The Belgian nobility comprises Belgian individuals or families recognized as noble with or without a title of nobility in the

Kingdom of Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the ...

. The

Belgian constitution The Constitution of Belgium ( nl, Belgische Grondwet, french: Constitution belge, german: Verfassung Belgiens) dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility ...

states that no specific privileges are attached to the nobility.

History

Because most old families have resided in the current territory of

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

for centuries and prior to the founding of the modern Belgian state, their members have been drawn from a variety of nations. Spanish nobles resided in Flanders in the 15th and 16th centuries. In the period under Dutch sovereignty, the nobility was an important factor in move towards independence. After independence, the Kingdom of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

lost an important segment of their nobles, as all of the highest born families lived in the south, and thus became part of the Belgian nobility. At court in the 19th century this new Belgian nobility played a major role. During the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

period, the high nobility participated in the government, both political and at the imperial court of Brussels. Since the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

the nobility has not played a social function. However some members of most old families worked in major functions in Belgium.

The Belgian nobility today

The modern Belgian nobility is known to be mostly

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

alist, and

royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gov ...

. In the

there were approximately 1,300 noble families, with some 20,000 members. The noble lineage of only approximately 400 families dates back to the 17th century or earlier. As Belgium is a democratic

constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...

there are no legal privileges attached to bearing a noble title or to being a member of the aristocracy. According to article 113 of the constitution, "The King may confer titles of nobility, without ever having the power to attach privileges to them". Many nobles in Belgium still belong to the elite of society. They sometimes own and manage companies, or have leading positions in cultural society, business, banking, diplomacy, NGOs etc. Many of the older families still own (and reside in) important

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

s or

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...

s. The fortune of the nobility is impressive: only 11% of the 500 wealthiest families in Belgium are members of the nobility, however: they have more than 56% of this wealth, 79.85 billion euros. This is partly caused by the fact that many of the new noble titles are bestowed on wealthy entrepreneurs, like the families of , Frere, Colruyt, and

Solvay Solvay may refer to: Companies and organizations * Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Brussels, Belgium * Solvay Conference, founded by Ernest Solvay, deals with open questions in physics and chemistry * Solvay Indupa, an Argentin ...

. Old houses however are in the minority and have sold much of their lands and estates. The house of Merode has sold during the ages thousands of hectares of their own private lands. Other houses have still immense lands and grounds, but most houses have lost much of their historic wealth.

Ennoblement

Belgium is one of the few monarchies in the world in which hereditary

ennoblement Ennoblement is the conferring of nobility—the induction of an individual into the noble class. Currently only a few kingdoms still grant nobility to people; among them Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Vatican. Depending on time and reg ...

still occurs regularly. Hereditary titles are conferred by

letters patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, tit ...

, which are issued by the

king of the Belgians Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary, and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled king or queen of the Belgians ( nl, Koning(in) der Belgen, french: Roi / Reine des Belges}, german: König(in) der Belgier) and serves as the country's ...

, co-signed by the minister of Foreign Affairs. Noble titles can also be granted for life. Belgian citizens distinguished in business, politics, science, arts, sports, etc. or for extraordinary service to the kingdom may receive noble status or noble titles.

Legal identity

In Belgium the title forms part of the identity of the noble person and is mentioned on the ID card. As it is a title, it is not a part of the name. Every noble family has its own coat of arms and titles: both are legally protected by copyright. People who do not belong to the house are forbidden from using the titles or the coat of arms.

Titles

The Belgian nobility is structured and ranked very formally. These ranks are still important in social life and ceremonial life at court.

Princes

The title of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

(french: Prince, nl, Prins) is the highest noble title in use in Belgium. They are ranked under the princes of royal blood and members of the royal family. Most members of the families listed below have the right to be referred to in Belgian government documents as "Prince" or "Princess" in combination with their family name. * Prince Swiatopelk-Czetwertyński, Prince Michel Czetwertynski, Prince Alexandre Czetwertynski, Prince Tinko Czetwertynski recognised in 2007 * , Archdukes Rudolf (1950) and Carl Christian of Austria (1954), and their legitimate male-line descendants, were incorporated into Belgium's nobility as ' in 1978 and 1983, respectively * Prince of

Ligne The ''ligne'' ( ), or line or Paris line, is a historic unit of length used in France and elsewhere prior to the adoption of the metric system in the late 18th century, and used in various sciences after that time. The ''loi du 19 frimaire an ...

Imperial Count Imperial Count (german: Reichsgraf) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. In the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly ( immediately) from the emperor, rather than from ...

1549,

Imperial prince Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ( la, princeps imperii, german: Reichsfürst, cf. '' Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised as such by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors ...

1601, mediatized 1803, 1923 Belgian recognition of title ' by male primogeniture * Prince de

Lobkowicz The House of Lobkowicz (''Lobkovicové'' in modern Czech, sg. ''z Lobkovic''; ''Lobkowitz'' in German) is a Czech noble family that dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest Bohemian noble families. The family also belong to the G ...

, mediatized family of

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

whose 1624 Imperial princely title was recognized in Belgium for a member of the family who became a Belgian subject * ,

since 1622; Heads of the house bore the titles Marquis of Westerlo since 1626 and Prince of Rubempré and

Everberg Everberg is a town in the Belgian province Flemish Brabant and is part of the municipality of Kortenberg. The territory covers an area of 925 ha. The neighbouring towns or municipalities are Leefdaal, Kortenberg, Erps-Kwerps, Meerbeek, Sterr ...

since the 18th century, title of Prince of Grimbergen inherited by primogeniture from in 1842; each member is ' since 1929. Famous is prince

Emmanuel de Merode Prince Emmanuel de Merode (Emmanuel Werner Marie Ghislain de Merode; born 5 May 1970) is a conservationist and anthropologist. He has been the director of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 2008. Family M ...

, director of the Virunga National Park. * Riquet, Prince de Chimay in 1824 and 1856 by primogeniture; uniquely, since 1889 each male bears the title ', while each female born in the family is a countess * Prince of Waterloo, since 8 July 1815, held by the head of the

Wellesley family Earl of Mornington is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1760 for the Anglo-Irish politician and composer Garret Wellesley, 2nd Baron Mornington. On the death of the fifth earl in 1863, it passed to the Duke of Wellington; si ...

, the

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister ...

Dukes

The title of ''Duke/Duchess of Brabant'' (fr: ''Duc(hesse) de Brabant'', nl: ''Hertog(in) van Brabant'', de: ''Herzog(in) von Brabant'') is reserved for the

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

to the Belgian monarchy (and in the absence of an heir apparent, the title reverts to the Crown). Current titleholder is Princess Elisabeth. Members of the following houses bear the title of

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...

(french: Duc, nl, Hertog). The ducal title has never been granted outside the Royal Family in the

. The origin of such titles for Belgian families thus pre-dates the current monarchy, having been conferred or recognised by sovereigns of other jurisdictions. * the Duke of Arenberg, princely

Imperial count Imperial Count (german: Reichsgraf) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. In the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly ( immediately) from the emperor, rather than from ...

1576, Imperial duke 1644, sovereign 1803-1811, mediatised; although all family members, male and female, are both duke and prince, Belgian recognition of "prince" for all members 1953, Belgian duke by primogeniture, 1994 * the Duke of Beaufort-Spontin,Ducal and princely families of Belgium: Beaufort-SpontinEupedia.com
retrieved 20 December 2009 1746 Austrian Netherlands title of marquis with rank of prince by primogeniture, duke in 1782 and 1876,

1789; family members are Count/ess de Beaufort-Spontin, Head of the House is Duke * the Duke of Croÿ,

1486, 1594 and 1664, French duke 1598 and 1768; each member is ''prince/sse de Croÿ'', while the Head is also the Duke * the Duke of Looz-Corswarem et de Corswarem-Looz, 1734 Austrian Netherlands dukedom; mediatised, other members of this ducal branche are ''prince/sse''; members of a second branch are count/ess of Looz-Corswarem; members of a third branche are écuyer de Corswarem * the Duke of

Ursel Ursel is a Flemish surname: Place Ursel, town in Flanders, part of Knesselare. Name * Noble house d'Ursel, Duke of Ursel, see too: D'Ursel Castle. ** Lancelot II of Ursel ** Charles-Joseph, 4th Duke d'Ursel ** Marie Joseph Charles, 6th Duke ...

1638. Only the Head of this family is Duke; any other member is count/ess.

Marquesses

Members of twelve families bear today the title of

marquess A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman ...

. These titles have origins prior to the French Revolution, and used to be connected to physical marquisates. In most of these families, the title descends by male

primogeniture Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...

Counts

The titles

Count of Hainault The Count of Hainaut (; ; ) was the ruler of the county of Hainaut, a historical region in the Low Countries (including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany). In English-la ...

and

Count of Flanders The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the ...

, historically associated with major provinces of what is now Belgium, are used as dynastic titles for members of the Belgian Royal Family.

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York ...

is the highest-ranked title still granted by the Belgian monarch. There are approximately 90 families in Belgium where at least one of the members bears the title of count or countess.

Viscounts

There are approximately 45 families in Belgium where at least one of the members bears the title of

Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicia ...

Barons

More than 300 individuals bear the title of

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or kn ...

ess. The title may descend either by masculine primogeniture or to all legitimate descendants in the male-line of the original title-holder.

Knights

In Belgium there are roughly 200

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

s (french: chevalier, nl, Ridder). The title has no female equivalent.

Écuyer, Jonkheer/Jonkvrouw

, ' ( Dutch, originally meaning "young lord") is the lowest Belgian title recognised by law. Many cadet members of important houses are styled with this title, this happens when the head of the family is styled higher.

Foreign titles in Belgium

Foreign titles granted to Belgians are not recognised and have no value in Belgium. The port by a Belgian citizen of a foreign title is punishable under article 230 of the Penal Code. However, a person of foreign nationality who officially belongs to the nobility of his country may bear his foreign title in Belgium if it appears in the official documents establishing his identity, issued by the competent authorities of his country. When he becomes a Belgian citizen by naturalization, he loses his nobiliary status of his country of origin and therefore no longer has the right to bear his foreign title. If foreign titles are recognized, the bearers are incorporated in Belgian Nobility ( see above for some Polish and Bohemian Princes , two Austrian Archdukes)

References

External links

{{Nobility by nation