''Les plus grands Belges'' (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

for "The Greatest Belgians"), is a television show that aired in 2005 on the Belgian French-speaking public channel

RTBF The ''Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française'' (RTBF, ''Belgian Radio-television of the French Community'', branded as rtbf.be) is a public service broadcaster delivering radio and television services to the French-speaking Commu ...

. In the program the audience could vote for the greatest Belgian by using the website, sending an SMS or using the telephone. In total several hundred thousand votes were cast. Nominees needed to have lived between 50 BC and now, between the borders of present-day Belgium. This is because Belgium only gained its independence in 1830, while numerous historical individuals from, for example, the

Spanish Netherlands Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: Países Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a ''pars pro toto'') was the Ha ...

, are considered to be "Belgians". A separate vote "

De Grootste Belg ''De Grootste Belg'' (The Greatest Belgian) was a 2005 vote conducted by Belgian public TV broadcaster Canvas, public radio broadcaster Radio 1, and newspaper ''De Standaard'', to determine who is the Greatest Belgian of all time. It could be ...

" by the Belgian Dutch-speaking public channel VRT was held around the same time, producing strikingly different results, such as both top-10s sharing only three personalities, namely

Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (, ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, l ...

, Father Damien and Eddy Merckx. To some this illustrates the low significance of any national cultural identity that remains shared among the two predominant language communities of the country. Because Father Damien holds the highest average ranking of the three shared personalities (third on this list and first on the Flemish list) it has been argued that he is the only one to be entitled "Greatest Belgian", as voted by all Belgians.

