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105-557: Joséphine-Charlotte was born in 1927 at the Royal Palace of Brussels . She was the oldest child and only daughter of the King Leopold III of Belgium and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden . She was christened a month after her birth. Her godfather was her uncle, Prince Charles, Count of Flanders and her godmother was her future mother-in-law, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg . While expecting her daughter, Astrid had read

210-710: A big role in the receptions of international personalities. Currently, the many ambassadors accredited to Belgium are received by the king in the Hall of Mirrors. The palace can also serve more specific functions: for instance, during the First World War and on the initiative of Queen Elisabeth , it became a military hospital of the Red Cross . As often mentioned, it has a façade 50% longer than that of Buckingham Palace in London , but its floor area of 33,027 m (355,500 sq ft)

315-504: A biography of her ancestress, the French empress Joséphine de Beauharnais . Josephine was also the name of one of the child's great-aunts, Princess Joséphine-Caroline of Belgium , the dearest sister of King Albert I. She was called "little Jo" by her mother. Joséphine-Charlotte initially spent her childhood in the Royal Palace of Brussels before moving to Stuyvenberg Castle in 1930. She was

420-635: A dining room, as at the time of the wedding of Princess Louise with Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , and had for this purpose a pantry and a freight elevator embedded behind doors. Despite its name, the Throne Room does not house any throne because the King of the Belgians simply does not have one (just like a crown). This room is divided into three spaces separated by arched arcades supported by Corinthian pillars. The neo-Louis XVI style decor corresponds to

525-660: A fortified castle forming a part of the city's fortifications . It was the home of the Dukes of Brabant , who also resided in the nearby city of Leuven and in Tervuren Castle . In the following centuries, it was rebuilt, extended, and improved, in line with the increased prestige of the Dukes of Brabant and their successors: the Dukes of Burgundy , Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor , Albert VII, Archduke of Austria and Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain, as well as successive Governors of

630-462: A gallery. The newly created "Royal Palace" received a new neoclassical façade designed by the architect Tilman-François Suys with a peristyle in the middle, and a balcony with a wrought iron parapet surrounding the entire first floor. The street running alongside the new Royal Palace was widened and thus the Place des Palais/Paleizenplein ("Palaces' Square") was created. The new square's name uses

735-582: A harp and a music stand probably belonging to Queen Louise . The Louis XVI Room, like the Blue Room or the Pillar Room and the Marshals' Room, dates back to the time of William I. It was used at the time as an anteroom and was later converted into a living room. Alongside the portraits of family members of Leopold I are some canvases from his personal collection. The depiction of his deceased first wife, Allegory of

840-579: A layer of stucco . It was not until 2004 that, at the request of Queen Paola , the artist Jan Fabre installed there a work called Heaven of Delight made up of more than a million beetle elytra in order to reflect the light with a metallic green tint. Despite the artist's conviction for sexual offences , the palace decided to keep his creation. The room is mainly used today for the reception of letters of credence from ambassadors posted in Brussels. The Grand Gallery, 41 m (135 ft) long, connects

945-454: A long square called the Place des Palais/Paleizenplein . This area is served by Brussels-Central railway station , as well as by the metro stations Parc/Park (on lines 1 and 5 ) and Trône/Troon (on lines 2 and 6 ). The first building on the Coudenberg hill was constructed between the second half of the 11th and first half of the 12th century. At that time, it probably looked like

1050-660: A long time, died at her home, Fischbach Castle in 2005, at the age of 77. Joséphine-Charlotte metro station in Brussels is named after her. One of her wedding gifts was a diamond tiara , commonly known as the Belgian Scroll Tiara, given by the Société Générale . This is now part of the Luxembourg reigning family's jewel collection. On 5 December 2016, a remembrance concert in honour of Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte

1155-597: A patron. Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte's favorite hobbies included gardening and horticulture . She also enjoyed hunting , fishing , skiing and other watersports . The Grand Duchess also enjoyed collecting works of modern art. In 2003, the exhibition named De Manessier à Wim Delvoye presented 108 works from the private collection of the Grand Duchess at the National Museum of History and Art in Luxembourg. The Grand Duchess, who suffered from lung cancer for

