Did you know the Royal Palace of Laeken was once almost demolished? This magnificent building before us stands as a testament to resilience and royal history. The Royal Palace of Laeken is the official residence of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. It’s been the primary home of Belgian monarchs since 1831 with a few exceptions. King Albert II and Queen Paola preferred the nearby Chateau Belvedere. The Belgian State owns the palace. It provides it to the reigning monarch.
Originally built between 1782 and 1784 it served as a summer residence. Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria and her husband Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen lived there. It was part of the Austrian Netherlands then. The French Revolution changed everything. The palace was abandoned and almost destroyed.
Napoleon Bonaparte rescued it. In 1804 he bought it for 5 million francs. He restored it to its former glory. He and Josephine de Beauharnais stayed there. He even gave it to her after their divorce. The Kingdom of the Netherlands acquired it in 1815. King Willem I renovated it adding an orangery and a theater.
King Leopold II made the most significant changes. He started building the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken in 1874. This took over 20 years. A fire in 1890 destroyed the dome and much of the north wing. It was rebuilt with two pavilions added. He then added two large wings. One for private apartments. The other was for guests. The work finished after his death in 1909.
King Albert I completed the remaining work. He even built an art studio for his wife Queen Elisabeth. Tragedy struck when Queen Astrid died. Leopold III and his children moved to the Palace of Laeken. They were under house arrest there from 1940-1944. His brother Charles served as Regent. He lived in the palace until Leopold’s return and abdication in 1951.
King Baudouin inherited the palace. Queen Fabiola lived there after Baudouin’s death in 1993. King Albert II stayed at Chateau Belvedere. Queen Fabiola moved to Chateau Stuyvenberg in 1998. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde moved into the Palace of Laeken in 1999. It became the home of the reigning monarch again when Philippe became King in 2013.
The Royal Palace of Laeken hosts official functions. State dinners are held here. Before his accession King Philippe hosted foreign guests. The palace sits in the Royal Domain of Laeken. It’s a large park. It includes other royal residences. There are the Royal Stables the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken a Japanese Pagoda and a Chinese Pavilion. There is also a lake and golf course. The Royal Greenhouses house exotic flowers and trees. Many came from the Congo. They are open to the public for a few weeks each spring. So take a moment to appreciate the rich history. The sheer beauty of the Royal Palace of Laeken.