General Discussion about Belgian Royal Residences


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
C

Cathérine Bergeyck

Heir Presumptive
Joined
Jan 26, 2003
Messages
2,926
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.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
there are great castles in belgium
thank you so much for the info
 
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/
 
cdm said:
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/
Click to expand...




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.
 
Last edited:
The Royal Trust under a republic

Will the Belgian royal family still be able to use the properties owned by the Royal Trust if Belgium becomes a republic?
 
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.
 
carlfraley said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.​
 
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.
 
The Question is more what happen with the Trust should Belgium break apart which is more likely then becoming it a Republic.
 
It is next to Villa Schonenberg and unlike Astrid's house this one is rather visible from the walking path in the park, as you can see from the lower photo in the last link. I assume it was used for staff / courtiers before. I believe the couple is living in Switzerland now.
 
There must be quite a few residences at the Laeken Estate.
 
Blog Real said:
Prince Amedeo of Belgium and his wife, Lili Rosboch, resettled in this hacienda-style mansion on the royal estate of Laken.
The house is an annex of Amedeo's parents' home, Villa Schonenberg.
Do Amedeo and Lili still stay in this house when they are in Belgium?
Click to expand...
That's not a hacienda it's a former farmhouse.
The family lives in Basel now, in Switzerland. They're not often in Belgium. Lili has her roots in Rome.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

iceflower
General Questions and Information about Danish Titles
2
Replies
34
Views
5K
meeralakshmi
M
iceflower
State Visit from Oman to the Netherlands: April 15 - 16, 2025
Replies
14
Views
1K
Somebody
Somebody
iceflower
General News about Joachim, Marie and Family Part 7: January 2024 -
2
Replies
50
Views
12K
Prinsara
Prinsara
iceflower
General News about King Carl Gustaf & Queen Silvia Part 2: January 2024 -
2
Replies
53
Views
9K
Hans-Rickard
Hans-Rickard
CrownPrincessJava
Old Fashion Discussion Part 3
Replies
10
Views
2K
Moonmaiden23
Moonmaiden23

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom