HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Le Grelle family is a family of imperial, Dutch,
Papal The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
, and
Belgian nobility The Belgian nobility comprises Belgian individuals or families recognized as noble with or without a title of nobility in the Kingdom of Belgium. The Belgian constitution states that no specific privileges are attached to the nobility. History ...
.


Origins

The Le Grelle lineage began with Jean in 1586 in Mainvault, near
Ath Ath (; nl, Aat, ; pcd, Ât; wa, Ate) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Arbre, Ath, Bouvignies, Ghislenghien, Gibecq, Houtaing, ...
.


The Le Grelle's in International Trade in the 17th and 18th Centuries

In 1670, Guillaume Le Grelle (1646-1724), a native of
Ath Ath (; nl, Aat, ; pcd, Ât; wa, Ate) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Arbre, Ath, Bouvignies, Ghislenghien, Gibecq, Houtaing, ...
(Hainault), the great-grandson of Jean, was received as a bourgeois in the city of
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
. His son François, a textile merchant, is the common ancestor of the noble branches. The two eldest sons of François Le Grelle, Guillaume-François and Jean-François, took their first successful steps in the field of international trade in the early 18th century. Following the closure of the Scheldt (Escaut) River and the port of Antwerp since the end of the 17th century, some private shipowners obtained patent letters stating the authorization to fit out armed vessels bound for India in 1714. On December 19, 1722, the emperor Charles VI granted the establishment of a Company of the Indies, Ostend Company, in
Ostend Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariaker ...
. At the time, Ostend was a fishing center of commercial importance, and a deeper and sheltered port was built there at the beginning of the 17th century.


Guillaume-François Le Grelle (1701-1771) and Jean-François Le Grelle (1703-1759)

The two brothers founded a trading company in Ostend. From 1730 to 1750, they imported textiles, silk, sugar, cocoa, tea, and porcelain from England, Portugal and China in collaboration with the
Swedish East India Company The Swedish East India Company ( sv, Svenska Ostindiska Companiet or ''SOIC'') was founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1731 for the purpose of conducting trade with China and the Far East. The venture was inspired by the success of the Dutch East ...
. At that time the Le Grelle's were also part of the shareholders of the Ostend and Trieste Companies. From 1754, Guillaume-François and Jean François became industrialists (sugar and paper factories). In 1732, their trading company had its headquarters in their house "De Grooten Gulden Schilt" on the High Street (Hoogstraat) in
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
. Jean-François Le Grelle was also a judge and lived in the castle of Morckhoven.


Jean-Guillaume Le Grelle (1733-1812)

Jean-Guillaume, the eldest son of Guillaume-François, had sugar factories and a cotton printing press, which employed 576 workers in 1770. His company had obtained exclusivity for the
Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The p ...
. In 1807, he acquired the castle of SelsaetenKasteel Selsaeten https://www.wommelgem.be/kasteel-selsaeten in
Wommelgem Wommelgem () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Wommelgem proper. In 2021, Wommelgem had a total population of 12,991. The total area is 13.01 km². Economy Wommelgem i ...
. By succession, the castle was passed on to the .


Gérard Le Grelle (1713-1771)

The last grandson of François, Gerard Le Grelle began trading in silk around 1740. After his death in 1771, his widow, Catherine Oliva (1724-1791), continued the trade. In 1756, the sugar refinery Huysmans & Cie or De Belle was founded. The shareholders of these companies included François J. Moretus.


Gérard-François Le Grelle (1747-1800)

Gérard-François, the son of Gérard and alderman of Antwerp, was appointed deputy in 1785 for the
Austrian East India Company Austrian East India Company (german: Österreichische Ostindien-Kompanie) is a catchall term referring to a series of Austrian trading companies based in Ostend and Trieste. The Imperial Asiatic Company of Trieste and Antwerp (french: Société ...
. The family acquired several castles in the Antwerp region. These included, in addition to the castle of Selsaeten in
Wommelgem Wommelgem () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Wommelgem proper. In 2021, Wommelgem had a total population of 12,991. The total area is 13.01 km². Economy Wommelgem i ...
, Rameyen, Gestel, Morckhoven, Middelheim, Berchem, Doggenhout, Munsterbilzen, Boterberg, Wuustwezel, as well as many mansions in the
Meir Meir ( he, מֵאִיר) is a Jewish male given name and an occasional surname. It means "one who shines". It is often Germanized as Maier, Mayer, Mayr, Meier, Meyer, Meijer, Italianized as Miagro, or Anglicized as Mayer, Meyer, or Myer. Alfred ...
or rue Longue-Hôpital.


The Le Grelle's in Banking

In the early 18th century, the Le Grelle family founded a bank with the children and grandchildren of Gérard Le Grelle and Catherine Oliva distinguishing themselves in this activity during the tumultuous periods at the end of the 17th century.


Joseph J. Le Grelle (1764-1822)

The youngest son of Gérard Le Grelle and Catherine Oliva, Joseph J. Le Grelle founded the Joseph J. Le Grelle Bank in 1792 at the age of 27. The bank was the oldest bank in the country after the
Banque Nagelmackers Nagelmackers is a private bank in Belgium, the oldest in the country and the 14th oldest bank in the world. It focuses on individuals and provides a wide network of independent and integrated offices in Belgium. History Nagelmackers is the ol ...
, founded in 1747. During the French domination in 1792 and the years of terror of the Revolution in 1793, the reliquary of Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew, the inseparable companion of
Teresa of Avila Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or rea ...
, considered to be the protector of Antwerp, was hidden in the bank's vaults and then in Joseph Le Grelle's linen cabinet. In a letter from his son, Count Gérard Le Grelle, addressed to Father Marcel Bouix SJ (1806-1889), the story is told that Joseph Le Grelle, having contracted a serious illness, was cured by Anne de Saint-Barthélémy. Joseph J. Le Grelle was later taken hostage and brought to Paris in 1794. He was not released until after the fall of Robespierre. Until the foundation of the National Bank of Belgium in 1850, the Joseph J. Le Grelle Bank was among the few private banks to issue banknotes. Upon Joseph J. Le Grelle's death, the bank was taken over by his widow, Maria Theresia Cambier, and his sons Gérard (1793-1871), Jean (1796-1872), and Henri Joseph (1798-1872). The Joseph J. Le Grelle Bank was an important indirect financier of the Belgian Colonization Company in Guatemala, an ill-prepared expedition that ended in failure. In 1854, faced with the Colonization Company's inability to repay one of its debtors, the bank found itself the owner of 10,640 hectares in Guatemala. The family had lost track of its land since 7 October 1940 but has now taken steps to recover it by hiring an attorney in 2020 to look into the matter. The Joseph J. Le Grelle bank merged through the Bank of Antwerp and the with Fortis Bank in 1962.


Joseph-Guillaume Le Grelle (1795-1880)

Son of Joseph J. Le Grelle, he founded the Bank Joseph Guillaume Le Grelle in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
. He was commissioner of the Bank of Belgium and founder of the Banque Foncière. He was the Knight of
Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...
and of the Order of St Sylvester.


Henri Le Grelle (1798-1872)

Henri Le Grelle was the founder of the Commercial Bank of Antwerp. He was also a major shareholder in the incorporation of numerous Antwerp companies. A renowned genealogist, he collected many genealogical trees of families of the Antwerp bourgeoisie. Those documents form the basis of the archives of the Le Grelle Family Association. Henri Le Grelle was married to Julie Le Grelle (of the elder branch). The couple had a chapel named after them in the
Cathedral of Our Lady (Antwerp) The Cathedral of Our Lady ( nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium. Today's see of the Diocese of Antwerp started in 1352 and, although the first stage of construction was ended in 1521, has never be ...
.


Count August Le Grelle (1817-1891)

Count August Le Grelle, banker at the Joseph J. Le Grelle Bank, was one of the co-founders of the Antwerp Mortgage Bank (Caisse hypothécaire anversoise Anhyp) in 1881, along with his son Count Emile Le Grelle and his brother Count Stanislas Le Grelle (1827-1908). In 1999, Axa Royale Belge took over Anhyp's banking activities. He was the honorary member of the academic body of the University of Antwerp and treasurer of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, one of the oldest institutions of its kind in Europe. It was founded in 1663 by
David Teniers the Younger David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II (bapt. 15 December 1610 – 25 April 1690) was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, draughtsman, miniaturist painter, staffage painter, copyist and art curator. He was an extremely versatile art ...
, painter to the
Archduke Leopold Wilhelm Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (5 January 1614 – 20 November 1662), younger brother of Emperor Ferdinand III, was an Austrian soldier, administrator and patron of the arts. He held a number of military commands, with limited success, and ...
and
Don Juan of Austria John of Austria ( es, Juan, link=no, german: Johann; 24 February 1547 – 1 October 1578) was the natural son born to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V late in life when he was a widower. Charles V met his son only once, recognizing him in a secret ...
. Count August Le Grelle was a member of the commission of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, President of the
Peter's Pence Peter's Pence (or ''Denarii Sancti Petri'' and "Alms of St Peter") are donations or payments made directly to the Holy See of the Catholic Church. The practice began under the Saxons in England and spread through Europe. Both before and after the ...
, Knight of the Order of Leopold, Commander of the Order of Saint Sylvester and founder of the Chapel of the Most Holy Sacrament, located in the Rue du Ciel in Antwerp. He was a patron of the painter
Nicaise de Keyser Nicaise de Keyser (alternative first names: Nicaas, Nikaas of Nicasius; 26 August 1813, Zandvliet – 17 July 1887, Antwerp) was a Belgian painter of mainly history paintings and portraits who was one of the key figures in the Belgian Romantic-h ...
, among others. Many members of the Le Grelle family were bank managers or directors. Count Oscar Le Grelle (1861-1930) was the director of the "Crédit anversois"; Count Gaston Le Grelle (1880-1938) was the managing director of Bank P. Kok & Co in The Hague ( The Netherlands); Count Max Le Grelle (1881-1922) served as the managing director of Bank Max Le Grelle & Co in
Delft Delft () is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, and The Hague, to the northwest. Together with them, it is part of both the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan ...
,G. van Erkelens, Van Corporatie naar Coöperatie, 1910-2000, Delft, 2000, 49 pp. and Émile Le Grelle was the administrator of the Bank of Brussels and Stanislas of the Bank of Antwerp.


The Le Grelle's in Politics

Politics has always been important in the Le Grelle family. Since the mid-eighteenth century, the family was responsible for the political management of the city of
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
.


Henri-Jacques Le Grelle (1753-1826)

Henri-Jacques Le Grelle was the alderman of
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
and licentiatus in law from the
University of Louvain A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
in 1779. In 1790, he swore an oath of loyalty to the Republic of the United States of Belgium and is one of three authors of the 1790
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 ...
. The Constitution of the Republic of the United States of Belgium later formed an important foundation for 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 ...
adopted by the
National Congress ''National Congress'' is a term used in the names of various political parties and legislatures . Political parties *Ethiopia: Oromo National Congress *Guyana: People's National Congress (Guyana) *India: Indian National Congress *Iraq: Iraqi Nati ...
in 1831. As a squire, Henri-Jacques Le Grelle was ennobled by patent letters from
Emperor Francis II Francis II (german: Franz II.; 12 February 1768 – 2 March 1835) was the last Holy Roman Emperor (from 1792 to 1806) and the founder and Emperor of the Austrian Empire, from 1804 to 1835. He assumed the title of Emperor of Austria in response ...
, dated 29 January 1794. Together with Joseph Jean Le Grelle, he was among the hostages taken by the French in
Het Steen Het Steen is a medieval fortress in the old city centre of Antwerp, Belgium, one of Europe's biggest ports. The surviving structure was built between 1200 and 1225 as a gateway to a larger castle of the Dukes of Brabant which was demolished in ...
on 7 August 1794, as security for war contribution payments on the Antwerp fortunes. He married Madeleine van Pruyssen (1749-1831).


