The House of Merode is one of the most prominent families of the Belgian nobility. The House of Merode originates from the village of Merode (today in the municipality of Langerwehe, Germany). Over the last five centuries different branches bore noble titles and had estates on the territories of the modern states of

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

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

, the

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

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. Through marriage the house is connected with many prominent European noble families. The House of Merode played an important role in the history of the

Southern Netherlands The Southern Netherlands, also called the Catholic Netherlands, were the parts of the Low Countries belonging to the Holy Roman Empire which were at first largely controlled by Habsburg Spain (Spanish Netherlands, 1556–1714) and later by the A ...

and the Kingdom of

. The surname of the family and the name of the house is nowadays mostly written de Mérode (in

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

). The name is also spelled de Merode or van Merode in Dutch and von Merode in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

. The

Coat of Arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

of the House of Merode is blazoned as: "Or, four pales gules, a border engrailed azure". The

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

of the house is "Plus d'honneur que d'honneurs" in French and "Meer eer dan eerbetoon" in Dutch.

Origin

The family stems from the village of Merode in Germany. Merode is located in the vicinity of the city of

Düren Düren (; ripuarian: Düre) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, between Aachen and Cologne on the river Rur. History Roman era The area of Düren was part of Gallia Belgica, more specifically the territory of the Eburones, a people ...

, which lies between

Aachen Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...

and

Köln Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 million ...

and was part of the Duchy of Julich. Today, it is part of the municipality of

Langerwehe Langerwehe is a municipality in the district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately 10 km west of Düren. It is a twin town of Exmouth Exmouth is a harbor, port town, civil parishes in En ...

in the state of

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...

. A branch of the Merode family still owns the castle (''Schloss Merode'') from which their name derives. Originally, the Merode family had the rank of ''

Freiherr (; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire ...

'' of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

. During the Middle Ages, the family had possessions and influence in Köln and in the

Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...

and belonged to the ''

reichsunmittelbar Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular prin ...

'' aristocracy. They supported the monastery of Schwarzenbroich, which was also the burial place for the deceased members of the family. From the sons of Werner III von Merode (+1278), two branches of the house descended. The oldest branch was called 'Scheiffart von Merode'. The 'Scheiffart' or 'German' branch became extinct in 1733. The younger branch descends from Werner IV von Merode (+1316). This house also split into different branches, of which the branch of the Marquess of Westerloo, called 'de Merode-Westerloo', would become the most famous. The present-day 'Princes de Merode' in Belgium descend from the latter branch via Charles-Guillaume de Merode-Westerloo (1762–1830) and three of his four sons.

History

Jean-Philippe-Eugène de Mérode-Westerloo

From the 14th century onwards, a branch of the Merode family gained power and possessions in the

Duchy of Brabant The Duchy of Brabant was a State of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg Neth ...

and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, on the territory of present-day Belgium. At that time, these territories belonged to the Burgundian Netherlands and later to the Habsburg Netherlands. The marriage of Richard de Merode with Margareth van Wesemael marked a new age in the family's history. Due to this marriage, the house of Merode inherited important seigniories in

Brabant Brabant is a traditional geographical region (or regions) in the Low Countries of Europe. It may refer to: Place names in Europe * London-Brabant Massif, a geological structure stretching from England to northern Germany Belgium * Province of Bra ...

, such as

Westerlo Westerlo () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises seven towns: * Westerlo centrum * * Tongerlo * Heultje * Voortkapel * Oosterwijk * In 2021, Westerlo had a total population of 25,288. The ...

o and the County of

Olen Olen may refer to: Places *Olen, Belgium, a municipality in the province of Antwerp, Belgium * Olen, Russia, a village in Tula Oblast, Russia *Ølen, a former municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway **Ølensjøen, a village formerly within t ...

. Jean I de Merode married Adelheid van

Hoorn Hoorn () is a city and municipality in the northwest of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the largest town and the traditional capital of the region of West Friesland. Hoorn is located on the Markermeer, 20 kilometers ( ...

in 1451 and brought

Gheel Geel () is a city located in the Belgian province of Antwerp, which acquired city status in the 1980s. It comprises Central-Geel which is constituted of 4 old parishes a/o towns: Sint-Amand, Sint-Dimpna, Holven and Elsum. Further on around the cen ...

, Diepenbeek and Duffel into the possession of the family. Through these and other marriages, the Merode family became one of the most important noble families in the Duchy of Brabant. Jean II de Merode held the position of Lord Chamberlain of Philip the Handsome. He was succeeded by his son Jean III. After his death in 1551 his heirs ordered a monumental sepulchre for him and his wife that was made by 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,

sculptor

Cornelis Floris Cornelis Floris or Cornelis (II) Floris De Vriendt (c. 1514 – 20 October 1575) was a Flemish sculptor, architect, draughtsman, medallist and designer of prints and luxury. He operated a large workshop in Antwerp from which he worked on many ...

. It stands in the church of

and was erected in 1554. The Eighty Years War greatly damaged the possessions of the Merode family. In the more prosperous era after the

Twelve Years' Truce The Twelve Years' Truce was a ceasefire during the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, agreed in Antwerp on 9 April 1609 and ended on 9 April 1621. While European powers like France began treating the Republic as a sovereign n ...

, the family's fortune grew again. In 1626, the title of Marquis of Westerloo was granted to Philippe I de Merode by King

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered f ...

. It was his great-grandson, Jean-Philippe-Eugène de Merode, Marquis of Westerloo, who would become one of the most illustrious descendants of the house: He is known as the '' Feld-Maréchal de Merode'' and became a knight in the

order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...

, having served as an important military commander. In the 18th century, the branch of Merode-Westerloo acquired wealth and power due to the extinction of other branches of the house (Merode-Houffalize, Merode-Deinze, Merode-Montfort, Merode-Calvo) and a few very advantageous marriages. Through marriage of Philippe-François de Mérode with Louise-Brigitte de Rubempré, they acquired the domains and titles of ' Princes of Rubempré' and 'Prince of

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

'. During the

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

, the Austrian Netherlands were invaded by French republican troops and were incorporated into the French Republic. The domains of the family were confiscated and noble privileges were abolished. The family fled to Germany for a while. It was only after the declaration of the '' Empire des Français'' by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

in 1804 that the family could regain their domains and some of their titles. A re-introduction of the noble privileges, however, would never be achieved. As a result, members of the Merode family became prominently engaged in politics and diplomacy. Charles-Guillaume-Ghislain de Merode-Westerloo had been active as a minister under

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

rule since 1787 and would hold several other important political posts under successive regimes, such as mayor 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 ...

in 1805, and

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

of the French Empire in 1809. In 1815, he became Grand-Marshal of the court of King

William I of the Netherlands William I (Willem Frederik, Prince of Orange-Nassau; 24 August 1772 – 12 December 1843) was a Prince of Orange, the King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He was the son of the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, who we ...

, when the Belgian provinces were part of the

United Kingdom of the Netherlands The United Kingdom of the Netherlands ( nl, Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; french: Royaume uni des Pays-Bas) is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as it existed between 1815 and 1839. The United Netherlands was cr ...

. His sons,

Henri Henri is an Estonian, Finnish, French, German and Luxembourgish form of the masculine given name Henry (given name), Henry. People with this given name ; French noblemen :'' See the 'List_of_rulers_named_Henry#France, List of rulers named Henry ...

, Félix, Frédéric and Werner would play an important role in the

Belgian revolution 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. T ...

and in the political life of the

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

Frédéric de Merode Frédéric and Frédérick are the French versions of the common male given name Frederick. They may refer to: In artistry: * Frédéric Back, Canadian award-winning animator * Frédéric Bartholdi, French sculptor * Frédéric Bazille, Impressio ...

became a new national hero when he was killed in the battle near

Berchem Berchem () is a southern Districts of Antwerp, district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Berchem is located along the old ''Grote Steenweg'' (Dutch language, Dutch for 'Big Paved Road') that has connected ...

during the Belgian revolution, while Félix de Merode became an important member of the

Provisional Government of Belgium The Provisional Government ( nl, Voorlopig Bewind; french: Gouvernement provisoire) was formed as a revolutionary committee of notables during the Belgian Revolution on 24 September 1830 at the Brussels City Hall under the name of Administrativ ...

and the

Belgian National Congress The National Congress (french: Congrès national, nl, Nationaal Congres) was a temporary legislative assembly in Belgium, convened in 1830 in the aftermath of the Belgian Revolution. Its purpose was to devise a national constitution for the ne ...

. After the first Belgian legislative elections, Henri de Merode became a senator, while his brothers Félix and Werner both became members of parliament. The descendants of Henri, Félix and Werner de Merode would form different branches, whose descendants would continue to play an important role in Belgian politics and diplomacy.

Wealth

The family is known for its large estates and old castles. In 2014, the House of Merode-Westerloo sold 1,476 hectares of privately owned land to the Flemish region. Among the castles owned are Merode,

, Trelon, Serrant, Rixensart,

, Solre-sur-Sambre and Neffe. File:Langerwehe-Merode Denkmal-Nr. 18, Kreuzherrenstr. 1 (1146).jpg, Schloss Merode File:Kasteel de Merode - Westerlo.jpg,

File:Château de Rixensart - Château vu depuis la cour - 01.jpg, Rixensart File:Everberg-Prinsendreef91-93-97-De-Merodekasteel.JPG,

File:00 Solre-sur-Sambre JPG2.jpg, Solre-sur-Sambre File:Château de Trélon - 2018-08-04 - 10.jpg,

Trélon Trélon () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Trélon forms the western edge of the Calestienne region. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord depar ...

File:Château de Guignicourt sur Vence.jpg,

Guignicourt Guignicourt () is a former commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune of Villeneuve-sur-Aisne.Henri de Merode married Jeanne-Louise de Thézan Poujol (1787–1862). *Charles-Antoine-Ghislain (1824–1892) succeeded him and married Princess Marie d' Arenberg (1830–1905). *Their son Henri de Merode (1856–1908) married Princess Nathalie de Croy (1863–1957). *His sister Countess Jeanne de Merode (1853–1944), unmarried, philanthropist. *Charles de Merode (1887–1977) married Marguerite de Laguiche (1895–1988) and had no children.

Notable members of Felix's branch

Upon the death of Charles de Merode in 1977, this line became the senior branch of the House of Merode. * Philippe Felix de Merode *Bishop Xavier de Merode (1820–1874), minister of

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 ...

* Prince Emmanuel de Merode, noted conservationist, Director of the Virunga National Park in the

Congo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...

; married to

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

n paleontologist Louise Leakey. *Princess Baudouin de Merode, ''née'' Nathalie van den Abeele (1948), widowed first wife of Baron Guy de Bassompierre, lady-in-waiting of

Queen Paola of Belgium 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 ...

since 1997.

Notable members of Werner's branch

Werner de Merode (1797–1840), founder of the present younger branch of the family, married in 1818 with Countess Victoire de Spangen d'Uyternesse. Among their descendants are: * The

Aosta Aosta (, , ; french: Aoste , formerly ; frp, Aoûta , ''Veulla'' or ''Ouhta'' ; lat, Augusta Praetoria Salassorum; wae, Augschtal; pms, Osta) is the principal city of Aosta Valley, a bilingual region in the Italian Alps, north-northwest of ...

branch of the Italian royal family, by the marriage of Louise de Merode (1819–1868) (sister of the penultimate Merode of Ham-sur-Heure) with Carlo Emmanuele dal Pozzo, 5th Prince of Cisterna, and by the marriage of their daughter Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo with the founder of the Aosta branch: Prince Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta and sometime King Amadeo I of Spain. *

Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este ( Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta, 7 April 1930 – 10 January 2022) was an Italian princess, the first-born child of Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta, and Princess Anne of Orléans, Princess Anne d'Orléans. ...

, mother of Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este, husband of

Princess Astrid of Belgium Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962), is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and the younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe. She is married to Prin ...

, and therefore of their children, who are princes of Belgium. * The princely family of Monaco, by the marriage of Antoinette de Merode (1828–1864) (another sister of the penultimate Merode of Ham-sur-Heure) with Prince

Charles III of Monaco Charles III (Charles Honoré Grimaldi; 8 December 1818 – 10 September 1889) was Prince of Monaco and Duke of Valentinois from 20 June 1856 to his death. He was the founder of the famous casino in Monte Carlo, as his title in Monegasque and Ita ...

, founder of Monte Carlo, ancestor of

Albert II of Monaco Albert II – Website of the Palace of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, since 2005. Albert was born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, and he is the second child and only son of Prince Rai ...

. * The House of Arenberg, by the marriage of Marie-Ghislaine (1830–1892) with the Prince de Merode; Antoine, Duke of Arenberg, was their grandson. * Jean de Merode (1864–1933), lieutenant colonel, Grand Marshal of the Court of Belgium, received from King Albert I in 1928 the title of ''Prince de Merode'', which was extended shortly thereafter to all family members. * Their son, Amaury de Merode (1902–1980), was Grand Marshal of the Court of King Leopold III, president of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium, and president of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). He married Princess Marie-Claire de Croy (1907–2000). * Their great grandson Frederic de Merode (1911–1958), president of the Red Cross of Belgium. * Their great grandson Werner de Merode (1914–1995), Belgian diplomat. * Their great-great-grandson Alexandre de Merode (1934–2002), vice president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), president of the IOC Medical Commission, founding chairman of Sportel in Monaco, president of the Royal Association of Historic Houses and Gardens of Belgium, chairman of various sports federations and president of the Centre d'Oeuvre de Merode. * Victurnienne Ghislaine Françoise Renée de Mérode, married to count Charles John d'Oultremont, nephew of

Titles of the family

Philippe François 12704 prince de Rubempré

Some members of the House of Merode carried the title of Count from the fifteenth century, while a branch had the title of Baron of the

in the mid-fifteenth century and gained the title of Prince in 1759. Philippe, Count of Merode (1594–1638), was the first Marquis of

o. The House of Merode bears the following titles: * Prince of Rubempré: ** Incorporated by marriage by Philippe-François de Mérode, 2nd Prince of Rubempré in 1704.Nobiliare des Pays-bas et du Comte de Bourgogne, /J. S. F. J. L. de Iierckenrode ** Recognition by the Kingdom of Belgium in 1846. *Prince of Everberghe in the Holy Roman Empire (1759) *Prince of Everberghe in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (1827) *Prince of Grimberghe in the Kingdom of Belgium (1842) *Prince de/van Merode in the Kingdom of Belgium (1929)

Gallery

File:Armoiries de Merode 2.svg, Arms of the House of Merode: ''Or four pallets gules, a bordure engrailed azure.'' File:Armoiries de Merode 1.svg, Arms of the House of Scheiffart von Merode: ''Or four pallets gules.''

Sources

* *

External links

Official website of the Castle of the Princes de Merode in WesterlooOfficial website of the Castle of the Princes de Merode in Solre-sur-SambreWebsite of Schloss Merode, recently damaged by fire
* ttp://www.europeanheraldry.org/benelux/belgium/families/maison-de-merode/ Heraldry of the Merode family
Héraldique européenne
{{DEFAULTSORT:House Of Merode Merode Mer Mer