract stipulates that the government must foot the maintenance bill (I am assuming that is the case for the PM's residence or offices that are rented out to the Belgian state).



One major difference of course between the Belgian Royal Donation and the UK's Crown Estate is that all of the Donation's surplus revenue , if I understand it correctly, goes back to the trust itself whereas the Crown Estate surrenders its surplus revenue to the UK Treasury and part of it reverts to the Royal House in the form of the Sovereign Grant.

[royalista]

Will the Belgian royal family still be able to use the properties owned by the Royal Trust if Belgium becomes a republic?

[carlfraley]

You would have to study the documents of the foundation but King Leopold set it ip for the perpetual use of his heirs. If that changes they revert back to the King.

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by carlfraley

You would have to study the documents of the foundation but King Leopold set it ip for the perpetual use of his heirs. If that changes they revert back to the King.

Could I inquire where you have that information from? The monarchy's website lists several conditions put on the donation by King Leopold II, but there is nothing said about it reverting back to the king if Belgium becomes a republic.


Royal Trust | The Belgian Monarchy

Royal Trust

At the end of his life, King Leopold II decided in 1900, to give the nation the lands, castles and buildings that he had acquired over the previous years.

He put three conditions on this donation: the land and buildings could never be sold, and some of them would have to retain their function and original appearance and be at the disposal of the successors to the throne.

[tommy100]

I guess it depends on how you interpret "be at the disposal of the successors to the throne" would that mean at the disposal of whatever institution takes over after the monarchy or the royal family even if there is no longer an official monarchy.

[Stefan]

The Question is more what happen with the Trust should Belgium break apart which is more likely then becoming it a Republic.