Count Gérard Le Grelle (1793-1871)

Count Gérard Le Grelle, the son of Joseph J. Le Grelle, was a banker and set up the insurance companies Securitas (1819) and L'Escaut (1821). His situation was hardly comfortable, as the business world was increasingly supporting the Orangism (Dutch Republic) for fear of seeing the Scheldt blocked again by The Netherlands. A supporter of Belgium since his schooling in Brussels with Professor Jean-Baptiste Lesbroussart, Gérard asserted himself, between 1815 and 1830, by categorically refusing any administrative or political office under the Dutch regime and even turning down a proposal to be appointed town councilor. He preferred instead to concentrate his energy on the city of Antwerp and his bank. Together with his brothers Henri (1798-1872) and Edmond (1805-1876), he was a driving force behind the bank, which played an important role in financing the city of Antwerp after the
independence of Belgium The Belgian Revolution (, ) was the conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. Th ...
in 1830. Together with the Rothschild Bank, the Le Grelle Bank was also among the major financiers of the Papal States (which at the time represented a quarter of Italy, from the south of Rome to Bologna) prior to the unification of Italy through the
Peter's Pence Peter's Pence (or ''Denarii Sancti Petri'' and "Alms of St Peter") are donations or payments made directly to the Holy See of the Catholic Church. The practice began under the Saxons in England and spread through Europe. Both before and after the ...
in 1854 and 1864. Count Gérard Le Grelle's name remains attached to a famous petition for religious freedom in 1825, which earned him Rome's support in 1852. In 1830, he was a member of the
National Congress ''National Congress'' is a term used in the names of various political parties and legislatures . Political parties *Ethiopia: Oromo National Congress *Guyana: People's National Congress (Guyana) *India: Indian National Congress *Iraq: Iraqi Nati ...
for the province of Antwerp and then a member of the Chamber of Representatives. He was the first Mayor
Burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief ...
of
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
after independence and held this position for eighteen years. But, he refused a post as Minister of Finance in the government of Belgium. It was Count Gérard Le Grelle who, in 1836, decided to build the second rail link in Belgium between Mechelen and Antwerp and was the architect of the
Iron Rhine The Iron Rhine or Steel Rhine ( nl, IJzeren Rijn; german: Eiserner Rhein) is a partially nonoperational freight railway connecting the port of Antwerp (Belgium) and Mönchengladbach (Germany) by way of Neerpelt and the Dutch towns of Weert and ...
, a railway between Antwerp and Mönchengladbach (Germany) to transport goods from the port of Antwerp. His many other initiatives included the improvement of the navigability of the Scheldt, the construction of quays, the repurchase of the toll on the Scheldt from the Dutch, and the construction of the Bourla Theatre. He also created the Rubens festivals in 1840 to create the blossoming of a Belgian atmosphere similar to that which existed at the time of Rubens. Gerard and his son Augustus were also great patrons of the arts, and supported among others
Nicaise de Keyser Nicaise de Keyser (alternative first names: Nicaas, Nikaas of Nicasius; 26 August 1813, Zandvliet – 17 July 1887, Antwerp) was a Belgian painter of mainly history paintings and portraits who was one of the key figures in the Belgian Romantic-h ...
, who gave his name to De Keyserlei street. At the death of his uncle Henri-Jacques Le Grelle on 19 January 1826, Gerard Le Grelle obtained with his brothers the reversion of the recognition of nobility obtained by Henri-Jacques on 31 July 1822, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On 7 September 1852,
Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
conferred the title of Count on Gerard Le Grelle, which could be passed on to his legitimate descendants. On 10 August 1853,
King Leopold I * nl, Leopold Joris Christiaan Frederik * en, Leopold George Christian Frederick , image = NICAISE Leopold ANV.jpg , caption = Portrait by Nicaise de Keyser, 1856 , reign = 21 July 1831 – , predecessor = Erasme Loui ...
granted him the authorization to bear this title in Belgium, but it was transmissible only by order of male primogeniture. On 8 February 1871, King Leopold II extended the title of Count to all the descendants of Gérard Le Grelle.


Count Ferdinand Le Grelle (1823-1895)

A banker at the Joseph J. Le Grelle Bank and a politician of the Catholic Party, Count Ferdinand Le Grelle became a Senator of the district of Antwerp in 1885, succeeding John Cogels, son of Senator Frédégand Cogels. He fulfilled this mandate until his death. He was also president of the Peter's Pence, Knight in the Order of Leopold, and Commander of the Order of Saint Sylvester.


Count Max Le Grelle (1881-1922)

Count Max Le Grelle was a city councilor of the city of
Delft Delft () is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, and The Hague, to the northwest. Together with them, it is part of both the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan ...
. Before dying at the age of forty-one, he was very active in business and charity. He founded the Katholieke Woningbouw Vereeniging Sint Hyppolytus, a housing company in Delft that still manages almost 5,000 houses. Max Le Grelle was also the chairman and managing director of the Max Le Grelle Co Bank in Delft, director at the , and director of the Standaard Hypotheek Bank. The Max Le Grelle Bank in Delft merged with ABN-Amro. He was a Knight in the
Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...
and a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau. He obtained admission into the Dutch nobility for himself and all his descendants, but died without posterity.


Count Daniel Le Grelle (1922-2018)

Count Daniel Le Grelle became a municipal councilor in
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
, first as an independent, then as a representative of the Christian Social Party. He was elected in 1958 and remained in office until 1988. He became the founder of the Association for the Preservation of Monuments, which was mainly concerned with the monuments of Antwerp. As a city councilor, he successfully campaigned for the preservation of the Polder municipalities (
Berendrecht Berendrecht () is a neighbourhood and former village in Antwerp province in Belgium. Its name means "dike of the bear", according to the area's dialect, or "dike of a man called Bear", or "passage by the marsh". But ''drecht'' or ''tricht'' means ...
) that were threatened with extinction due to the expansion of the Port of Antwerp. Count Daniel Le Grelle served as the president of the Belgian-Dutch Association. He participated in the television series ''De Blauwe Gids'' (The Blue Guide), devoted to the Belgian nobility, in which he was presented as an ardent nature lover. He was particularly concerned about the annual heron colonies in Berendrecht. Daniel Le Grelle was a member of the
Council of Nobility The Council of Nobility ( French: ''Conseil de noblesse'', Dutch: ''Raad van Adel'') offers counsel to the King of the Belgians regarding all matters pertaining to the Kingdom's nobility. History It was created by Royal Decree on 27 February 19 ...
for eight years, alternating as president every two years with a French-speaking colleague. He actively campaigned for the inclusion of prominent Flemish personalities in the nobility. In 1959, Count Daniel Le Grelle co-founded the Heemkundige Kring van de Antwerpse Polder and the Polder Museum, where he served as its president and honorary president for several decades.


Count Bernard Le Grelle (1948)

Bernard Le Grelle, a journalist, political adviser, writer, and public affairs executive, was the first Belgian to enter the
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is located in Pulitzer Hall on the university's Morningside Heights campus in New York City. Founded in 1912 by Joseph Pulitzer, Columbia Journalism School is one of the oldest journalism s ...
in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...
. He founded and directed ''The Tobago News.'' He was a consul of France at the age of 27 in Tobago and when huge oilfields where found off shore, Winston Murray and A.N.R Robinson, who won the two Tobago seats, were supporting a secession from Trinidad, their London representative asked Le Grelle to join a Shadow cabinet and to be Minister of Foreign Affairs. As the deputy director of
Le Nouvel Économiste ''Le Nouvel Économiste'' ( French: ''The New Economist'') is a French language weekly financial and business magazine published in Paris, France. History and profile ''Le Nouvel Économiste'' was established in 1975. The magazine was owned by ...
, he organized the first French economic mission to China since Mao Zedong in 1978 and served as an intermediary between several governments, including South Korea, the Philippines, the United States and China, and major French industrial groups such as
Bouygues Bouygues S.A. () is a French industrial group headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Bouygues is listed on the Euronext Paris exchange and is a blue chip in the CAC 40 stock market index. The company was founded in 1952 by F ...
,
Framatome Framatome () is a French nuclear reactor business. It is owned by Électricité de France (EDF) (75.5%), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (19.5%), and Assystem (5%). The company first formed in 1958 to license Westinghouse's pressurized water react ...
,
Air Liquide Air Liquide S.A. (; ; literally " liquid air"), is a French multinational company which supplies industrial gases and services to various industries including medical, chemical and electronic manufacturers. Founded in 1902, after Linde it is ...
,
Air France Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global ai ...
,
Accor Accor S.A. is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties. It is the largest hospitality company in Europe, and the sixth largest hospitality company worldwide. Accor op ...
,
Essilor Essilor International is a French-based international ophthalmic optics company that designs, manufactures and markets lenses to correct or protect eyesight. Its headquarters is in Charenton-le-Pont (near Paris), France. It is the world's larg ...
and Thomson. Bernard Le Grelle was the founder of the first European lobbying agency, a partner of Robert K. Grey Robert, former cabinet secretary of President
Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
, a political advisor, and a university professor at
La Sorbonne The University of Paris (french: link=no, Université de Paris), metonymically known as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, active from 1150 to 1970, with the exception between 1793 and 1806 under the French Revolution ...
,
St. Gallen St. Gallen or traditionally St Gall, in German; it, San Gallo; rm, Son Gagl) is a Swiss city and the capital of the canton of St. Gallen. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a ...
and HEC Paris. He is the author of ''Profession Lobbyman'' and worked as an expert for several United Nations agencies, including
UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
,
UNITAR The one stringed guitar, also known as a Unitar is a somewhat less known version of the standard electric guitar. Although rare, the one-string guitar is sometimes heard, particularly in Delta blues, where improvised folk instruments were popular ...
, UNESCO, and WHO and as a consultant for Forbes, The International Herald Tribune and The Wall Street Journal. Bernard Le Grelle served as a policy advisor promoting foreign investments and building their countries image for several Prime Ministers, including
Pierre Mauroy Pierre Mauroy (; 5 July 1928 – 7 June 2013) was a French Socialist politician who was Prime Minister of France from 1981 to 1984 under President François Mitterrand. Mauroy also served as Mayor of Lille from 1973 to 2001. At the time of his d ...
, Wilfried Martens, and
Ruud Lubbers Rudolphus Franciscus Marie "Ruud" Lubbers (; 7 May 1939 – 14 February 2018) was a Dutch politician, diplomat and businessman who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1982 to 1994, and as United Nations High Commissioner for Refu ...
; he organized the official trip to the United States of Belgian Deputy Prime Minister
Willy De Clercq Willy Clarisse Elvire Hector, Viscount De Clercq (8 July 1927 – 28 October 2011) was a Belgian liberal politician. De Clercq was born in Ghent, son of Frans de Clercq.Etat présent de la noblesse belge 2015, p. 62 After his law and notariat ...
. In 1982, Bernard le Grelle was appointed by the French Presidency as director of the National Air and Space Bicentennial Agency. He became a founding member of the US Bicentennial Committee, co-organizing a conference in the Senate with vice-president George H. Bush and in the White House with
President Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
. On this latter occasion, the logo of the Bicentennial was signed by the four astronauts of the Space Shuttle Columbia. He convinced Senator
Charles Mathias Charles McCurdy Mathias Jr. (July 24, 1922 – January 25, 2010) was an American politician and attorney. A Republican, he served as a member of the United States Senate, representing Maryland from 1969 to 1987. He was also a member of th ...
and NASA director Jim Beggs to send the
Space Shuttle Enterprise Space Shuttle ''Enterprise'' ( Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-101) was the first orbiter of the Space Shuttle system. Rolled out on September 17, 1976, it was built for NASA as part of the Space Shuttle program to perform atmospheric test f ...
on a European tour that included a visit to the Paris Air Show in 1983. The crowd was thrilled to see the Space Shuttle Enterprise arrive on “piggyback” on top of a modified Boeing 747 jumbo jet. Bernard le Grelle and Senator Charles Mathias initiated the United States Congress Joint Resolution 270, officially designating 1983 as the Year of the Bicentennial of Air and Space. In December 1982, Bernard Le Grelle, Larry Mihlon, a former advisor to
President John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
, and
Charles Mathias Charles McCurdy Mathias Jr. (July 24, 1922 – January 25, 2010) was an American politician and attorney. A Republican, he served as a member of the United States Senate, representing Maryland from 1969 to 1987. He was also a member of th ...
came up with an idea to make the U.S. space program more popular with the U.S. taxpayers. Space shuttle launches had become routine and received little media coverage, being relegated, for example, to the eighth page of The New York Times. The idea was to put a teacher in a shuttle flight, from where she would give lessons to children from space, lessons that would be relayed to all schools in the United States via the public television network
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educati ...
. This idea was the genesis of the
Teacher in Space Project The Teacher in Space Project (TISP) was a NASA program announced by Ronald Reagan in 1984 designed to inspire students, honor teachers, and spur interest in mathematics, science, and space exploration. The project would carry teachers into spac ...
. In 1985, NASA selected
Christa McAuliffe Sharon Christa McAuliffe ( Corrigan; September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an American teacher and astronaut from Concord, New Hampshire, who was killed on the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' on mission STS-51-L where she was serving as a p ...
to be the teacher, but she perished in the Challenger shuttle accident along with the crew just 73 seconds after liftoff on the morning of Tuesday, 28 January 1986; the incident was broadcast live on
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by t ...
. At this time, Bernard Le Grelle was aboard the Boeing 757 of Eastern Airlines bound to Miami, cruising at 39,000 feet above the Kennedy Space Center, when the explosion occurred. Le Grelle, who was on the telephone with
Charles Villeneuve Charles Villeneuve (born Charles Leroy; 19 July 1941) is a French journalist. He was the sports director of the television channel TF1. On 27 May 2008, he was named as president of Paris Saint-Germain F.C. ahead of the new season, after the one ...
, the managing editor of Europe 1 radio station, became the first and only journalist to report the accident live as he watched the explosion. The report was cited among the great scoops of Europe 1 Radio. The Commanding astronaut of Challenger was Francis (Dick) Scobee, who flew the 747 with the Enterprise to le Bourget in 1983 and met with Le Grelle. From 1982 to 1986, Bernard Le Grelle, along with James I. Campbell Jr., a former member of Senator Edward Kennedy's staff and advisor to Larry Hillblom, the founder of DHL, were instrumental in breaking up the existing postal monopoly in Europe, opening the way for companies such as
FedEx FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...
,
UPS UPS or ups may refer to: Companies and organizations * United Parcel Service, an American shipping company ** The UPS Store, UPS subsidiary ** UPS Airlines, UPS subsidiary * Underground Press Syndicate, later ''Alternative Press Syndicate'' or ...
,
TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
and DHL to operate on the European continent. In 1986, he was named advisor to the anti-terrorist group set up at the Elysée Palace in liaison with members of an anti-terrorist group of the American Congress and the National Security Council of the United States. In 2008, Bernard Le Grelle became the president of the Support Committee for the
Nobel Prize in 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 ...
to
Jean-Claude Chermann Jean-Claude Chermann is a French virologist who managed the research team which, by 1983, under the administrative supervision of Luc Montagnier, had discovered the virus associated with AIDS. Whereas second author of this initial publication and ...
, the main discoverer of the
HIV virus The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
. The committee brought together more than 700 doctors, professors, and scientists, including Professor Robert Gallo, a controversial virologist who also worked on the HIV virus. Bernard le Grelle was received by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who publicly defended Professor Chermann and strongly criticized the Nobel Committee's decision. He was given the honorary Navy Lieutenant status for services rendered to the French Navy. During his career, Bernard Le Grelle was received several times at the White House and has had the opportunity to meet many heads of state and government.


