Documentary about the Royal palace of Brussels and the Belgian Monarchy Part 1

The city of Brussels has the privilege of being four times a capital. That of Belgium, first of all, then Flanders, the French community, and finally, the European Union. The city was officially founded in 979, and its emblem today is a yellow iris on a blue background, a flower which previously featured on the scepter of Charlemagne's successors. In the heart of the city, the Royal Palace, an imposing building with its neoclassical facade, dates back to the 18th century. In this palace, Albert II, the sixth king of the Belgians, works unfailingly every day. Belgium has been a constitutional monarchy since 1831, and although the constitution limits the king's powers, this doesn't mean that he's content to play the role of a simple figurehead. Far from it. Through his opinions, suggestions, his warnings, cautions, or encouragement, the king exerts a significant influence on the political world. He also plays a mediating role with his ministers in favor of many citizens who appeal to him to obtain justice. The king is, in fact, the symbol of the nation's unity and permanence, and the moderator of political life. But let us leave the king to attend to his files and take this opportunity to discover the treasures to be found in his palace. Let's begin with the main staircase, which looks down onto the statue by Charles-Auguste Frékin of the goddess Minerva, the personification of peace. During the Austrian domination, there was no staircase here, but a street, the Rue Héraldique, which separated two mansions that were joined together after 1815 and transformed into a palace. Like many historic buildings, the royal palace in Brussels has undergone a series of developments before becoming the building many Belgians pass every day on their way to work. For instance, in 1872, at the instigation of Leopold II, the architect Alphonse Ballin built this main staircase, which had to offer a practical but prestigious access to the ceremonial rooms on the first floor. The white marble steps form an elegant contrast with the green marble handrail. And the polychrome tiles on the landings, the mirrors and windows along the walls further reinforce the impression of space in the wide stairwell. Let's now enter the great antechamber, which was created during the reign of King William I of Orange, monarch of the Netherlands. This room was begun by the architect Charles van der Straten and completed by another, Tilleman François Seys. It has a bas-relief frieze that was entrusted to the French sculptor François Rude and the Mechelen craftsman Jean-Louis van Gaal. The first was commissioned to represent trade, navigation, abundance and prudence, along with the two genies who are pointing out the Netherlands on the globe. The second was requested to depict industry, agriculture, power and peace, along with the unification of the northern and southern Low Countries. This relief contains the only image of the Dutch lion, which still remains in the palace. After going through the antechamber, let's visit the drawing rooms. These two rooms are furnished with a remarkable collection of empire chairs, a gift from the King of France, Louis Philippe, to his daughter, Queen Louise Marie, on her marriage to Leopold I. This furniture undoubtedly forms the jewel of the royal collection. Another staircase. It was the main staircase for many years, but was dethroned by the main staircase built by Leopold II. It may have been dethroned, but it was not abandoned, as it was restored at great expense. For the decoration, the artist Jean-Baptiste Van Moore was called upon. His paintings depict various views of the most famous places in Venice, and quite naturally, from then on, it became known as the Venice staircase. Let us now visit the Goya and Leopold drawing rooms. These are two vast rooms filled with furniture and objects that form part of the royal collection. This state collection was created after the fall of Napoleon, and was considerably extended during the reign of Leopold II. The transformation and extension of the palace required the acquisition of new furniture. The state covered a part of the expenses. The king himself spared neither his money nor his efforts to arrange the interior of his residences. He chose typically 19th century furniture, inspired by the Louis XVI style. After the sovereign's death in 1909, his personal collection of works of art, including the collection he had inherited from his parents, became an integral part of the royal collection. Great interest shone by Queen Elizabeth, the wife of King Albert I, for the arts and music in particular. It was here that the queen, who had been taught by Eugène Ysée, played the violin and received her musician friends. It was also in this drawing room that the queen had films projected on a large screen. The three drawing rooms that we're now going to visit were built during the palace construction work undertaken by William I of the Netherlands. All three are richly decorated with paintings, such as the stoning of St. Stephen that Leopold I brought with him when he left England. They are the Louis XVI drawing room, the so-called Pilaster's drawing room, and the Marshal's drawing room. Here we can see King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola, painted by Anne Rutten on canvases dated 1976, and further on the full-length portrait of Queen Astrid by Joseph Damien and Anne Rutten in 1936. These three rooms lead to the throne room of William I. The Louis XVI drawing room served as an antechamber, and the two others were used as the king's audience