Top 10

From 11 to 100

Paul-Henri Spaak, Prime Minister (1938–1939) (1946) (1947–1949). President of the United Nations (1946–1947), Secretary General of N.A.T.O. (1957–1961). President of the European Coal and Steel Community (1952–1954).
Albert I Albert I may refer to: People Born before 1300 * Albert I, Count of Vermandois (917–987) *Albert I, Count of Namur () *Albert I of Moha *Albert I of Brandenburg (), first margrave of Brandenburg *Albert I, Margrave of Meissen (1158–1195) *Alber ...
, king (1909–1934).
Leopold II, king (1865–1909).
Justine Henin, (born 1982) tennis player.
Ernest Solvay, (1838–1922) chemist, industrialist and philanthropist. Inventor of the
ammonia-soda process The Solvay process or ammonia-soda process is the major industrial process for the production of sodium carbonate (soda ash, Na2CO3). The ammonia-soda process was developed into its modern form by the Belgian chemist Ernest Solvay during the 1860s. ...
.
Victor Horta Victor Pierre Horta (; Victor, Baron Horta after 1932; 6 January 1861 – 8 September 1947) was a Belgian architect and designer, and one of the founders of the Art Nouveau movement. His Hôtel Tassel in Brussels, built in 1892–93, is often ...
, (1861–1947) architect and designer (''
Hôtel Tassel The Hôtel Tassel (french: Hôtel Tassel, nl, Hotel Tassel) is a town house in Brussels, Belgium, designed by Victor Horta for the scientist and professor Emile Tassel, and built from 1892 to 1893. It is generally considered the first true Ar ...
'', ''
Brussels-Central railway station Brussels Central Station (french: Gare de Bruxelles-Central, nl, Station Brussel-Centraal), officially Brussels-Central (french: Bruxelles-Central, link=no, nl, Brussel-Centraal, link=no), is a railway and metro station in central Brussels, B ...
'', '' Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels'').
Godfrey, Lord of Bouillon, knight, leader of the
First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic ru ...
and first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
André Franquin, comics artist (''
Gaston Lagaffe ''Gaston'' is a Belgian gag-a-day comic strip created in 1957 by the Belgian cartoonist André Franquin in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine '' Spirou''. The series focuses on the everyday life of Gaston Lagaffe (whose surname means "the blund ...
'' and the Marsupilami. Also worked on ''
Spirou and Fantasio ''Spirou & Fantasio'' (french: Spirou et Fantasio, wa, Spirou eyet Fantasio) is one of the most popular classic Franco-Belgian comics. The series, which has been running since 1938, shares many characteristics with other European comics, European ...
'').
Andreas Vesalius, (1514–1564) anatomist, physician, and author of one of the most influential books on human anatomy, '' On the Structure of the Human Body''.
Adolphe Sax, (1814–1894) musical instrument designer and musician, best known for inventing the saxophone.
Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...
, painter ('' The Descent from the Cross'').
Philippe Geluck Philippe Geluck (born 7 May 1954 in Belgium) is a Belgian comedian, humorist, television writer and cartoonist, who sold more than 14 million albums worldwide. He studied at the INSAS (''Institut National Supérieur des Arts du Spectacle'', N ...
, comics artist and cartoonist (''
Le Chat ''Le Chat'' ( French for "the cat") was a Belgian daily comic strip, created by Philippe Geluck and published in the newspaper ''Le Soir'' from March 22, 1983, until March 23, 2013. During its run it quickly became one of the bestselling Franco ...
'').
Zénobe Gramme, (1826–1901) inventor of the dynamo.
Raymond Goethals Raymond Goethals (, ; 7 October 1921 – 6 December 2004) was a Belgian football coach who led Marseille to victory in the UEFA Champions League final in 1993, becoming the first and only coach to win a European trophy with a French club. Someti ...
, (1921–2004) soccer player and coach.
Jean-Pierre Dardenne Brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne (; born 21 April 1951) and Luc Dardenne (born 10 March 1954), collectively referred to as the Dardenne brothers, are a Belgian filmmaking duo. They write, produce, and direct their films together. The Dardennes b ...
and
Luc Dardenne Brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne (; born 21 April 1951) and Luc Dardenne (born 10 March 1954), collectively referred to as the Dardenne brothers, are a Belgian filmmaking duo. They write, produce, and direct their films together. The Dardennes b ...
, film directors (''
Rosetta Rosetta or Rashid (; ar, رشيد ' ; french: Rosette ; cop, ϯⲣⲁϣⲓⲧ ''ti-Rashit'', Ancient Greek: Βολβιτίνη ''Bolbitinē'') is a port city of the Nile Delta, east of Alexandria, in Egypt's Beheira governorate. The Ro ...
'', '' L'Enfant'', which both won the Palme d'Or).
Annie Cordy, (born 1928) singer and comedian.
Marguerite Yourcenar Marguerite Yourcenar (, , ; born Marguerite Antoinette Jeanne Marie Ghislaine Cleenewerck de Crayencour; 8 June 1903 – 17 December 1987) was a Belgian-born French novelist and essayist, who became a US citizen in 1947. Winner of the ''Prix Fem ...
, (1903–1987) novelist (''