Le Grelle's in the press and industry

The 19th century saw the family's activities diversify into the press and food industries. In 1893, Count Oscar Le Grelle was the co-founder of the fund that bought the shares of N.V. De Vlijt, publisher of the
Gazet van Antwerpen The ''Gazet van Antwerpen'' (Antwerp Gazette, popularly named ''De Frut'', "sour head cheese") is a Belgian newspaper in Antwerp and Flanders, published by Concentra. History and profile ''Gazet van Antwerpen'' was established in 1891. Its edi ...
, eventually obtaining control of the newspaper. Count Alfred Le Grelle (1872-1948) was the president of N.V. De Vlijt, with the fund still existing under the name K.I.M. (Katholiek Impuls en Media Fonds). The fund is a shareholder of the Catholic newspapers in Flanders, which have grouped together under the name
Mediahuis Mediahuis is a newspaper & magazine publishing, distribution, printing, TV, radio and online media company founded in 2014 with assets in Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg and Germany. Mediahuis publishes daily newspaper titles in Belg ...
. Count Gérard Le Grelle was among the founders of
Liebig Justus Freiherr von Liebig (12 May 1803 – 20 April 1873) was a German scientist who made major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry, and is considered one of the principal founders of organic chemistry. As a professor at t ...
with the German Liebig family in Antwerp. A century later, a Le Grelle shareholder of Liebig married a descendant of the founders of Maggi.


The Church and Charity

In Antwerp and its surroundings alone, more than twenty-nine churches and chapels—including the
Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominat ...
, St. Andrew's Church, the Churches of St. Augustine, St. Frederick in Deurne, Our Lady College, the Ursuline school in
Wilrijk Wilrijk (; former, original spelling: ''Wilrijck'') is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Belgian province of Antwerp. Wilrijk had been a separate municipality before January 1, 1983; the enlarged municipality of Antwerp wa ...
, the Basilica of Berchem and the small churches of Gestel and
Ranst Ranst () is a municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Broechem (townhall), , Oelegem, and Ranst (postoffice) proper. In 2021, Ranst had a total population of 19,249. The total area is . Notable ...
—have stained glass windows or ancient tombstones with the Le Grelle coat of arms. The family counts three Grand Chaplains ( Grand Aumonier) at the head of the former institution, which in the past took care of the city's poorest citizens long before the creation of Public Centers for Social Welfare (CPAS). The honorable function with a one-year term was very expensive because the Grand Chaplain financed those charitable activities himself. In 1771, 1787 and 1795, Jean-Guillaume, Gérard François, and Joseph J. Le Grelle were Grand Chaplain of Antwerp. In 1824, founded the Maatschappij der Kristelijke Liefdadigheid, which still operates a hospital and manages nursing homes. Numerous convents and religious orders have been able to benefit from Gérard Le Grelle's help. Edmond Le Grelle (1805-1876) married Eulalie Cambier (1806-1862) in 1826, who founded the school of the Ursulines in
Wilrijk Wilrijk (; former, original spelling: ''Wilrijck'') is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Belgian province of Antwerp. Wilrijk had been a separate municipality before January 1, 1983; the enlarged municipality of Antwerp wa ...
. Edmond Le Grelle later Marie van Eersel (1815-1866) in 1863 and Bathilde De Wael (1829-1908) in 1867, who set up several schools and hospices in
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
. These women made an important contribution to the name Le Grelle. Many members of the Le Grelle family are part of this religious tradition, including Father Aloys, Sisters Thérèse, Marie, Joséphine, Clémence, Engelberte, Madeleine, Agnès, Monsignor Stanislas, Father Maxime, Father Guy and brother Éric. In the
Cathedral of Our Lady (Antwerp) The Cathedral of Our Lady ( nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium. Today's see of the Diocese of Antwerp started in 1352 and, although the first stage of construction was ended in 1521, has never be ...
, a chapel was consecrated by the Le Grelle family and houses a 19th-century triptych.


Le Grelle's in sports

The family has had some success in the world of sports.


Count Léon Le Grelle (1852-1909)

Count Leon Le Grelle was a coach and jockey at the stables of Baron Creutz, Baron Osy, and Count van Limburg Stirum in The Netherlands. His nephew, Count Gérard, followed the same path; both won numerous prizes.


Countess Diane Le Grelle, known as Pinky (1952)

Diane (Pinky) Le Grelle was the first woman to excel at mixed skeet shooting at the
1992 Barcelona Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...
for Great Britain.


Count Daniel Le Grelle (1922-2018)

Count Daniel le Grelle was a member of the Belgian Olympic Committee for years. He reorganized it and it is now called the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (COIB). The purpose of the new entity was to help young athletes reach international levels. Count Daniel Le Grelle's work with the committee earned him the Silver Medal of Merit of the Olympic Order. He was close to Jacques Rogge, eighth president of the International Olympic Committee, the supreme authority of the Olympic movement.


Sébastien Le Grelle (1974)

Sébastien Le Grelle started motorcycling with
motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competit ...
, competing in motorcycle speed contests beginning in 1995. Very quickly, success was achieved in the promotional categories. In 2000, he took part in eight races at the
2000 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season The 2000 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 52nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Season summary Kenny Roberts, Jr. fulfilled the promise of his 2nd place in 1999 by winning the championship for 2000 with 2 races to spare ...
in the 500cc category. In 2001, he returned to his favorite categories with the same success. He was crowned Belgian champion several times.


Baron

Charles Bracht Baron Charles Victor Bracht (7 January 1915 – 7 March 1978) was a Belgian alpine skier. He competed in the men's combined event at the 1936 Winter Olympics. He later became a wealthy businessman and was kidnapped in 1978. His body was fou ...
(1915-1978)

A cousin by marriage, Baron Charles Bracht was an outstanding alpine skier; he competed in the men's combined event at the Fourth Winter Olympic Games of 1936 (the first to include alpine skiing) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.


The Le Grelle's today


From

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
to New Zealand

Today, the name of Le Grelle maintains a strong Antwerp connotation, but the majority of the family no longer lives in the city. Instead, the Le Grelle's are found in Walloon Brabant and France, after a generation spent in the Belgian Congo. Some are Canadian, including the children of Countess Marie-Antoinette Le Grelle and Canadian Ambassador
Keith MacLellan Keith William MacLellan (1920–29 September 1998) was a soldier, scholar and Canadian diplomat who helped to shape Canada's post war multi-lateral foreign policy and championed the cause of a federal, united, Canada. Life and family Of Ca ...
. Others have emigrated to New Zealand.


Descendants of the Seven Noble Houses of Brussels

All Le Grelle's descend at least once from the
Seven Noble Houses of Brussels The Seven Noble Houses of Brussels (also called the Seven Lineages or Seven Patrician families of Brussels; french: Sept lignages de Bruxelles, nl, Zeven geslachten van Brussel, Latin: ''Septem nobiles familiae Bruxellarum'') were the seven ...
and, among others, from , , and and part of the family through alliances with the van Ursel, van de Werve, t'Kint, della Faille, de Bergeyck, de Smet, de Robiano, van der Beken Pasteels. Several Le Grelle's descend through alliances of Peter Paul Rubens.


Some illustrious cousins

Cécilia Sarkozy, the former wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, is among the Le Grelle cousins by marriage. “Cécilia also has Belgian cousins. Her mother's half-brothers and half-sisters, as well as their descendants, belong to a great family of Antwerp nobility: the Le Grelle family. Her maternal grandmother Rosalie de Swert (1901-1982), married Count Adelin Le Grelle in 1921 in Valencia, Spain. From this union two children were born, Count Richard Le Grelle (1921) and Countess Marie-Antoinette, who had four children with the Canadian ambassador
Keith MacLellan Keith William MacLellan (1920–29 September 1998) was a soldier, scholar and Canadian diplomat who helped to shape Canada's post war multi-lateral foreign policy and championed the cause of a federal, united, Canada. Life and family Of Ca ...
“, journalist Marie-Cécile Royen wrote in the ''
Le Vif/L'Express ''Le Vif/L'Express'' is a French language weekly news magazine published in Brussels, Belgium. It has been in circulation since 1963. History and profile The magazine was established under the name of ''Le Vif'' in 1983. Its name was changed to ...
'' edition of 31 August 2007. When Cécilia became the First Lady of France, Counts Henry and Vincent Le Grelle sent her a case of their Rubens Montagne Saint-Émilion cuvée to the
Élysée Palace The Élysée Palace (french: Palais de l'Élysée; ) is the official residence of the President of the French Republic. Completed in 1722, it was built for nobleman and army officer Louis Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, who had been appointed Gove ...
. They received a warm letter of thanks addressed to "My dear cousins". Elisabeth de Bernard de Fauconval, who married Count Gérard le Grelle, and their children are cousins of the Smet family and of Jean-Philippe Smet (alias Johnny Hallyday) as well as of the Lefèvre d'Ormesson family and
Jean d'Ormesson Count Jean Bruno Wladimir François de Paule Le Fèvre d'Ormesson (16 June 1925 – 5 December 2017) was a French novelist. He was the author of forty books, the director of ''Le Figaro'' from 1974 to 1979, and the Dean of the Académie française ...
, writer, journalist and philosopher, member of the
Académie Française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...
. They are also cousins of Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria (1937), who in 1959 married Albert II, King of the Belgians (1934) and mother of King Philip (1960). Marguerite de Mélotte de Lavaux (1864-1952), who married Count Albéric Le Grelle (1860-1934) is a cousin of Viscount
Ferdinand de Lesseps Ferdinand Marie, Comte de Lesseps (; 19 November 1805 – 7 December 1894) was a French diplomat and later developer of the Suez Canal, which in 1869 joined the Mediterranean and Red Seas, substantially reducing sailing distances and times ...
(1805-1894), the builder of the Suez Canal and
Eugénie de Montijo ''Doña'' María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick, 19th Countess of Teba, 16th Marchioness of Ardales (5 May 1826 – 11 July 1920), known as Eugénie de Montijo (), was Empress of the French from her marriage to Emperor Napo ...
(1823-1920), who married Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte in 1853, who later became Emperor Napoleon III in 1856. Countess Alice Le Grelle, the daughter-in-law of Albéric Le Grelle, piously kept the Golden Rosary that
Empress Eugenie An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...
had given her.