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1260-519: A rate of -1.7% due to births and deaths. Most of the population (as of 2000 ) speaks French (2,081 or 69.2%), with English being second most common (377 or 12.5%) and German being third (158 or 5.3%). There are 84 people who speak Italian . As of 2008 , the gender distribution of the population was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. The population was made up of 828 Swiss men (22.8% of the population) and 963 (26.5%) non-Swiss men. There were 930 Swiss women (25.6%) and 914 (25.1%) non-Swiss women. Of

1365-560: A total of 1,808 registered voters of which 893 (49.4%) voted. Out of the 893 votes, there were 3 blank votes, 8 null or unreadable votes and 103 votes with a name that was not on the list. In the 2011 federal election , the most popular party was the Les Libéraux-Radicaux which received 34.4% of the vote. A total of 673 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 47.4%. As of  2010 , Pregny-Chambésy had an unemployment rate of 3.6%. As of 2008 , there were people employed in

1470-504: A total of 772 inhabited buildings. There were 120 multi-family buildings (15.5%), along with 56 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (7.3%) and 32 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (4.1%). Of the single family homes 72 were built before 1919, while 56 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (141) were built between 1981 and 1990. The most multi-family homes (36) were built between 1961 and 1970 and

1575-619: A villa. The Royal Family, which included her brothers Baudouin and Albert, her half-brother Alexandre, and their stepmother Princess Lilian, was freed on 7 May 1945 and settled in Pregny-Chambésy , Switzerland until 1950. Joséphine-Charlotte continued her studies at the École Supérieure de Jeunes Filles in Geneva , Switzerland. There, she took courses in French literature , English , history and chemistry . Afterwards, Joséphine-Charlotte enrolled at

1680-490: A wealth of elegance, taste and refinement to her new homeland. She carried out many social, cultural and humanitarian duties. She focused on several initiatives that she would ardently support, particularly matters pertaining to children and families. Unlike her predecessors, Joséphine-Charlotte played her role as Grand Duchess perfectly, albeit always reservedly, which resulted in Joséphine-Charlotte's low popularity among

1785-458: Is a net importer of workers, with about 1.2 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 4.6% of the workforce coming into Pregny-Chambésy are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.1% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 17.6% used public transportation to get to work, and 61.7% used a private car. From the 2000 census , 945 or 31.4% were Roman Catholic , while 651 or 21.6% belonged to

1890-565: Is also there that the reception of the constituted bodies takes place during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, the presentation of the King Baudouin International Development Prize and that of the triennial prize for Flemish literature. Originally an anteroom, what is now the Pillar Room later became a reception area for the kingdom's great noble families . Known then as the Blue Room (the colour referring to

1995-478: Is characterised by many revival styles, of which Leopold II was a supporter. The building is made up of three parts: a central wing, marked by a projection to the north and south; an east wing; and a west wing, each surrounding a large rectangular courtyard accessible by road from the north and south. The complex is surrounded by formal gardens, French style at the front, English style at the rear, and entirely enclosed by balustraded walls. The main façade, which

2100-478: Is completely symmetrical, is crowned in the middle with a large pediment. Only the colonnade and balcony of the old palace have been preserved. The street was shifted to make room for the front garden, consisting of three dug-in parterres . Extending the palace symmetrically towards the east and west along the street side are curved galleries ending in two pavilions on the corners, attached to the Hôtel de la Liste Civile to

2205-530: Is less than half of Buckingham Palace's floor area at 77,000 m (830,000 sq ft). In the Royal Palace, an important part of the Royal Collection is found. This consists of mainly state portraits and important furniture of Napoleon , Leopold I , Louis Philippe I and Leopold II . Silverware , porcelain and fine crystal is kept in the cellars used during state banquets and formal occasions at court. Queen Paola added modern art in some of