Mémoires d'Hadrien ''Memoirs of Hadrian'' (french: link=no, Mémoires d'Hadrien) is a novel by the Belgian-born French writer Marguerite Yourcenar about the life and death of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. First published in France in French in 1951 as ''Mémoires ...
'').
Amélie Nothomb Baroness Fabienne Claire Nothomb (), better known by her pen name Amélie Nothomb (; born 13 August 1967),''État présent de la noblesse belge'', éditions of 1979, 1995 and 2010. Her birth is announced in n° 87, aout 1967, p. 340 of the ''Bull ...
, (born 1966) novelist ('' Hygiène de l'assassin'').
Dirk Frimout, (born 1941) astronaut. First Belgian in space.
André Ernest Modeste Grétry, (1741–1813) composer (''
Zémire et Azor ' (''Zémire and Azor'') is an opéra comique, described as a ''comédie-ballet mêlée de chants et de danses'', in four acts by the Belgian composer André Grétry. The French text was by Jean-François Marmontel based on ''La Belle et la bête'' ...
'', '' Richard Coeur-de-lion'').
Jacky Ickx Jacques Bernard "Jacky" Ickx (; born 1 January 1945) is a Belgian former racing driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times (second-highest of all time) and achieved eight wins and 25 podium finishes in Formula One. He greatly contributed ...
, (born 1945) racing car driver.
Luc Varenne, sports journalist.
Peyo, (1928–1992) comics artist (''
The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and in ...
'', ''
Johan and Peewit ''Johan and Peewit'' (french: Johan et Pirlouit, ) is a Belgian comics series created by Peyo. Since its initial appearance in 1947 it has been published in 13 albums that appeared before the death of Peyo in 1992. Thereafter, a team of comic bo ...
'').
Salvatore Adamo Salvatore Adamo (born November 1, 1943) is a Belgian-Italian musician, singer and composer, who is known for his romantic ballads. Adamo was born in Comiso, Sicily, Italy, and has lived in Belgium since the age of three, which is why he has dual ...
, (born 1943) singer (''
Tombe la neige "Tombe la neige" (English: "The snow falls") is a French language song written and sung by Belgian-Italian singer Salvatore Adamo. The song was released in 1963 and became an international hit and one of his best-known songs. Releases ;45 rpm (Fr ...
'', ''La Nuit'', ''Inch'Allah'').
Maurice Grevisse Maurice Grevisse (;Maurice Grevisse about the pronunciation of his name, http://www.ina.fr/video/CPB08008704/maurice-grevisse-video.html 7 October 1895 – 4 July 1980) was a Belgian grammarian. Biography Born in Rulles, a small village in the p ...
, (1895–1980) grammarian (''
Le Bon Usage ''Le Bon Usage'' (, ''Good Usage''), informally called ''Le Grevisse'', is a descriptive book about French grammar first published in 1936 by Maurice Grevisse, and periodically revised since. It describes the usage of the French language, pr ...
'').
Albert II, (born 1934) Belgian king (1993–2013).
Jules Bordet Jules Jean Baptiste Vincent Bordet (; 13 June 1870 – 6 April 1961) was a Belgian immunologist and microbiologist. The bacterial genus ''Bordetella'' is named after him. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to him in 1919 for ...
, (1870–1961) microbiologist. Discovered the
complement system The complement system, also known as complement cascade, is a part of the immune system that enhances (complements) the ability of antibodies and phagocytic cells to clear microbes and damaged cells from an organism, promote inflammation, and at ...
and co-isolated the cause of whooping cough.
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, accord ...
, 1921.
Leopold I, (1790–1865) king (1831–1865).
Stéphane Steeman, comedian.
Eugène Ysaÿe Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe (; 16 July 185812 May 1931) was a Belgian virtuoso violinist, composer, and conductor. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tsar". Legend of the Ysaÿe violin Eugène Ysaÿe ...
, (1858–1931) violinist.
John Cockerill, (1790–1840) industrialist ('' John Cockerill'').
Maurane, (1960–2018) pop singer (''Danser'').
Émilie Dequenne Émilie Dequenne (, born 29 August 1981) is a Belgian actress. She first gained attention for playing the title character in the film ''Rosetta'' (1999), which earned her the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress. She then went on to star ...
, (born 1981) film actress (''
Rosetta Rosetta or Rashid (; ar, رشيد ' ; french: Rosette ; cop, ϯⲣⲁϣⲓⲧ ''ti-Rashit'', Ancient Greek: Βολβιτίνη ''Bolbitinē'') is a port city of the Nile Delta, east of Alexandria, in Egypt's Beheira governorate. The Ro ...
'').
Toots Thielemans, (1922–2016) jazz musician ('' Bluesette'').
Maurice Carême Maurice Carême (12 May 1899 – 13 January 1978) was a Belgian francophone poet, best known for his simple writing style and children's poetry. His work was part of the literature event in the art competition at the 1928 Summer Olympic ...
, (1899–1978) novelist and poet (''Mère'').
Haroun Tazieff Haroun Tazieff (Warsaw, 11 May 1914 – Paris, 2 February 1998) was a Tatar, Belgian and French volcanologist and geologist. He was a famous cinematographer of volcanic eruptions and lava flows, and the author of several books on volcanoes. He ...