Certain Le Grelle Descendants


Catherine Le Grelle (1760-1819)

With her sister Barbe, Catherine Le Grelle fictitiously bought at a public sale in 1795 the presbytery of Saint-Frédégand in Deurne, which had been confiscated by revolutionaries. The two sisters had planned to return the presbytery to the church later, but in revenge, the furniture of the two sisters was confiscated and sold publicly in 1796.


Pierre Le Grelle de Rameyen (1769-1841)

Pierre Le Grelle de Rameyen married Marie-Josèphe van den Bol (1784-1870). In 1852, his widow obtained an elevation in the rank of nobility in the name of her deceased husband for herself and her five children. This branch of the family died out in 1882. They lived in Rameyen Castle, which had been passed by succession to the de Cock de Rameyen family. Pierre Le Grelle de Rameyen owned the magnificent 16th century Castle Gestelhof in
Berlaar Berlaar () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Berlaar proper and . In 2021, Berlaar had a total population of 11,710. The total area is 24.57 km². History The current munic ...
. Today, the stately mansion is considered an official monument in Belgium, where it is situated in a national park along the Nete river, some 18 miles from Antwerp.


Jean-Antoine Le Grelle (1774-1841)

Jean Antoine Le Grelle was the son of Jean-Guillaume (1733-1812) and Marie Thérèse Janssens (1748-1811). On a cadastral map dated 20 April 1815, which mentions Jean-Antoine Le Grelle as owner of the castle of Selsaeten in
Wommelgem Wommelgem () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Wommelgem proper. In 2021, Wommelgem had a total population of 12,991. The total area is 13.01 km². Economy Wommelgem i ...
, one can see that the estate is identical to that of the until the division of the latter and the sale of the castle in 1951.


Edmond Le Grelle (1805-1876)

A squire, Edmond Le Grelle inherited the status of nobleman in 1826. He was the captain commander of the Civil Guard in
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
. He was a banker at the Joseph J. Le Grelle Bank, officer in the Order of Leopold, commander in the
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...
, and Knight in the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great. In June 1853, Edmond Le Grelle received the mission from King Leopold I to travel to Vienna for the planned wedding of Leopold's son, the Duke of Brabant, with S.A.I. and R. Marie-Henriette, the archduchess of Austria. Upon his return in Brussels, Edmond gave the king a portrait of the future queen of the Belgians. He married Eulalie Cambier (1806-1862) in 1826, Marie van Eersel (1815-1866) in 1863, and in 1867 Bathilde De Wael (1829-1908), the sister of Mayor Leopold De Wael. She was a widow and lost her two daughters, who tragically died of black smallpox contracted in a Parisian palace in 1887 just one day apart at the ages of 18 and 15. De Twee Gezusters (The Two Sisters) orphanage was founded in 1889 by Bathilde in memory of her two daughters. They lived in the Middelheim Castle and the "Geleyhuis” in the
Meir Meir ( he, מֵאִיר) is a Jewish male given name and an occasional surname. It means "one who shines". It is often Germanized as Maier, Mayer, Mayr, Meier, Meyer, Meijer, Italianized as Miagro, or Anglicized as Mayer, Meyer, or Myer. Alfred ...
street.


Louis Le Grelle (1817-1852)

A horticulturist, Louis Le Grelle lived in the Castle of
Berchem Berchem () is a southern district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Berchem is located along the old ''Grote Steenweg'' (Dutch for 'Big Paved Road') that has connected Brussels to Antwerp for several centu ...
and was a Knight in the Order of Leopold. He was a member of the administrative commission of the Royal Horticultural Society of Antwerp and held the honorary diploma of the Horticultural Societies of
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, Mechelen, Ghent,
Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...
, Leiden and
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture ...
. His wife, Caroline Le Grelle, was also a horticulturist. Madame Parmentier, a Belgian horticulturist living in the
State of Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockfo ...
( USA), dedicated her ''
Punica granatum The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows between tall. The pomegranate was originally described throughout the Mediterranean region. It was introduc ...
'' 'Legrelliae' ( Pomegranate). His numerous relationships with the directors of the botanical gardens of our country and abroad have been most useful for public education. The palm trees of M: Legrelle d'Hanis were honored in the great throne room of the National Exhibition in Brussels in 1848, where the king and the royal family were received and complimented. ''
Dioon edule ''Dioon edule'', the chestnut dioon, is a cycad native to Mexico, also known as ''palma de la virgen''. Cycads are among the oldest seed plants and even pre-date the dinosaurs.The United States Botanical Garden It belongs to the Zamiaceae plant ...
'', '' Gunnera scabra'', ''
Ceratozamia mexicana ''Ceratozamia mexicana'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Veracruz states in Mexico. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and sub ...
'', ''Didymochlœna'' of Brazil, the as yet unknown ''Theophrasta'', '' Jacaranda legrelliana'', and many other magnificent species have spread in quantity outside his magnificent
Berchem Berchem () is a southern district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Berchem is located along the old ''Grote Steenweg'' (Dutch for 'Big Paved Road') that has connected Brussels to Antwerp for several centu ...
countryside. It is happily remembered that H.M. King Leopold, in visiting the 1848 exhibition, expressed in front of a plant of M. Legrelle-d'Hanis, '' Myanthus firmbriatus'', the reasoned admiration of a botanist scholar and paid a full tribute to the services rendered to the national horticulture of Belgium by such honorable exhibitors ».


Count Aloys Le Grelle (1818-1883)

Count Aloys Le Grelle was a member of the Society of Jesus, vice-provincial of the Jesuits of Belgium, former rector of the colleges of Namur, Liège and
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
and of the
Jesuit formation Jesuit formation, or the training of Jesuits, is the process by which candidates are prepared for ordained or brotherly service in the Society of Jesus, the world's largest male Catholic religious order. The process is based on the Constitution o ...
of
Louvain Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic c ...
(Leuven).


Mathilde Le Grelle (1847-1928)

A composer, Mathilde Le Grelle wrote the Majorcan March for
King Alfonso XIII of Spain Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alfo ...
. In 1895, she published an autobiographical book, ''A Honeymoon in Chicago''. Her husband, Arthur de Cannart d'Hamale, published ''Quelques Pages sur le Congo'' (Some Pages about the Congo), which had not yet become a Belgian colony.


Charles Le Grelle (1854-1938)

He was a squire and the alderman of Etterbeek, where a street bears his name. He was the deputy prosecutor of the king and commissioner of currencies. As an Attorney General of the Egyptian courts, he established the Egyptian judiciary system. He was the grand officer of the Order of the Crown, commander of the Order of Leopold, the grand officer of the
Order of Osmaniye The Order of Osmanieh or Order of Osmaniye ( ota, نشانِ عثمانیہ) was a civil and military decoration of the Ottoman Empire. History The order was created in January 1862 by Sultan Abdülaziz. With the obsolescence of the Nişan-i Ift ...
, the Order of Medjidiae, the
Order of the Crown of Siam The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันมีเกียรติยศยิ่งมงกุฎไทย; ) is a Thai order, established in 1869 by King Rama ...
, Order of the Crown of Thailand, the commander of the
Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the defunct Order of Michael the Brave. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has five r ...
, and the commander of the Order of the Lion and the Sun of Persia. He lived in the Castle of Engismont in
Engis Engis (; wa, Indji) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 Engis had a total population of 5,686. The total area is 27.74 km² which gives a population density of 205 inhabitants per km� ...
.


Count Henry Le Grelle (1865-1934)

Contrary to the custom of the time that sent young people from his background to study in Germany, Henri Le Grelle studied in England. Around the age of 18, Henry left for a trip around the world, including a lengthy visit to Ranchi (the present capital of the state of Jharkhand in India), an experience that marked him for life. There he met Father Constant Lievens in a hut in Torpa (today in the diocese of Khunti), located 60 km south of Ranchi, where he created a Jesuit school that still exists, several small churches, and a printing house to spread the news of the savior Jesus Christ. In 1900, with Father Belpaire and Ch. Hertoghe, Henry Le Grelle founded a bakery cooperative "Het Beste Brood" in Antwerp (dissolved in the 1990s), which played an important role in the distribution of bread in Antwerp between the two wars. The bread was delivered in small carts pulled by ponies. He also set up a technical school for chaplains which was still in existence in 2019, a savings and pension fund (Spaar en Lijfrentekas), a coal trade (the Algemene Kolen Vereniging) to supply the bakery's oven and enable workers to buy coal at a favorable price as well as the "Queen" chocolate factory. Count Henry Le Grelle’ purpose for launching these enterprises was political, that is, to counter the Socialists. Human contact and customer loyalty allowed him to convey a different message from that of socialism. He also left precious writings on the living conditions of the Indians in the 19th century.


Comte Alfred Le Grelle (1872-1948)

He was the president of the ''N.V. De Vlijt'' (
Gazet van Antwerpen The ''Gazet van Antwerpen'' (Antwerp Gazette, popularly named ''De Frut'', "sour head cheese") is a Belgian newspaper in Antwerp and Flanders, published by Concentra. History and profile ''Gazet van Antwerpen'' was established in 1891. Its edi ...
).


