Church of Our Lady of Laeken

The Church of Our Lady of Laeken (French: Église Notre-Dame de Laeken; Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk van Laken) is a neo-Gothic Roman Catholic church in the Brussels district of Laeken, Belgium. It was originally built in memory of Queen Louise-Marie, wife of King Leopold I, to the design of the architect Joseph Poelaert.

History

Queen Louise-Marie, wife of King Leopold I, died in Ostend in 1850 and wished to be buried in Laeken. The nearby Royal Palace of Laeken was, and still is, the royal residence. Leopold I wished the church to be constructed in her memory and as a mausoleum for her. The architect Joseph Poelaert was chosen to design the new church. He later became best known for the Law Courts of Brussels.

The first stone was laid by Leopold I in 1854. The church was consecrated in 1872, but not completed until 1909 after a lengthy interruption of the work.

Pope Pius XI crowned the venerated Marian image within on 17 May 1936 in the presence of the King Leopold III and his royal heirs. This image of the Blessed Virgin Mary became the source for the image of Our Lady of China, crowned by Pope Francis on 19 February 2021.

Royal Crypt

The crypt holds the tombs of the Belgian Royal Family, including those of all the former Kings of the Belgians. 

The adjacent Laeken Cemetery behind the church is known as the Belgian Père Lachaise because it is the burial place of the major Catholic nobility, important families and some famous artists.

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