, geologist.
Gerard Mercator, (1512–1594) cartographer. Founder of modern cartography.
Edith Cavell, (1865–1915) nurse. Born in
Swardeston Swardeston is a village four miles (6 km) south of Norwich in Norfolk, England, on high ground above the Tas valley. It covers an area of and had a population of 619 at the 2011 census. History One of the earliest mentions of this place ...
,
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
, and thus technically born in England.
Fabiola, (1928–2014) queen (1960–1993).
Ambiorix Ambiorix (Gaulish "king of the surroundings", or "king-protector") ( 54–53 BC) was, together with Cativolcus, prince of the Eburones, leader of a Belgic tribe of north-eastern Gaul (Gallia Belgica), where modern Belgium is located. In the nin ...
, tribal chieftain who won a decisive battle against
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
.
Pierre Rapsat Pierre Rapsat (born Pierre Raepsaet, 28 May 1948 – 20 April 2002) was a Belgian singer-songwriter who had a very successful career in his homeland and also spells of popularity in other Francophone countries. Outside these areas, he is best know ...
, (1948–2002) singer.
Albert Frère Albert, Baron Frère (4 February 1926 – 3 December 2018) was a Belgian billionaire businessman. Early life Frère grew up as a son of a nail merchant and helped in the business since an early age. His father died when Frère was 17; Frère ha ...
, (1926–2018) industrialist.
Christine Ockrent Christine Ockrent (born 24 April 1944) is a Belgian journalist whose career has principally centered on French television. She interviewed Amir Abbas Hoveyda, the former Iranian prime minister, in Evin prison after the Islamic revolution in 197 ...
, (born 1944) journalist.
Gerard Mortier Gerard Alfons August, Baron Mortier (25 November 1943 – 8 March 2014) was a Belgian opera director and administrator of Flemish origin. Biography Born in Ghent, the son of a baker, Mortier attended in youth the Jesuit private school Sint-Barbar ...
, (1943–2014) opera director.
Paul Delvaux Paul Delvaux (; 23 September 1897 – 20 July 1994) was a Belgian painter noted for his dream-like scenes of women, classical architecture, trains and train stations, and skeletons, often in combination. He is often considered a surrealist, alt ...
, (1897–1994) painter.
Olivier Strelli Olivier Strelli born Nissim Israel is a Belgian fashion designer, who put Belgium on the fashion map. His name is now synonymous with a chain of male and female clothing and accessory boutiques in Belgium, Switzerland, France and China. In 2005, Fr ...
, fashion designer.
Jules Delhaize Jules is the French form of the Latin "Julius" (e.g. Jules César, the French name for Julius Caesar). It is the given name of: People with the name *Jules Aarons (1921–2008), American space physicist and photographer *Jules Abadie (1876–195 ...
, industrialist. Creator of the hardware store '' Delhaize''.
Pieter Brueghel The Elder Pieter Bruegel (also Brueghel or Breughel) the Elder (, ; ; – 9 September 1569) was the most significant artist of Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, a painter and printmaker, known for his landscapes and peasant scenes (so-called genre ...
, (1525–1569) painter (''
The Peasant Wedding ''The Peasant Wedding'' is a 1567 genre painting by the Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painter and printmaker Pieter Bruegel the Elder, one of his many depicting peasant life. It is now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Pieter Bruegel the ...
'', ''
The Blind Leading the Blind "The blind leading the blind" is an idiom and a metaphor in the form of a parallel phrase, it is used to describe a situation where a person who knows nothing is getting advice and help from another person who knows almost nothing. History The ...
'', ''
Netherlandish Proverbs ''Netherlandish Proverbs'' ( nl, Nederlandse Spreekwoorden; also called ''Flemish Proverbs'', ''The Blue Cloak'' or ''The Topsy Turvy World'') is a 1559 oil-on-oak-panel painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder that depicts a scene in which humans a ...
'', ''
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus ''Landscape with the Fall of Icarus'' is a painting in oil on canvas measuring currently displayed in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels. It was long thought to be by the leading painter of Dutch and Flemish Renaissance pai ...
'').
César Franck, (1822–1890) composer (''
Grande Pièce Symphonique ''Grande Pièce Symphonique'', Op.17, FWV 29, is an organ work by French composer and organist César Franck. Written in 1860–62, it is the second and, at an average duration of 25 minutes, the largest piece from '' Six Pièces pour Grand Orgue'' ...
'').
Franco Dragone, (born 1952) theatre director.
Jaco Van Dormael Jaco Van Dormael (born 9 February 1957) is a Belgian film director, screenwriter and playwright. His films especially focus on a respectful and sympathetic portrayal of people with mental and physical disabilities. Van Dormael spent his childh ...
, (born 1957) film director (''