Count (Monsignor) Stanislas Le Grelle (1874-1957)

The tenth of Stanislas and Adelaïde (born de Villegas de Saint-Pierre Jette) Le Grelle's twelve children, Count Stanislas Le Grelle became a priest and was promoted to Doctor of Philosophy and Theology. He became the head Chaplain of the
Belgian Army The Land Component ( nl, Landcomponent, french: Composante terre) is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component is Major-General Pierre Gérard. ...
in 1914. In 1940–1945, he was a member of the Secret Army. With his inheritance, he had bought a palazzo near the Janiculum in Rome (this house was later bought by the
Ruffo di Calabria The House of Ruffo di Calabria is one of the longest-standing noble families in Italy. It was already one of the seven most important houses of the Kingdom of Naples;Queen Paola Paola (born Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria;AlthougThe Belgian Monarchy websiteattributes the title of "Princess" to Queen Paola prior to marriage, Burke's Peerage 1973, The Descendants of Louis XIII 1999, ''Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels'' 200 ...
). He occupied the top floor and rented rooms for a small fee to theology students. One of them, who was two-year younger, became his friend. His name was Eugenio Pacelli and he was elected pope in 1939 as
Pius XII Pius ( , ) Latin for "pious", is a masculine given name. Its feminine form is Pia. It may refer to: People Popes * Pope Pius (disambiguation) * Antipope Pius XIII (1918-2009), who led the breakaway True Catholic Church sect Given name * Piu ...
. Stanislas Le Grelle became
Papal chamberlain A Papal Gentleman, also called a Gentleman of His Holiness, is a lay attendant of the pope and his papal household in Vatican City. Papal gentlemen serve in the Apostolic Palace near St. Peter's Basilica in ceremonial positions, such as escorting ...
as well as serving as assistant librarian of the
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
. He was one of the few prelates to have a very personal relationship with the Pope. But it was also an original. Belgian Prime Minister Léo Tindemans (1974-1979), told Henry Le Grelle the following anecdote. Monsignor Le Grelle used to shower in one of the Vatican's fountains in the morning, much to the chagrin of the Swiss guards. They did not dare to question a Monsignor, close to the Pope, but their colonel opened up directly to Pius XII, who very diplomatic simply suggested to him to cut the water from the fountain. Since then this fountain has always remained dry. When the library of the
Catholic University of Louvain The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
was destroyed in August 1914 by the invading German forces - with the loss of approximately 230,000 books, 950 manuscripts, and 800 incunabula - Monsignor Stanislas Le Grelle played a major role in rebuilding the collection of books. The building was rebuilt with international effort, but the formidable collection of books had disappeared. Beginning in 1920, the library's collections were rebuilt with donations from all around the world, outraged by the barbaric act which it had suffered. The collection was largely reconstructed by a large donation of books from the Vatican library. Stanislas Le Grelle, a scriptor of the
Vatican Apostolic Library The Vatican Apostolic Library ( la, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, it, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana), more commonly known as the Vatican Library or informally as the Vat, is the library of the Holy See, located in Vatican City. Formally es ...
at that time, intervened to organize the transport of the books to Louvain. Ambassador Freddy Cogels, a counsellor at the Belgian embassy in Rome (
Quirinal The Quirinal Hill (; la, Collis Quirinalis; it, Quirinale ) is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, at the north-east of the city center. It is the location of the official residence of the Italian head of state, who resides in the Quirinal Pala ...
), wrote in his book, ''Memoirs of a Diplomat'', how Monsignor Le Grelle, given his gifts as a diviner, had cured more than 4,000 patients, including many suffering from cancer. The French weekly news magazine
Paris-Match ''Paris Match'' () is a French-language weekly news magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. History and profile A sports news magazine, ''Match l'intran'' (a play on ''L'Intransigeant' ...
devoted a report to him. Monsignor Stanislas Le Grelle is also associated with a strange affair. The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a charity, hosted by leading celebrities, every year in Brussels. Ambassador Cogels was asked at the end of 1954 to negotiate the presence of
Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood cin ...
. Since she was afraid of flying, Loren recommended that a young actress,
Marcella Mariani Marcella Mariani (Rome, Italy, 8 February 1936 – Monte Terminillo, Italy, 13 February 1955) was an Italian actress and Miss Italia, Miss Italy contest winner. Though she appeared in several popular movies and was garnering acclaim as an actress ...
, be invited in her place. Mariani boarded a
Sabena The ''Societé anonyme belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation aérienne'' (French; ), better known by the acronym Sabena or SABENA, was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its b ...
flight at the last minute hosted the charity ball. On her return 13 February 1955, a Sunday, the Sabena flight 503 Melsbroek-Leopoldville crashed in the
Apennines The Apennines or Apennine Mountains (; grc-gre, links=no, Ἀπέννινα ὄρη or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; la, Appenninus or  – a singular with plural meaning;''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which wou ...
, not far from Rome. The Italian army had drawn up a plan to sweep the entire mountain range in successive sectors. Monsignor Le Grelle telephoned the embassy on the subsequent Friday and revealed the location of the wreckage and the victims, stating that there might be a few survivors. On Monday, 21 February, soldiers found the wreckage and bodies of the victims barely 200 meters from the location disclosed by Stanislas. It is unknown how he learned the wreckage's location. On 6 June 2010, fifty-five years after the events, the children of the victims returned to the scene, to inaugurate a monument and an exhibition and on 13 February 2015, the Belgian Embassy in Rome organized a ceremony to commemorate the 29 victims of the crash. Monsignor Le Grelle was honored on this occasion. Monsignor Stanislas Le Grelle also served as the honorary president of the Le Grelle Family Association, which he created in 1955 with his cousins, nephews, and nieces: Countess Elisabeth Le Grelle and Counts Stanislas, André and Marc Le Grelle. He bequeathed to the association a large number of documents he and his great uncle, Henri Le Grelle, a renowned amateur genealogist, gathered over many years. Monsignor Le Grelle was Knight in the Order of Leopold with Palm and decorated with the Croix de Guerre 1914-18. He is buried in the Vatican.


Count Albert Le Grelle (1888-1914)

Posthumously named Knight of the
Order of Leopold II The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Leopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as Sovereign of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgiu ...
with Palm and War Cross, Count Albert Le Grelle died for Belgium at Kaaskerke. Albert had studied at the Notre Dame de la Paix faculty in Namur. From December 1913 to July 1914, he followed about sixty painting courses with the portrait painter Alidor Lamote (1880-1949), and a still life he painted in 1914 was finished just a few months before his death. Like many young men, he was a war volunteer, brigadier in the 13th Lancers Regiment, motorcyclist on the staff of the 3rd division. During the
Battle of the Yser The Battle of the Yser (french: Bataille de l'Yser, nl, Slag om de IJzer) was a battle of the First World War that took place in October 1914 between the towns of Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide, along a stretch of the Yser River and the Yperlee ...
, in an attack by about a hundred German soldiers at Kaaskerke, near
Diksmuide (; french: Dixmude, ; vls, Diksmude) is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of proper and the former communes of Beerst, Esen, Kaaskerke, Keiem, Lampernisse, Lek ...
, on the night of 25–26 October 1914, the Belgians closed the line of defense, but 25 Germans managed to withdraw taking various prisoners. At dawn, the Germans shot many of them, before being taken prisoners in turn by the French. His body was not found until two years later. In his campaign diary written during the 1914-1918 war, Jean de Ryckel, Albert's cousin by their mothers, wrote: "On November 13, 1916, we received a visit from our first cousin Paul de Melotte who announced that the body of our common first cousin, Count Albert Le Grelle, had just been found in Caeskerke. His body was identified in an extraordinary way. New trenches were dug in Caeskerke and many corpses were discovered. In a cavalry coat was found a watch, a revolver, a wallet, and a prayer book. The prayer book contained a souvenir of the First Communion of Marie-Thérèse Le Grelle, his sister, and the watch was recognized by one of Albert's friends. This watch had been bought in Antwerp at the beginning of the hostilities by the two friends”.


Count André Le Grelle (1903-1983)

Count André Le Grelle was the president of N.V. De Vlijt, publisher of the
Gazet van Antwerpen The ''Gazet van Antwerpen'' (Antwerp Gazette, popularly named ''De Frut'', "sour head cheese") is a Belgian newspaper in Antwerp and Flanders, published by Concentra. History and profile ''Gazet van Antwerpen'' was established in 1891. Its edi ...
. He was the director of numerous companies, the president of Winterhulp 40/45, the organization of Red Cross volunteers who came to the aid of the most destitute during the winters of the last war. He was the owner of Reet Castle and the president of the Le Grelle Family Association (1955-1983).


Count Jacques Le Grelle (1904-1990)

Count Jacques Le Grelle lived intensely. He was a frequent host of large parties, attended by men in tuxedos and women in long dresses, and he had many friends. He also traveled frequently, including twice to America on
Esso Esso () is a trading name for ExxonMobil. Originally, the name was primarily used by its predecessor Standard Oil of New Jersey after the breakup of the original Standard Oil company in 1911. The company adopted the name "Esso" (the phonetic ...
tankers. These trips had an effect on his manner of speaking, as he kept an American accent all his life. He hunted in Hungary, at the time governed (since 1919) by the Regent Miklós Horthy. In December 1934, he went skiing in Austria in the resort of
Obergurgl Obergurgl is a village in the Ötztal Alps in Tyrol, Austria. Located in the municipality of Sölden, the village has approximately 400 year-round inhabitants, and is mainly a tourist resort. At an elevation of , Obergurgl is the highest parish ...
, not far from Innsbruck, where he won the "Pickard Kuppe" and met a German officer. On 28 May, the Belgian army laid down its arms and Jacques Le Grelle was held prisoner in
Eeklo Eeklo () is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises only the town of Eeklo proper. The name ''Eeklo'' comes from the contraction of "eke" and "lo", two Old German words meaning ''oak'' and ''sp ...
. With incredible luck, the German officer who guarded the column of prisoners was the man he had met skiing in Austria. The officer gave him a few ''Entlassungsscheinen'' (liberation certificates) that enabled Jacques Le Grelle to free himself and several comrades, while 171,000 other soldiers and officers - prisoners of war - were deported to Germany. Jacques Le Grelle left Belgium, crossed France and the Pyrenees, and was arrested near
Figueras Figueres (, ; , es, Figueras, ) is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museu ...
(Spain). He finally reached
Gibraltar ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song = "Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gibra ...
and England on 10 August 1942. In London, he found Colonel Piron, whom he had known in 1939. The latter offered him the position of Chief of Staff but Jacques Le Grelle refused. The Belgian Military Security, led by Colonel Bernard, asked him if he was ready to return to the continent. He was entrusted to
MI9 MI9, the British Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 9, was a highly secret department of the War Office between 1939 and 1945. During World War II it had two principal tasks: (1) assisting in the escape of Allied prisoners of war (PO ...
, the military intelligence department number 9, the organization in charge of recovering and bringing back to England resistance fighters, soldiers, and pilots. As early as 1940, Brigadier Crocket had considered it necessary to recover the airmen whose aircraft would be shot down on the continent. Given that the duration of the training of aviators (pilots, navigators, bombers, radio operators, machine-gunners...) was four years, whereas it took only four days to build an aircraft, it was important to recover the men when they fell behind enemy lines. Moreover, it was reassuring for the pilots to know that in case of being shot down they would have a 50 per cent chance of being recovered. MI9 included
Airey Neave Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave, (;) (23 January 1916 – 30 March 1979) was a British soldier, lawyer and Member of Parliament (MP) from 1953 until his assassination in 1979. During World War II he was the first British prisoner-of-war to ...
(called "Saturday"), an officer who made a spectacular escape from the Colditz Fortress. Jacques Le Grelle entered training immediately and performed the exercise jumps, but fractured his spine during the exercises. In May 1943, after eight months of convalescence, he was personally accompanied by Airey Neave to the
Pembroke Dock Pembroke Dock ( cy, Doc Penfro) is a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, northwest of Pembroke on the banks of the River Cleddau. Originally Paterchurch, a small fishing village, Pembroke Dock town expanded rapidly followi ...
base where he boarded a seaplane. Airey Neave later recounted how painful this had been for him, knowing that his "colt" Jacques had a nine-in-ten chance of losing his life in the mission. Jacques Le Grelle returned under the name of Jerome as a member of the Comet Line which helped Allied soldiers and airmen return to the United Kingdom. As head of the Paris sector from August 1943 to January 1944, he followed the grassroots organizations of Andrée De Jongh, the co-founder of the network. With the assistance of the message "For the big birds, there are no Pyrenees" broadcast by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
in the spring of 1943, Jacques Le Grelle was able to have the Comet Line contacts organized up to Normandy. He was captured, tortured at length, and sentenced to death but was saved just in time by American troops during the liberation of the Amberg concentration camp on 23 April. After the war, he was a military observer for the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
in Kashmir. In 1952, he was a UN observer based in Damascus during a mission to protect the peace between the new state of Israel and the neighboring Arab countries. In 1970, he was received by
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
at
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ha ...
and in 1984 by
King Baudouin Baudouin (;, ; nl, Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Maria Gustaaf, ; german: Balduin Albrecht Karl Leopold Axel Maria Gustav. 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993), Dutch name Boudewijn, was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his dea ...
at the
Royal Palace of Laeken The Palace of Laeken or Castle of Laeken (french: Château de Laeken, nl, Kasteel van Laken, german: Schloss zu Laeken) is the official residence of the King of the Belgians and the Belgian Royal Family. It lies in the Brussels-Capital Regi ...
.


