The Royal Palace

Unsurprisingly, the Palace Walkway takes you through the park towards the Royal Palace. So let’s start with a quick refresher; yes, Belgium is a monarchy, a constitutional hereditary monarchy to be exact, which means that every Belgian monarch must be a descendant of the very first king of the Belgians, Leopold I. And yes, you heard that right—we say “King of the Belgians,” not “King of Belgium.” It’s an important distinction! The palace you see before you is the official residence of the Belgian monarchs. Think of it as Brussels’ version of Buckingham Palace. It was originally built in 1820 under King William’s orders, then later expanded in 1904 by King Leopold II. Today, it remains the living headquarters of the royal family, as well as a workplace for hosting official receptions. According to the constitution, the king must remain above all political and religious ideologies and serves as a kind of neutral referee in national matters. The palace is open for public visits once a year, from Belgium’s National Day on July 21st to September. So if you’re not here at the right time and you are curious to learn more, you can always stop by the Museum of the Monarchy in the nearby Bellevue Hotel, which is open all year-round.