Toto Le Héros ''Toto the Hero'' (french: Toto le héros) is a 1991 Belgian film (co-produced with France and Germany) by Belgian film director and screenwriter Jaco Van Dormael. It won the Caméra d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991, and the Cés ...
'').
André Delvaux André Albert Auguste Delvaux (; 21 March 1926 – 4 October 2002) was a Belgian film director. He co-founded the film school INSAS in 1962 and is regarded as the founder of the Belgian national cinema. Adapting works by writers such as Johan ...
, (1926–2002) film director (''
The Man Who Had His Hair Cut Short ''The Man Who Had His Hair Cut Short'' () is a 1947 novel by the Flemish writer Johan Daisne. It tells the story of a teacher at a girls' school who falls in love with one of his students; he moves from the town and changes profession in order to a ...
'').
Jules Destrée Jules Destrée (; Marcinelle, 21 August 1863 – Brussels, 3 January 1936) was a Walloon lawyer, cultural critic and socialist politician. The trials subsequent to the strikes of 1886 determined his commitment within the Belgian Labour Party. ...
, (1863–1936) politician and lawyer.
Elisabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sc ...
, queen (1909–1934). Established the
Queen Elisabeth Medical Foundation The Queen Elisabeth Medical Foundation (QEMF) is a Belgian non-profit organization, founded in 1926 by Elisabeth of Bavaria, wife of Albert I. She founded the organization, based on her experience with the wounded from the front-line during the ...
and the
Queen Elisabeth Competition The Queen Elisabeth Competition ( nl, Koningin Elisabethwedstrijd, french: Concours musical international Reine Élisabeth) is an international competition for career-starting musicians held in Brussels. The competition is named after Queen ...
.
Christiane Lenain, comedian and theatre actor.
Kim Clijsters, (born 1983) tennis player.
Emile Verhaeren Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *'' Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *'' Emil and the Detecti ...
, (1855–1916) novelist and poet (''Les Flamandes'').
Princess Astrid.(1905–1935)
Gerard Corbiau, (born 1941) film director ('' Le maître de musique'', ''
Farinelli Farinelli (; 24 January 1705 – 16 September 1782) was the stage name of Carlo Maria Michelangelo Nicola Broschi (), a celebrated Italian castrato singer of the 18th century and one of the greatest singers in the history of opera. Farinelli h ...
'').
Father Pire, (1910–1969) priest and humanitarian.
Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...
, 1958.
Jean-Michel Folon, (1934–2005) artist.
Ilya Prigogine Viscount Ilya Romanovich Prigogine (; russian: Илья́ Рома́нович Приго́жин; 28 May 2003) was a physical chemist and Nobel laureate noted for his work on dissipative structures, complex systems, and irreversibility. Biogra ...
, (1917–2003) physical chemist, Nobel Prize for Chemistry, 1977.
Pierre Bartholomée Pierre Georges Édouard Bartholomée (Brussels, 5 August 1937) is a Belgian conductor and composer. Career He began his musical studies at the age of six with piano lessons. Later on he graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where he ...
, (born 1937) conductor and composer. Founded the Ensemble Musique Nouvelle and the Centre de Recherches et de Création Musicales de Wallonie.
Lise Thiry Lise Thiry (born 5 February 1921) is a Belgian scientist and politician. She has been voted one of the top 100 Belgians on a television show on the Belgian French-speaking public channel RTBF. Early life and education Lise Thiry was born in 192 ...
, (born 1921) physician and politician. Developed a method of screening the AIDS virus.
Jules Bastin Jules Bastin (18 August 1933 – 2 December 1996, in Waterloo) was a Belgian operatic bass. Born in , he made his debut in 1960 at La Monnaie, singing Charon in ''L'Orfeo''. He appeared at major opera houses throughout Europe, including the Royal ...
, (1933–1996) operatic bass singer.
Django Reinhardt, (1919–1953) jazz guitarist (''
Nuages "Nuages" () is one of the best-known compositions by Django Reinhardt. He recorded at least thirteen versions of the tune, which is a jazz standard and a mainstay of the gypsy swing repertoire. English and French lyrics have been added to the piec ...
'').
Henri Vernes Charles-Henri-Jean Dewisme (16 October 1918 – 25 July 2021), better known by his pen name Henri Vernes (), was an author of action and science fiction novels. He published over 200 titles in the action and science-fiction genre. He was most ...
, (1918–2021) novelist (''
Bob Morane ''Bob Morane'' is a series of adventure books in French, featuring an eponymous protagonist, created by French-speaking Belgian novelist Henri Vernes, the pseudonym of Charles-Henri Dewisme. More than 200 novels have been written since his int ...
'').
Georges Lemaître, (1894–1933) astronomer, creator of the
Big Bang Theory The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the ...
.
Morris, (1923–2001) comics artist ('' Lucky Luke'').
Maurice Maeterlinck, (1862–1949) novelist and playwright ('' The Blue Bird'', '' Pelléas and Mélisande'').