Father Maxime Le Grelle (1906-1984)

Father Maxime le Grelle was a
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...
priest and Belgian writer. His work ''Brouage-Québec: Foi de pionniers'' (1976), recounted the lives of 17th century French adventurers, particularly those of
Samuel Champlain Samuel de Champlain (; Fichier OrigineFor a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December 1635) was a Fr ...
and
Pierre Dugua de Mons Pierre Dugua de Mons (or Du Gua de Monts; c. 1558 – 1628) was a French merchant, explorer and colonizer. A Calvinist, he was born in the Château de Mons, in Royan, Saintonge (southwestern France) and founded the first permanent French sett ...
in founding New France. The book was awarded the Montcalm Prize in 1977 and the Prix Georges-Goyau in 1978 by the
Académie Française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...
. "Rendering Dugua de Mons the tribute to which he is entitled does not in any way detract from Champlain. On the contrary, it is encouraging to see the perfect harmony between these two men, one Catholic and the other Protestant, in the creation of Quebec City, a cause that is dear to both of them," wrote Maxime Le Grelle. Another of Father Maxime Le Grelle's books, ''Champlain nous voilà'' (Champlain Here We Are) was a great success. In 1970, Father Maxime Le Grelle was appointed as the parish priest of Brouage and he moved to Hiers-Brouage, where Samuel Champlain, the founder of Québec City, was born in 1570. He restored the church of Brouage, where eight stained glass windows illustrate the civil and religious history of New France. He also worked to bring the French region of
Charente-Maritime Charente-Maritime () is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region on the southwestern coast of France. Named after the river Charente, its prefecture is La Rochelle. As of 2019, it had a population of 651,358 with an area of 6,864 square ki ...
and Quebec closer together and led the France-Quebec Association for several years. He was at the origin of the twinning of the parishes of Saint–Stanislas de Champlain (Canada) and Hiers-Brouage (France) and of the 1973 France-Canada exhibition devoted to the origins of New France. Through this exhibition, Father Le Grelle wished to show "the historical and religious ties that unite France and Canada”. Father Maxime Le Grelle often said Mass in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, with General Charles de Gaulle among the parishioners.


Countess Marie-Antoinette Le Grelle (MacLellan) (1923-2002)

Daughter of Count Adelin Le Grelle and Rosalie de Swert, Countess Marie-Antoinette was the cousin of Cécilia Sarkozy, the second wife of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. In 1944, at the liberation of Antwerp, she met
Keith MacLellan Keith William MacLellan (1920–29 September 1998) was a soldier, scholar and Canadian diplomat who helped to shape Canada's post war multi-lateral foreign policy and championed the cause of a federal, united, Canada. Life and family Of Ca ...
. Like many young people of his generation, MacLellan had been forced to interrupt his studies during the war and joined the Royal Montreal Regiment, with whom he trained, was appointed an officer and sent to the United Kingdom, where he was transferred to the 1st Special Air Service (1st SAS). He became one of only two Canadians to serve in the 1st SAS during the war. At that time, he was part of small, jeep-mounted units operating behind enemy lines in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Norway. After the war, on 11 September 1946, Marie-Antoinette married Keith MacLellan while he was a student at Oxford. An ambassador to many countries, MacLellan was a Canadian diplomat who helped shape Canada's multilateral foreign policy after the war and championed the cause of a united federal Canada. Four children were born of the marriage between Marie-Antoinette and Keith MacLellan: Dr. Keith MacLellan, Dr. Anne-Marie MacLellan, Janet MacLellan and Andrew MacLellan. Anne-Marie knew Cecilia well, when she was a child, she went to see the Ciganer family with her in Paris. She then met her several times in Paris with her first husband, the television host Jacques Martin.


Count Guy Le Grelle (1926-2016)

A priest with the Society of Jesus, Count Guy Le Grelle was a professor at St. Xavier College, an inventor of electronic games, the archival secretary for the
Bollandists The Bollandist Society ( la, Societas Bollandistarum french: Société des Bollandistes) are an association of scholars, philologists, and historians (originally all Jesuits, but now including non-Jesuits) who since the early seventeenth century h ...
, an association of scholars, philologists, and historians, who since the early seventeenth century have studied
hagiography A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies might ...
and the cult of the saints in Christianity.


Count Hervé Le Grelle (1927-1953)

The
Atlantic Alliance The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two Nor ...
was formed on 4 April 1949 in response to the threat of Communism, and it was in this troubled context that the Belgian Air Force was reconstituted. The demand for personnel and equipment was high because east–west tensions required increased vigilance in NATO airspace. The fear of a new world conflict, caused by the Berlin Crisis and especially by the Korean War that broke out in 1950, further reinforced the need for pilots. In 1948, Belgium - like other member countries of the Atlantic Alliance - signed a military cooperation agreement with the United States. In the same year, the United States signed a military cooperation agreement with Belgium. The
Mutual Defense Assistance Act The Mutual Defense Assistance Act was a United States Act of Congress signed by President Harry S. Truman on 6 October 1949. For US Foreign policy, it was the first U.S. military foreign aid legislation of the Cold War era, and initially to Euro ...
covered not only the delivery of military equipment, especially aircraft, but also personnel training. Thus, as early as 1951, the first Belgian students went to the United States to be trained as pilots. Hervé Le Grelle signed up at a very young age as a candidate pilot. Enthusiastic and funny, he even tried to recruit his friends to join the Belgian Air Force by being photographed in a small magazine of the time wearing uniforms of various styles with the caption: "Hervé valiantly, but vainly, tried to recruit us into the Belgian Air Force by wearing the latest styles of uniforms simultaneously.” He left in October 1952 for
Stallings Air Base Stallings Air Base was a United States Air Force base operational from 1944 to 1957. It later reopened as Kinston Airport and is now known as Kinston Regional Jetport. History Stallings Air Base originally was built in 1944 by the United States ...
in
Kinston, North Carolina Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States, with a population of 21,677 as of the 2010 census. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791. Kinston is located in the coastal plains region of e ...
, to train as a fighter pilot for NATO. His commander was James Evans. By chance, years later, his cousin Henry Le Grelle was in a business relationship with Lancaster Colony, presided by the same James Evans, who was able to tell him many anecdotes about Hervé, a young pilot who had shown exceptional qualities that destined him for a brilliant career. Hervé was later transferred to the Connally Base in Waco ( Texas). He died during a formation flying exercise on 27 April 27, 1953. His body was repatriated to Antwerp in November 1956 on the Lubilash with those of twenty other Belgian pilots shot down during the Korean War or while serving in the United States. On this occasion, the Maritime Agency organized a ceremony on quay 242 of the port of Antwerp that was attended by many military and political personalities, including the Minister of State
Frans Van Cauwelaert Frans Van Cauwelaert (10 January 1880 – 17 May 1961), was a Belgian Roman Catholic politician and lawyer. Van Cauwelaert was born at Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek. He was a member of the Flemish movement, Professor of psychology at the Katholieke ...
. The 21 coffins were lined up in the temporary morgue, covered with the Belgian national colors. On each coffin, the Maritime Agency had placed flowers. Hervé Le Grelle has been made posthumously Knight in the
Order of Leopold II The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Leopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as Sovereign of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgiu ...
.


Count Didier Le Grelle (1930-2009)

Count Didier le Grelle was a fund administrator, a majority shareholder of N.V. De Vlijt, publisher of the
Gazet van Antwerpen The ''Gazet van Antwerpen'' (Antwerp Gazette, popularly named ''De Frut'', "sour head cheese") is a Belgian newspaper in Antwerp and Flanders, published by Concentra. History and profile ''Gazet van Antwerpen'' was established in 1891. Its edi ...
and president of the Le Grelle Family Association.


Count Hughes Le Grelle (1931-2019)

Son of Jacques, Count Hughes Le Grelle was a paracommando officer who first jumped on Stanleyville during
Operation Dragon Rouge __NOTOC__ Operation Dragon Rouge was a hostage rescue operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo conducted by Belgium and the United States in 1964. The operation was led by the Belgian Paracommando Regiment to rescue hostages held by Sim ...
, the code name for the 24 November 1964 mission in the former Belgian Congo during which the paracommandos freed hundreds of Belgian and foreign hostages held in Stanleyville by Congolese rebels led by Christian Gbenye of the
Simba rebellion The Simba rebellion, also known as the Orientale revolt, was a regional uprising which took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 1963 and 1965 in the wider context of the Congo Crisis and the Cold War. The rebellion, located in ...
. By 1964, the Léopoldville government, supported by Western powers, was gaining a foothold in its fight to suppress the communist-backed Simba rebellion. Fearing an inevitable defeat, the rebels resorted to taking hostages of the local white population in areas under their control. On 28 October, the Simba rebels arrested all Belgians and Americans in Stanleyville. Several hundred hostages were taken to Stanleyville and placed under guard in the Victoria Hotel. The Léopoldville government turned to Belgium and the United States for help. In response, the Belgian army sent a task force to Léopoldville, airlifted by the U.S. 322nd Airlift Division. Washington and Brussels worked jointly on a rescue plan. The soldiers took over Stanleyville first. Hughes Le Grelle then participated in the liberation of
Paulis Isiro (pronounced ) is the capital of Haut-Uele Province in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It lies between the equatorial forest and the savannah and its main resource is coffee. Isiro's population is estimated ...
(Operation Black Dragon) but, although young officers were motivated to continue to save their fellow citizens, their commander had to stop their ardor, for the mission. Due to the growing international pressure, Belgium and the United States decided to abandon plans for follow-on operations. The paracommandos returned to Belgium after six days, where they were received with great pomp, taking part in a historic ticker-tape parade going back on Rue Royale to the Brussels Courthouse on 1 December 1964. Hugues Le Grelle also participated in Operation Red Bean, the
Battle of Kolwezi The Battle of Kolwezi was an airborne operation by French and Belgian airborne forces that took place in May 1978 in Zaire during the Shaba II invasion of Zaire by the Front for the National Liberation of the Congo (FLNC). It aimed at rescui ...
in 1978. After his retirement, he took over the management of the family business ''Het Beste Brood'', where he organized the sale and complete exit of the capital for the entire Le Grelle family.


Count Arnold Le Grelle (1934-1961)

Count Arnold Le Grelle was Lieutenant in the 1st Regiment of Guides (Premier Régiment des Guides), which is a famous regiment created in 1833 with a lot of traditions. During many years, most officers did belong to the Belgian aristocracy and in the officer's mess every officer had his napkin ring with his title and coat of arms. He died on active duty at
Elisabethville Lubumbashi (former names: ( French), (Dutch)) is the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the country's southeasternmost part, along the border with Zambia. The capital and principal city of the Haut-Katang ...
in Katanga. After being assigned to the Katanga group of Colonel BEM Champion, who took part in missions in southern Katanga to reassure isolated Belgian settlers and missionaries in 1960, he was sent back to Katanga as a volunteer by the Belgian Ministry of African Affairs in January 1961. On September 13, 1961, the UN launched Operation Morthor (
United Nations Operation in the Congo The United Nations Operation in the Congo (french: Opération des Nations Unies au Congo, abbreviated to ONUC) was a United Nations peacekeeping force deployed in the Republic of the Congo in 1960 in response to the Congo Crisis. ONUC was th ...
), aimed at ending by force the secession of Katanga from the Congo. It was under these circumstances that Lieutenant Arnold Le Grelle was accidentally shot in the heart by a UN Blue Helmet soldier from the Indian Army Gurkha Contingent Gurkha while he was standing in a scout car. Lieutenant Count Le Grelle is a Knight in the Order of Merit of Katanga and was awarded the Katangese Military Cross. At the Royal Military Academy, there is the tradition of assigning a godfather to each promotion. This godfather, selected in view of serving as an example, is presented to each incoming promotion during the annual opening of the academic year. Lieutenant Count Arnold Le Grelle is the godfather of the 126th promotion of the Social and Military Science Faculty (SSMW).


