Belvédère Château
![]() | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (September 2015) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2023) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Belv%C3%A9d%C3%A8re_Laeken.jpg/220px-Belv%C3%A9d%C3%A8re_Laeken.jpg)
The Belvédère Château (French: Château du Belvédère; Dutch: Kasteel Belvédère; German: Schloss Belvédère) is a residence of the Belgian royal family in Laeken, Brussels, which currently houses King Albert II and his wife, Queen Paola.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Ch%C3%A2teau_Belvedere_Laeken.jpg/220px-Ch%C3%A2teau_Belvedere_Laeken.jpg)
The Belvédère Château was originally built in the 1780s, then was bought by King Leopold II in 1867.[1] The château was meant for his sister Carlotta of Mexico, but she chose to live in the suburb of Tervuren, just outside Brussels, which left Belvédère empty for a while.
In 1890, a fire broke out in the Royal Palace of Laeken, and Leopold II and his wife Marie Henriette of Austria moved to Belvédère while repairs took place. Once the repairs were finished, Leopold and Marie Henriette moved back to the Royal Palace, while Belvédère became the residence of their youngest daughter, Princess Clementine. She lived in Belvédère until her father died and she got married, leaving the château for the Royal Palace. From there, the château was occupied by different members of the royal court.
In 1958, Belvédère was used for exhibitions during the World's Fair. The following year, the newlyweds Prince Albert II and Paola Ruffo di Calabria moved to the château, which expanded to 5 hectares (12 acres), having acquired parts of a local park. All three of the royal couple's children were born and raised in Belvédère. After the couple became the monarchs of Belgium, they stayed at the château instead of moving to the Royal Palace.[citation needed]
See also
- List of castles and châteaux in Belgium
- Royal Trust (Belgium)
- Neoclassical architecture in Belgium
- History of Brussels
- Culture of Belgium
- Belgium in the long nineteenth century
References
Citations
- ^ "Château du Belvédère – Inventaire du patrimoine architectural". monument.heritage.brussels (in French). Retrieved 3 November 2023.
External links
Media related to Belvédère Castle (Brussels) at Wikimedia Commons
- CS1 French-language sources (fr)
- Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
- Articles with short description
- Short description is different from Wikidata
- Building and structure articles needing translation from French Wikipedia
- Articles needing additional references from November 2023
- All articles needing additional references
- Use British English from April 2023
- Use dmy dates from April 2023
- Articles containing French-language text
- Articles containing Dutch-language text
- Articles containing German-language text
- All articles with unsourced statements
- Articles with unsourced statements from October 2020
- Commons category link from Wikidata
- Coordinates on Wikidata
- Castles in Brussels
- Royal residences in Belgium
- Buildings and structures completed in the 18th century