Belgian Nobility

[Marengo]

In this thread we can discuss the noble families of Belgium.

 

[Jason R Maier esq]

Ligne

A genealogy of the House of Ligne, one of the oldest & most notable Belgian noble families.

 

[Marengo]

And here a picture of Princess Alix de Ligne with her uncle Jan Hessel de Jong (married to her mothers sister)

Soe pictures of a party at Chateau Belouil can be found here.

 

[Marie-Caroline]

On the website of 'Le Carnet Mondain' you will find info on engagements, marriages, births and deaths in noble and prominent families in Belgium. Le Carnet Mondain click on 'carnet du jour'

 

[magnik]

I love this site

Worldroots.com

Belgian nobility - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Try on Belgian wiki too.

 

[scooter]

Does anyone have information about the new Baron Jean Van Gysel de Meise? I have seen several references to him as 'Royal'. Surely they mean 'noble'? Perhaps a translation error?

 

[Marengo]

After googling I can only find Baron Jean-Paul van G d M, who seems to be active in business. The family certainly isn' t noble though he might hve received the royal order of Leopold.

 

[scooter]

That is the father. The new Baron inherited in the last year. I know they are involved in Hotels, with a capital H.

 

[Marie-Caroline]

I remember that Princess Claire and Prince Laurent were present at a wedding of Aurore (?) Van Gysel de Meise about 2 years ago. And I believe to have seen in Point de Vue that she has got a child meanwhile. Would she be family of this Baron?

 

[Marengo]

[FONT=verdana, arial]Today the Dutch Jonkheer Adriaan Dedel (untitled nobility) married the Belgian Princess Eléonore de Merode at Corroy-le-Chateau . Eleonore is the daughter of Prince Bernhard de Merode and Marie-Françoise de Bonvoisin.[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana, arial]For more information about the De Merode family, take a look at Paul Theroff's Online Gotha, here.[/FONT]

Info provided by John-Zwolle at the BRMB

 

[scooter]

I remember that Princess Claire and Prince Laurent were present at a wedding of Aurore (?) Van Gysel de Meise about 2 years ago. And I believe to have seen in Point de Vue that she has got a child meanwhile. Would she be family of this Baron?

She is his sister. In knew him years ago, before he inherited. One of the best looking men you'll ever see.

 

[HMTLove23]

Princess Laetitia de Merode (b.1987, daughter of Prince Adrien de Merode and of his wife, née Princess Marie Gabrielle de Croy) died at Bordeaux on 15 September. (added 18 Sep 2008

She Was only 21. So sad.

 

[antonieta]

Princess Laetitia de Merode (b.1987, daughter of Prince Adrien de Merode and of his wife, née Princess Marie Gabrielle de Croy) died at Bordeaux on 15 September. (added 18 Sep 2008

She Was only 21. So sad.

What was the cause of her dead? Someone knows?

 

[maria-olivia]

Does someone have pictures of the wedding of the Prince de Ligne and Laeticia Rollin ,

 

[maria-olivia]

Count Michel Didisheim

Count Michel Didisheim worked more than 40 years for our Royal Family.

His place is absolutely not in the incredible N. Vaessen's Forums.

He says and says again : I am René Didisheim and Claire Maigret de Priches's Son.

However what an excellent publicity for this new book : " Tu devais disparaître " and for the editor, and Guy Duplat said : an excellent book for our Autumn's evenings

Working so many years as "Chief of Albert, Prince of Liege's House", He knows quite a lot our Royal Family and the European Royal Houses and their Castles.

 

[Marengo]

This is a rather interesting website, listing all the noble families of Belgium.

Courtesy: Monarchen.nl

 

[Regina]

I've heard Belgium has at the moment 1500 noble families! It must be the european country with more titled people.

Do they have legal privileges?

 

[LadyLeana]

No, as far as I know that's just a story. They pay taxes just like anyone else. That's why many families lose their estates or let them crumble to pieces, they can hardly afford the maintenance or succession taxes.

 

[Marengo]

Tutsi rebels in the east of Congo have captured the offices of national park Virunga, that is led by prince Emmanuel de Merode.

More information in Dutch here.