Nobel Prize for Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...
, 1911.
Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant, (born 1960) crown prince (since 2013 king
Philippe of Belgium french: Philippe Léopold Louis Mariegerman: Philipp Leopold Ludwig Maria , house = Belgium , father = Albert II of Belgium , mother = Paola Ruffo di Calabria , birth_date = , birth_place = Belvédère Castle, Laeken, B ...
).
Paul Vanden Boeynants, (1919–2001) Prime Minister (1966–1968) (1978–1979) and Minister of Defense (1972–1979).
Arno Hintjens, (born 1949) rock singer ( TC Matic).
Elvis Pompilio Elvis Pompilio (born 1961) is a Belgian fashion designer who specialises in hats. He was born in Liège to a family of Italian origin. Pompilio entered business in 1987, with a workshop in Brussels where he produced designs for use in fashion sh ...
, (born 1961) fashion designer.
Gabrielle Petit Gabrielle Alina Eugenia Maria Petit (20 February 1893 – 1 April 1916) was a Belgian woman who spied for the British Secret Service during World War I. She was executed in 1916, and became a Belgian national heroine after the war's end.
, (1893–1916) spy.
Jean-Joseph Charlier Jean-Joseph Charlier (15 April 179430 March 1886) was a Belgian artisan and revolutionary who became an iconic figure in the Belgian Revolution. His participation as an amputee in the fighting near Brussels Park during the Dutch attack on Brussel ...
, (1794–1886) revolutionary.
Emile Vandervelde Emile Vandervelde (25 January 1866 – 27 December 1938) was a Belgian socialist politician. Nicknamed "the boss" (''le patron''), Vandervelde was a leading figure in the Belgian Labour Party (POB–BWP) and in international socialism. Career Emi ...
, (1886–1938) politician.
Isabelle Gatti de Gamond Isabelle Laure Gatti de Gamond (28 July 1839 – 11 October 1905) was a Belgium, Belgian educationalist, feminist, and politician. Life Isabelle Gatti was the second of four daughters born to Giovanni Gatti, an Italian artist, and feminist writ ...
, (1839–1905) activist and feminist. Launched the first systematic courses of secondary female education (''Cours d'Éducation pour jeunes filles'').
Gaston Eyskens, (1905–1988) Prime Minister (1948–1950) (1958–1961) (1968–1973).
Godfried Danneels Godfried Maria Jules Danneels (4 June 1933 – 14 March 2019) was a Belgian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and the chairman of the episcopal conference of his native countr ...
, (1933–2019) cardinal of Belgium (1979–2010).
James Ensor, (1860–1949) painter (''
Christ's Entry Into Brussels in 1889 ''Christ's Entry Into Brussels in 1889'' (french: L'Entrée du Christ à Bruxelles, "Entry of Christ into Brussels") is an 1888 painting by the Belgium, Belgian artist James Ensor. The post-Impressionist work, parodying Triumphal entry into Jerus ...
'').
André Renard André Renard (25 May 191120 July 1962) was a Belgian trade union leader who, in the aftermath of World War II, became an influential figure within the Walloon Movement. Born into a working-class family, Renard was as a metalworker in the Li� ...
, (1911–1962) politician and trade unionist. Founder of the ''Mouvement Populaire Wallon''.
François Bovesse, politician. Minister of Justice (1934–1935) (1936–1937) and Minister of Public Education (1935–1936)
Pierre Kroll Pierre Kroll (born 25 March 1958 in Gwaka, Belgian Congo) is a Belgian cartoonist and caricaturist. He is the nephew of architect Lucien Kroll. References Bibliography * Numa Sadoul Numa Sadoul (born 7 May 1947, Brazzaville, French Eq ...
, cartoonist.
Arlette Vincent Arlette is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Arlette or Herleva, the mother of William the Conqueror *Arlette Alcock (born 1958), Métis-Canadian folk musician * Marie-Arlette Carlotti (born 1952), French politician and Member o ...
, TV presenter (''Le Jardin Extraordinaire'').
Gustave Boël, (1837–1912) industrialist (''Usines Gustave Boël'').
Paule Herreman Paule Herreman (1919 – 3 October 1991) was a Belgian actress and television presenter for RTBF. Herreman started her television as chief television announcer. In 1954 she joined INR to work with Eurovision. Herreman would continue to main ...
, (1919–1991) TV presenter and comedian.
Edgar P. Jacobs Edgard Félix Pierre Jacobs (30 March 1904 – 20 February 1987), better known under his pen name Edgar P. Jacobs, was a Belgium, Belgian comic book creator (writer and artist), born in Brussels, Belgium. He was one of the founding fathers of the ...
, (1904–1987) comics artist ('' Blake and Mortimer'').
Jean Neuhaus,
chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civ ...
designer (''Neuhaus'').
Jean Roba, (1930–2006) comics artist ('' Boule et Bill'').

References

External links

Official site by the RTBF
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plus grands Belges

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 th ...

Belgian reality television series Lists of Belgian people 2005 Belgian television series debuts 2005 Belgian television series endings Belgian television series based on British television series

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See also

References

External links