room and a waiting room. Later on, during the second half of the 19th century, the Pilaster's room and the Marshal's room were used as a dining room and sitting room by the Marshals, that is to say, the court dignitaries. In the Marshal's room, two imposing paintings hang from the picture rails, that of King Leopold I and his wife, Queen Louise Marie, painted by Gustave Wappers. Once in the throne room, we enter the part of the palace that was built under King Leopold II's initiative. He had a predilection for French architecture, and in particular, that of the Tuileries Palace and the Chateau of Versailles. The left side is known as the Room of the Seventeen Provinces, after the name of a room in William I's palace adjoining the throne room. Another part is designed as a ballroom. This room has 11 huge chandeliers and 28 candelabra. For the sculptures in the throne room, the architect Ballat called upon Thomas Vincotte and Auguste Rodin. The latter took part in the creation of at least one of the four bas-reliefs in the centre of the room. The ornamentation of this room of more than 1,000 square metres consists of decorative motifs gilded with gold leaf. The oak parquet was decorated with exotic wood marquetry, including maple, mahogany and ebony. Between the motifs, we can see the monogram of King Leopold II and Queen Marie-Henriette. Today, the throne room is used mainly for great ceremonies, but during the two world wars, it was transformed into a hospital on the initiative of Queen Elizabeth. Finally, the throne room was also used for the civil wedding of King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola on the 15th of December, 1960. For days, the great gallery that we can see here is most frequently used for large receptions, as it can receive up to 500 or 600 guests. The furniture in this and the adjoining rooms was bought especially for these rooms. It was chosen in a style inspired by Louis XVI, in gilded wood, upholstered in red damask. But above all, this room is remarkable for its painted ceilings, which date from the end of the 19th century and which illustrate in succession dawn, day and dusk. They were created by Georges Vandenbos and Charles-Léon Cardon, who took their inspiration from works by an artist of the court of Louis XVI, Charles Le Brun. This thinker, a replica of that of Michelangelo, which appears on a clock, gave its name to the room in which this clock is now found. When a member of the royal family dies, this room is used as a temporary mortuary. The Hall of Mirrors was designed by the architect Henri Mackay in the early 20th century. Leopold II wanted this room to be representative of the Belgian Congo. The pediments surmounting the mantelpieces were thus decorated with a map of Africa. Unfortunately, the king and his architect both died before the work was completed. The financial and political difficulties which marked the beginning of the reign of King Albert I explain why the allegorical scenes initially planned were replaced by the more sober mirrors, hence the name, the Hall of Mirrors. Until now, we can honestly say that we haven't seen many people in this vast palace. However, in the entrails of this immense vessel, craftsmen work behind the scenes to ensure the long-term future of the building and the treasures within it. Upholsterers, electricians, silversmiths, painting restorers and cabinet makers are all busily at work to ensure that the palace voyages through the years without aging. The royal palace in Brussels stands close to the site of the former palace of the Dukes of Brabant. Which was destroyed by fire in 1731. The Austrian government decided not to rebuild the burned out palace. The garden of the former chateau was completely transformed into a geometrically designed park. The current Place des Palais was one of the four roads that surround the park. Four mansions were built along this street in around 1786. The two central houses were separated by the Rue Heraldique, which is the prolongation of the central line of the park. These houses were occupied by the Austrian plenipotentiary minister and the chancellorship of state and war. After 1814, these two houses were joined together in order to form the Palace of William I of the Netherlands. But when the revolution took place in 1830, the works had not been completed. The duties assigned to the king notably include that of welcoming newly accredited ambassadors who come to present their credentials. Here, the ambassador of Great Britain is visiting the palace and is being welcomed by the royal guard. As we can see, it's a ceremony which involves a certain decorum. Ambassadors remain in their functions for an average of three to four years. And as Brussels has 170 bilateral embassies, this ceremony takes place more than 40 times a year. The constitution does not provide any particular official duty for the queen. Nevertheless, Belgian queens have always played an active role in public life. Above all, Queen Paula assists the king in the accomplishment of his duties as the head of state. But she has also developed her own program of activities in the social and cultural domain. Which are notably reflected through her visits to all parts of the world. She takes a keen interest in issues concerning young people in difficulty. We can see her here in her office in a meeting with the chairman and members of a public social assistance center discussing the critical problem of overborrowing. The king represents and embodies not the state, the apparatus of power, but the nation. In this capacity, he goes on state or friendly visits abroad and reflects the image of Belgium.