Belvédère Château

The Belvédère Château (Château du Belvédère; Kasteel Belvédère; Schloss Belvédère) is a residence of the Belgian royal family in Laeken, Brussels, which currently houses King Albert II and his wife, Queen Paola. It is near the Royal Palace of Laeken, the official residence of the King and Queen of the Belgians. Another nearby residence, the Villa Schonenberg, is home to Princess Astrid, the sister of the current king, Philippe.

History


The Belvédère Château was originally built in the 1780s, then was bought by King Leopold II in 1867. 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 into Belvédère while repairs took place. Once the repairs were finished, Leopold and Marie Henriette moved back into 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 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58). The following year, the newlyweds Prince Albert of Liège and Paola Ruffo di Calabria moved into the château, which expanded to 12 acre, 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 Belgian monarchs in 1993, they preferred to remain living in the château instead of moving into the Royal Palace.