The Le Grelle's today


Count François Xavier Le Grelle, called Frank (1935)

Count Francois Xavier Le Grelle emigrated by ship to Australia in 1960, where he worked as a builder, mostly in
Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ...
. In 1964 he travelled to New Zealand and settled in
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River ...
, where he built a house in Burwood and married Pauline O'Malley. Prior to the birth of their third child, the family moved to a rural property at West Melton, west of
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River ...
, where François started construction of a new house in 1975. François has also done construction work in New Caledonia and Samoa.


Count Henry le Grelle (1937)

Municipal councilor of
Brasschaat Brasschaat () is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Brasschaat proper. In November 2006, Brasschaat won the LivCom-Award 20 ...
for more than twenty years, linked by marriage to the Friling and Bracht families (descendants of the painter
Eugen Bracht Eugen Felix Prosper Bracht (3 June 1842 – 5 November 1921) was a German landscape painter. Biography Bracht was born in Morges, Waadt (near Lake Geneva in Switzerland) of German parents. His family later moved to Darmstadt, Germany, where ...
), Henry Le Grelle was director of several family companies. He is president of the real estate company Fond Roy, administrated the Belgian-Arab Chamber of Commerce in Antwerp, served as ambassador of the WWF (Belgium) and administrated the Youth International Chamber (JCI), the world federation of 200,000 young active citizens, aged 18 to 40. Henry Le Grelle, his son Count Vincent Le Grelle (1963) and his daughter Countess Stéphanie (1964) are the owners of Château La Tuilerie des Combes vineyards located in the commune of Lussac and Montagne, a world-famous wine region. The wines of Château La Tuilerie des Combes Montagne Saint-Émilion, Cuvée Rubens Montagne Saint-Émilion, and Lussac Saint-Emilion have won numerous international medals and awards. They also acquired the vineyard of Château de Ségur and the castle of Ségur, where the famous Countess de Ségur wrote Sophie's Misfortunes. Henry Le Grelle is the author of the book ''Gentleman Globetrotter'', in which he recounts his many travels and his encounters with international political figures. Grand Master of Honor of the Order of Papegay. He is descended from Peter Paul Rubens through his mother and Balthazar Plantin through his great-grandmother, Euphrasie du Bois.


Count Bernard J. Le Grelle (1947)

Count Bernard J. Le Grelle is the genealogist of the family. He is a Member of Probus Belgium and secretary of his club. He is the creator and publisher of the address book of the descendants of Count Gérard Le Grelle.


Count Roland Le Grelle (1949)

Count Roland Le Grelle is, as member of the KIM Fund, the last shareholder of the Le Grelle family in N.V. De Vlijt, and now a shareholder of the Flemish Catholic newspapers, grouped in
Mediahuis Mediahuis is a newspaper & magazine publishing, distribution, printing, TV, radio and online media company founded in 2014 with assets in Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg and Germany. Mediahuis publishes daily newspaper titles in Belg ...
. As a representative of the Catholic press he was received by Pope Francis in 2018. He was President of the Family Association Le Grelle from 2009 till 2016).


Count Reynald Le Grelle (1957)

Second lieutenant in the 1st Regiment of Guides, a graduate ( MBA) of the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas, and founder-director in Seoul of the
Leo Burnett Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 – June 7, 1971) was an American advertising executive and the founder of Leo Burnett Company, Inc. He was responsible for creating some of advertising's most well-known characters and campaigns of the 20th cen ...
agency for Korea and Southeast Asia, Count Reynald Le Grelle married Florence Didisheim, the daughter of Count
Michel Didisheim Michel, Count Didisheim (18 April 1930 – 6 January 2020) was the private secretary and chief of the Royal household (1962–1986) of Albert, Prince of Liège, later to become king Albert II of Belgium. He was also the CEO and president of the ...
.


Countess Anita Le Grelle (1959)

Sculptor, graduate of
The Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It offe ...
in London, Countess Anita Le Grelle's creations have been exhibited in Belgium and London.


Countess Stéphanie Le Grelle (1964)

Daughter of Count Henry Le Grelle, Countess Stéphanie Le Grelle became passionate about art from an early age as a result of discovering the famous painter Caspar Freidrich (1774-1840), whose great theme is contemplative solitude, where the vastness of Nature reminds man of his precariousness. Countess Stéphanie's family includes several artists, the most famous of which is most certainly the landscape painter
Eugen Bracht Eugen Felix Prosper Bracht (3 June 1842 – 5 November 1921) was a German landscape painter. Biography Bracht was born in Morges, Waadt (near Lake Geneva in Switzerland) of German parents. His family later moved to Darmstadt, Germany, where ...
. After studying at the international Dell'arte University in Florence, she devoted herself at an early age to drawing and started to exhibit regularly in Belgium. Countess Stéphanie is also co-owner of the vineyards La Tuilerie des Combes located in the communes of Lussac and Montagne as well as of the Ségur Castle and vineyard.


Count Emmanuel Le Grelle (1965)

Count Emmanuel Le Grelle is the Founding Director of the
La Vallée des Singes La Vallée des Singes ("The Valley of the Monkeys") is a primate park in Romagne, France. History La Vallée des Singes was founded by Wim Mager who had previously founded the Apenheul Primate Park in the Netherlands in 1971, which is the first ...
("The Valley of the Monkeys") primate park in Romagne, France. The park, well known for its three species of great apes, first obtained gorillas in 1998 and obtained its chimpanzees in 2004. La Vallée des Singes is famous for its group of
bonobos The bonobo (; ''Pan paniscus''), also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often the dwarf chimpanzee or gracile chimpanzee, is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus '' Pan,'' the other being the comm ...
, with the largest group in captivity as of 2016 numbering at 20 individuals. The zoo has had five successful births for this critically endangered species.


Brother Eric Le Grelle (1966)

A priest belonging to the community of the Brothers of Saint John, often named “Les Petits Gris” (Little Grey), Brother Eric Le Grelle is in charge of the Association Saint Jean Espérance, which welcomes young people between the ages of 18 and 35 who are addicted to heroin and other types of drugs. He is the holder of the Chalice of Mgr Stanislas Le Grelle, which is always entrusted to a priest of the family.


Count Arnaud Le Grelle (1968)

Lieutenant colonel in the Belgian Defense, master in public affairs and international relations from the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL) and master in management from the ICHEC Brussels Management School,
ICHEC Brussels Management School ICHEC Brussels Management School, officially Institut Catholique des Hautes Études Commerciales, is a Brussels-based management school, constituting the economic category of the "Haute École ICHEC - ECAM - ISFSC". It also has several trainin ...
. Arnaud Le Grelle is a lobbyist, director (Wallonia-Brussels) of the Federation of Human Resources Service Providers (Federgon), which represents companies active in the field of HR services. Franco-Belgian, he belongs through his mother, born Anne-Marie, Viscountess , to one of the oldest families of the French nobility from the Finistère (Brittany).


Count Grégory Le Grelle (1980)

Gregory Le Grelle graduated in horticulture from the Institut supérieur industriel agronomique de Gembloux and graduated in garden architecture and landscape in Brussels. He discovered that to create a garden it took a very thorough knowledge of the requirements and characteristics of plants and decided to make botany its specificity. He follows in the footsteps of his well-known botanist ancestor Louis Le Grelle (1817-1852), who gave the name legrelliana to several plants.


Count Edmund Le Grelle (1972)

Member of the "New Zealand branch" of the Le Grelle family, Count Edmund Le Grelle is the son of François Xavier Le Grelle. Edmund Le Grelle lives in Christchurch (New Zealand), where he owns a badge company and makes also badges and pins with the Le Grelle coat of arms. Fascinated by his homonym Edmond Le Grelle (1805-1876), he dedicated a site based on Google Earth to him, which is a virtual historical tour of the
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
locations of the Le Grelle family.


Count Matthieu Le Grelle (1982)

Count Matthieu Le Grelle is co-founder of Duo for a Job, an association that coordinates the sponsorship of young immigrants for employment. Hundreds of young people have been able to find a job through the association.


Countess Stéphanie Le Grelle (1983)

Daughter of Count Bernard J. Le Grelle (1947), Countess Stéphanie Le Grelle graduated in fashion design and model making from the Francisco Ferrer High School and was trained during her studies by the designer Kaat Tilley, the Belgian Flemish fashion designer, who dressed among others
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...
,
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
,
Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...
and Melanie Griffith. In 2005 she participated in the realization of the fashion show of Belgian stylist Pierre Gauthier, and worked with him for four years, training in the haute couture profession. Following this apprenticeship Stéphanie Le Grelle began to create her own designs. In 2007 she spent ten months doing humanitarian work in Saltillo, Mexico, where she introduced women from underprivileged Mexican neighborhoods to couture and fashion design. In 2011, she opened her own tailoring and tailored design workshop.


Countess Sophie Le Grelle (1987)

Multi-disciplinary, Sophie Le Grelle creates illustrations, GIFs, motifs and more, from print to social media, through plans for screenings of art shows and musical performances. While studying illustration in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, Sophie focused on
visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts a ...
and illustration. For the past five years, she has been drawing projects inspired by the sensibilities of
graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art whose activity consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdiscip ...
. Sophie Le Grelle manipulates the pattern and contrasting colors to create bold and playful images.


Countess Joséphine Le Grelle (2000)

Singer arrived in the final of the television show
The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
in 2017. "Josephine, who has returned from three years in Jordan, has made a big splash with the coaches thanks to her veiled timbre and a very moving rendition of James Bay's song Let it Go. The young woman has been singing since receiving her first guitar at the age of 8.” (RTBF). " On her first Live, Josephine had offered a magical moment by taking over an
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a rec ...
song, When We Were Young. For this eighth final, the girl chose to perform the very first title of the artist Tove Lo, a title that had been a real radio hit” ( RTBF).


Toponym

*In
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
: Legrellelei and Gérard Le Grellelaan *In Gestel : Legrellestraat *In Etterbeek : Charles-Le-Grelle's street *In Jette : Stanislas-Le-grelle's street *In Pulle nl : Legrellelei *In Deurne : Tweegezusterslaan (The Two Sisters Lane in memory of Lydia and Alice Le Grelle, who died tragically)


Botany

Several plants are named Le Grelle: *'' Jacaranda legrelliana''Morren, Ch (July 1996). Panthéon de l'Horticulture, biographie de Louis-Jean-François Legrelle-Dhanis d'Anvers - Dans Legrelliana n°1. p. VI à XIII. *''
Punica granatum The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows between tall. The pomegranate was originally described throughout the Mediterranean region. It was introduc ...
'' 'Legrelliae', dedicated by Mme Parmentier to Caroline Legrelle d'Hanis de Berchem''Punica granatum'' 'Legrelliae' - Grenadier à fleurs
*'' Calathea legrelleana'' *'' Agave legrelliana'' *'' Karatas legrellae''