 

[maria-olivia]

And what about Baron Eddy Merckx, Chevalier Adamo, Vicomte Dirk Frimout and the others who became every year near July the 21 ,members of the Belgian nobility for what they did or sometime for their heirs also.

 

[Marengo]

And what about Baron Eddy Merckx, Chevalier Adamo, Vicomte Dirk Frimout and the others who became every year near July the 21 ,members of the Belgian nobility for what they did or sometime for their heirs also.

Aren't they just nobles for life, so non-hereditairy like all those in the UK with Sir Paul McCarthy and such?

 

[LadyLeana]

Yes, I thought so too. I believe if you simply own enough property, you can get a noble title in Belgium. But as far as I know, the children of Eddy Merckx will not be allowed to use the title of Baron. Their titles are mostly recognition of what these people mean or have meant for the country, one way in which the King and the Government show their appreciation.

 

[Marengo]

The princely family de Ligne has its own thead, which you can find here.

 

[Marengo]

From the international edition of the Benelux Royals MB:

Robbed of its heritage, Belgium's aristocracy licks its wounds

The T' Serstevens family has been a shareholder in what is now Fortis for longer than the state of Belgium has existed - a tradition that came to an abrupt end with the dismantlement and sale of Fortis. 'We've been robbed.'

Honor meus in altis, reads the T' Serstevens family's coat of arms: my honour in the highest. Bernard T' Serstevens had it engraved on the gatehouse of his 18th century castle in the Haspengouw area of Belgium.
"I sent a new year's card to Maurice Lippens just like I do every year," he says. Lippens, the chairman of Fortis, is a distant cousin. "But it would have been hypocratical to wish him a happy 2009." So he wished him good health instead. "He's going to need it now that he's looking at a whole year of legal claims."

Read more here.

Courtesy: Jay at the BRMB.

 

[maria-olivia]

Not only the aristocracy is involved , al lot of Belgians mostly old people who never thought that the FIRST bank of Belgium would have such problems..
The CEO and other Direction Members never told their costumers about the upcoming problems they already knew and they received huge amounts when they left the bank.. A shame !

Coming back to this very interesting article . This first bank called then la Generale was created during the years 1825 when the King of the Nederlands was also King of Belgium. It was one of the best things he did for our country!
These noble families did the bank during generations..
As gratefulness now people are saying that you never may have all your money in the same basket.
These families are now in a inexpected situation.. what a loss.

 

[MAfan]

A question about the admission of Archduke Rudolf of Austria and his firstborn son Carl Christian into the belgian Nobility as Princes of Habsbourg-Lorraine: Paul Theroff's site report that he has been "incorporated with his eldest son into the Belgian nobility as Prince de Habsburg-Lorraine (Serene Highness)".
My question is: why only he and his eldest son, and not his other children?

 

[HMTLove23]

engagement news...

Prince Arnaud de merode and Sophie Haegelsteen-to marry May 22nd 2009

 

[maria-olivia]

MAFAN ,
The Habsbourg are well above the belgium Nobility .They are not mentionned in my book about the High Life of Belgium and don't have to.
Rudolf and his wife born de Villenfagne have both, I am sure for her, the belgian nationality. I don't know which nationality Carl-Christian and Marie-Astrid have. The same for Rudolf two sisters , they married foreigners.

 

[MAfan]

MAFAN ,
The Habsbourg are well above the belgium Nobility .They are not mentionned in my book about the High Life of Belgium and don't have to.
Rudolf and his wife born de Villenfagne have both, I am sure for her, the belgian nationality. I don't know which nationality Carl-Christian and Marie-Astrid have. The same for Rudolf two sisters , they married foreigners.

I don't refer to Rudolf's brother Carl Christian, the husband of Marie Astrid, but to Rudolf's son, also named Carl Christian.
Rudolf and Marie Helene have 8 children; their eldest son is named Carl Christian, and according to Paul Theroff is the only one of his siblings to be recognised in Belgium as Prince de Habsbourg-Lorraine; I wonder why.

 

[Cosmos]

Hi. I'm a long-time reader of the royal forums. I'm posting because I have became interesting in the noble houses of various countries.

So, does the belgian nobility have styles like the british nobility?

Cosmos