Alliances

File:Armes de la famille Agie de Selsaeten.svg, Agie de Selsaeten family. File:Armes de la famille Anne de Molina.svg, Anne de Molina family. File:Armoiries d'Arschot Schoonhoven.jpg, D'Arschot Schoonhoven family. File:Audren blason.jpg, Audren de Kerdrel family. File:Armes de la famille Beeckmans de West-Meerbeeck.svg, Beeckmans de West-Meerbeeck family. File:Wapenschild Begasse de Dhaem.png, Begasse de Dhaem family. File:Van der Beken Pasteel wapen.svg, Van der Beken Pasteel family. File:Armes de Bernard de Fauconval.svg, De Bernard de Fauconval family. File:De Bieberstein Rogalla Zawadasky wapen 1846.svg, De Bieberstein Rogalla Zawadasky family. File:Armoiries de la famille Bonaert.png, Bonaert family. File:Armoiries de la famille de Bonhome.png, De Bonhome family. File:Du Bois de Maquillé.jpg, Du Bois de Maquillé family. File:Armoiries de la famille de Borman.png, De Borman family. File:Blason de la famille van den Branden de Reeth (Belgique).svg, Van den Branden de Reeth family. File:Armes de Brouchoven de Bergeyck.svg, De Brouchoven de Bergeyck family. File:BlasonDeBrowneDeTiege.png, De Browne family. File:Blason Wezembeek-Oppem.svg, De Burbure de Wesembeek family. File:Armoiries de la famille de Cartier.png, De Cartier d'Yves family. File:Blason famille be Cogels.svg, Cogels family. File:Armes de David (Belgique).svg, De David family. File:Blason de la famille Didisheim (Belgique).svg, Didisheim family. File:BlasonDumontDeChassart.png, Dumont de Chassart family. File:Armoiries de la famille della Faille de Leverghem.png, Della Faille de Leverghem family. File:BlasonGeelhandDeMerxem.png, Geelhand de Merxem family. File:Goussencourt.jpg, Goussencourt family. File:Armoiries de la famille de Gruben.png, De Gruben family. File:Blason fam fr Guyot Poitevinière.svg, Guyot family. File:Halleux.gif, Halleux family. File:BlasonDeHarlezDeDeulin.png, De Harlez de Deulin family. File:Armes de la famille de Hemptinne.svg, De Hemptinne family. File:Blason Henry de Frahan (Belgique).jpg, Henry de Frahan family. File:Hersart.jpg, Hersart family. File:Armoiries de la famille Holvoet.png, Holvoet family. File:Armes de la famille Houtart.svg, Houtart family. File:Van Hövell - Van Hoevell wapen 1835.svg, Van Hövell tot Westerflier family. File:Armes de Janssens (branches de Bisthoven et de Varebeke).svg, Janssens de Varebeke family. File:Van de Kerchove .jpg, Van de Kerchove family. File:Armes de Kerchove.png, De Kerchove d'Exaerde family. File:Armoiries de la famille de Kethulle de Ryhove.png, De la Kethulle de Ryhove family. File:Blason-t'Kint.jpg, T'Kint de Roodenbeke family. File:Blason famille fr Laguarigue de Survilliers.svg, De Laguarigue de Survilliers family. File:BlasonDeLAMINNEdeBEX.png, De Laminne de Bex family. File:Blason de Lestang-Parade.jpg, De Lestang-Parade family. File:Armes des barons van der Linden d'Hooghvorst.png, Van der Linden d'Hooghvorst family. File:De Macar wapen.svg, De Macar family. File:BlasonDeMaereDAertrycke.png, De Maere d'Aertrycke family. File:Armes de la famille de Mahieu.svg, De Mahieu family. File:Blason boortmeerbeek.svg, De Meester family. File:Armes des comtes de Meeûs d'Argenteuil.svg, De Meeûs d'Argenteuil family. File:Blason famille Moens de Hase (Alost).svg, Moens de Hase family. File:Armes de Mols.png, Mols family. File:Moretus.gif, Moretus family. File:BlasonOldenhoveDeGuertechin.png, De Oldenhove de Guertechin family. File:Armes des barons Osy de Zegwaart.png, Osy de Zegwaart family. File:Armes de van Outryve d'Ydewalle.svg, Van Outryve d'Ydewalle family. File:Blason famille Peers de Nieuwburgh.svg, Peers de Nieuwburgh family. File:Blason Préveraud de Laubépierre de Vaumas.svg, Famille Préveraud de Vaumas family. File:Armoiries de Radiguès de Chennevière.png, Famille de Radiguès de Chennevière family. File:Familiewapen Abraham van Rijckevorsel, objectnr 11296.JPG, Van Rijckevorsel family. File:Armoiries de la famille Roberti de Winghe.png, Roberti de Winghe family. File:Armes de Robiano.svg, De Robiano family. File:Armoiries de la famille Rotsart de Hertaing.png, Rotsart de Hertaing family. File:Armes de Sadeleer.svg, De Sadeleer family. File:BlasonDeSmetDOlbecke.png, De Smet d’Olbecke family. File:BlasonDeSmetDeNaeyer.png, De Smet de Naeyer family. File:BlasonDeTrauxDeWardin.png, De Traux de Wardin family. File:Armoiries de la famille Ullens de Schooten.png, Ullens de Schooten family. File:Dame d'VRSEL.png, D'Ursel family. File:Armes de Verhaegen.png, De Verhaegen family. File:Armes de la famille de Vicq de Cumptich.svg, De Vicq de Cumptich family. File:Blason famille be Vilain XIIII.svg, Vilain XIIII family. File:Armes de Villegas de Saint-Pierre-Jette.png, De Villegas de Saint-Pierre Jette family. File:Armes de Vinck.png, De Vinck de Winnezeele family. File:Famille de Wael.png, De Wael family. File:Schilde.jpg, Van de Werve de Schilde family. File:Armoirie de la famille de Wijs à la cathédrale de s'Hertogenbosch.jpg, De Wijs family (coat of arms of the de Wijs family in the stained glass window at s'Hertogenbosch cathedral). File:Armes de Wouters Seigneurs d'Oplinter, Bouchout et Vroenhoven.svg, De Wouters de Bouchout family File:Van Zuylen van Nyevelt.jpg, Van Zuylen family. And also families : Bracht, Bréart de Boisanger, de Broëta, de Cannart d’Hamale, de Cock de Rameyen, de la Croix d'Ogimont, van Delft, D'hanis, Donnet, Friling, Gelhé de Beaulieu, Goethals, Hug de Larauze, le Jeune d’Allegeershecque, Jolly, du Lac, Le Gros d’Incourt, Le Pilleur de Brevannes, Massange de Collombs, de Massol de Rebetz, de Melotte de Lavaux, Michel de Pierredon, Pety de Thozée, Pichelin de Villalonga, de Pierpont, van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, de Potter de Ten Broeck, van de Put, Rotsart de Hertaing, de San, le Sergeant d’Hendecourt, Solvyns, de Villers du Fourneau, Wahis, Waucquez et Werbrouck.


Gallery

File:Vrouwelijk wapen van Le Grelle in de Kathedraal van Antwerpen 2.jpg, alt=Coat of Arms of Julie Le Grelle in the Cathedral of Our Lady (Antwerp)., Coat of Arms of Julie Le Grelle in the
Cathedral of Our Lady (Antwerp) The Cathedral of Our Lady ( nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium. Today's see of the Diocese of Antwerp started in 1352 and, although the first stage of construction was ended in 1521, has never be ...
. File:Coat of ARMS of the family LE GRELLE.jpg, alt=Armes de la famille Le Grelle, Coat of Arms of the Le Grelle family. File:Armoirie des lettres patentes LE GRELLE de Rameyen.jpg, Coat of Arms in the Arms of the letters patent of the Le Grelle de Rameyen. File:Comte Guillaume Le Grelle (1767-1820).jpg, Guillaume Le Grelle (1767-1820). File:Armoiries LE GRELLE à l’hôtel de ville d’Anvers.png, Le Grelle Coat of Arms in the City Hall of Antwerp. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the mayors received their armored stained glass window at the town hall. File:Étiquette Montagne Saint-Emilion 2018.jpg, Montagne Saint-Emilion 2018 label. File:Cuvée Rubens Montagne Saint-Emilion Château La Tuilerie des Combes.jpg, Cuvée Rubens Montagne Saint-Emilion - La Tuilerie des Combes Castle. On the label the hat of Helena Fourment, the second wife of Rubens, is drawn. File:Marie-Thérèse Cambier.jpg, Marie Thérèse Cambier, widow of Joseph J. Le Grelle, painted by Barthélemy Vieillevoye in 1826. Mme Le Grelle holds in her hands a signed letter: “your devoted son Gerard Le Grelle”. This is the oldest painting of Le Grelle direct ancestors. File:Eulalie Cambier.jpg, Eulalie Cambier, niece of Marie Thérèse, first wife of Edmond Le Grelle, founder of the Ursuline school in Wilrijk in 1854, painting painted in 1847 by
Nicaise De Keyser Nicaise de Keyser (alternative first names: Nicaas, Nikaas of Nicasius; 26 August 1813, Zandvliet – 17 July 1887, Antwerp) was a Belgian painter of mainly history paintings and portraits who was one of the key figures in the Belgian Romantic-h ...
, the painter who benefited from the patronage of Gérard Le Grelle. File:Lydie et Alice, les deux filles d’Edmond Le Grelle et de Bathilde de Wael.tif, Lydia and Alice, the two daughters of Edmond Le Grelle and Bathilde De Wael, who tragically died of black smallpox contracted in a Parisian palace in 1887. File:Comte Adelin Le Grelle (1898-1973).jpg, Count Adelin Le Grelle (1898-1973). He married Rosalie de Swert (grandmother of Cécilia Sarkozy) in 1921.


Castels and estates

File:Château de Rameyen.png, Rameyen Castle. File:Château de Gestelhof.png, Gestelhof Castle. File:Château de Doggenhout.png, Doggenhout Castle. File:Château du Middelheim.png, Middelheim Castle. File:Château de Selsaeten.jpg, Selsaeten Castle in Wommelgem. File:Château de Berendrecht.jpg, Reigerbos Castle in Berendrecht. File:Maison de la Hoogstraat à Anvers.jpg, Mansion in the Hoogstraat in Antwerp. File:Château de Reet.jpg, Reet Castle. File:Château de Ségur.jpg, Ségur Castle. File:Château de la Poste.jpg, de la Poste Castle. File:Château d'Engismont.jpg, Engismont Castle. File:Veltwijck Castle.jpg, Veltwijck Castle. File:Bilzen Leroyplein zicht vanuit het park op het Edelhof - 279148 - onroerenderfgoed.jpg, Edelhof castle in Munsterbilzen. File:Castle of Presseux.jpg, Presseux Castle. File:Sint Annaland Estate in Vught (The Netherlands).jpg, Sint Annaland Estate in Vught (The Netherlands).


Books, articles, references and related links


Books and articles written by the Le Grelle's

*Freddy Cogels (Le Grelle cousin), Souvenirs d'un diplomate : du gâteau avec les duchesses ?, Hervé Douxchamps, 1983. *Bernard Le Grelle, Jean-Claude Chermann, Olivier Galzi with Bernard Le Grelle, Tout le monde doit connaître cette histoire, Editions Stock, 2009. *Bernard Le Grelle, Profession Lobbyman, Le Pouvoir des coulisses, Hachette, 1988. *Geoffroy Le Grelle et Olivier de Trazegnies, « Belgique, les vielles familles d'Anvers » in l’Eventail, janvier 2015. *Geoffroy Le Grelle, Archives Banque Joseph Guillaume Le Grelle, 2015, 34 pp. *Geoffroy Le Grelle, « Het mysterie van de drie As », in Heraldicum disputationes, 1997. *Geoffroy Le Grelle, « La Chronique des « Le Grelle » », in Legrelliana, n°1, juillet 1996, p. 47-55 et n°2, août 1997, p. 77. *Geoffroy Le Grelle, « La Rente romaine et le denier de Saint-Pierre », Pro Petri Sede, 1–2010, p. 30-32. *Geoffroy Le Grelle, « L'Histoire de nos lettres patentes au cours des siècles », in Legrelliana, 1999. *Henry Le Grelle, Gentleman Globetrotter. *Martine Le Grelle, Pour les grands oiseaux, il n’y a pas de Pyrénées, Editions Clepsydre. *Maxime Le Grelle s.j., Brouage Quebec, Foi de Pionniers, Imprimerie A. Bordessoules, 1976. *Maxime Le Grelle s.j., Champlain nous voilà. *Roland Le Grelle, « Demeures familiales aux XVIIIe et XIXe siècles », in Legrelliana n° 2, août 1997, p. 61-67 and Legrelliana n°3, septembre 1998, p. 41-51. *Roland Le Grelle, Guide pratique de la famille Le Grelle, 1988, 42 pp. *Roland Le Grelle, Lex Molenaar (avec Roland Le Grelle), Een groot Antwerps verhaal. Graaf Daniel Le Grelle. De kroniek van een man en zijn stad in een tijd van grote veranderingen, Anvers, 2012.


Related Links

* *
List of noble families in Belgium A list of noble families in Modern Belgium with additions of former houses. General Currently, the Belgian crown recognizes the titles of jonkheer, knight, baron, viscount, count, marquis, duke and prince. The persons who legally are member of ...
* * National Biography of Belgium * * * * * Bernard Le Grelle


References

{{Portal , Belgium Belgian noble families Dutch noble families