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2310-490: Is located directly north of the city of Geneva , on the south-western shore of Lake Geneva . A number of foreign permanent missions are located in Pregny-Chambésy due to its proximity to most of Geneva's United Nations organizations and agencies as well as Geneva International Airport . Pregny is first mentioned in 1113 as Priniacum , and Chambésy in 1277 as Sambesie . The region of Pregny and Chambésy stayed under

2415-598: Is the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians in the centre of the nation's capital, Brussels . However, it is not used as a royal residence, as the king and his family live in the Royal Palace of Laeken in northern Brussels. The website of the Belgian Monarchy describes the function of the Royal Palace as follows: The Royal Palace is where His Majesty the King exercises his prerogatives as Head of State, grants audiences and deals with affairs of state. Apart from

2520-438: Is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.43 km (0.17 sq mi) or 13.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.29 km (0.88 sq mi) or 70.7% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.03 km (7.4 acres) or 0.9% is either rivers or lakes. Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 53.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 9.6%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 6.8%. Out of

2625-456: The Aula Magna were somewhat spared. The ruins only disappeared when the district was redeveloped after 1775. At that time the urban axes of the present-day Brussels Park were laid out. The Place Royale/Koningsplein was built on top of the ruined palace. Excavations of the site by different archaeological organisations have unearthed various remains of different parts of the palace as well as

2730-609: The Austrian army ); his wife Queen Louise; as well as a bust of the future Leopold II by the sculptor Guillaume Geefs . Initially a billiard room, the Goya Room has since 1905 housed three tapestries woven at the Royal Tapestry Factory of Santa Bárbara from designs by Francisco de Goya : The Dance , The Little Blind Man and The Water Carrier . These tapestries were offered by Queen Isabella II of Spain to Leopold I. Like

2835-849: The Belgian Girl Guides . She and her brothers went through a short period of exodus in France and Spain under the care of Viscount Gatien du Parc just after the German invasion of Belgium . They initially settled in Russy before moving to Château de Montal in Saint-Jean-Lespinasse . They and Viscount du Parc travelled to San Sebastián in Spain after her father offered himself as a prisoner of war to Nazi Germany. In August 1940, Joséphine-Charlotte and her brothers returned to Belgium. Joséphine-Charlotte attended

2940-516: The Belgian Provinces and their main activities. Only the Province of Brabant (unitary at the time the frieze was created) is not represented because the palace was already built on Brabant territory. This room has seen many historical events take place, such as the abdication of Leopold III in 1951, that of Albert II in 2013 or the civil marriage of King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola in 1960. It

3045-468: The Belgian Revolution in 1830–31, the Royal Palace was offered to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha when he ascended the throne as King Leopold I , the first King of the Belgians . Just like his predecessor, William II, he used the palace mainly for official receptions and other representational purposes and lived in the Royal Palace of Laeken . During his reign (until 1865), little was changed to

3150-473: The Councils of Ministers took place, then often chaired by the king. Leopold III being reluctant to play the game of the parliamentary regime of the time, he only rarely convened these meetings, which then took place elsewhere. Although it is no longer the private residence of the sovereigns, the palace has continued to house members of the royal family and to see important events take place for them. Only one king

3255-611: The County of Savoy and then Duchy of Savoy rule from 1353 until 1536, when it was conquered by Bern . It went back to Savoy in 1567, was conquered by the Republic of Geneva in 1590, and then by France in 1601. It finally joined the canton of Geneva in 1815 and thus the Swiss Confederacy. Pregny-Chambésy has an area, as of 2009 , of 3.24 square kilometers (1.25 sq mi). Of this area, 0.5 km (0.19 sq mi) or 15.4%

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3360-599: The First World War , it resumed in 1920. In 1930, the interior of the east wing was rebuilt. In 1934–1936, the study plan for the ground floor was drawn up by Henri van de Velde . The west wing was inhabited by Prince Charles, Count of Flanders , who converted the greenhouse into the Flemish Hall in 1938. Since then, apart from maintenance and restoration work, there has not been any more major transformations. The royal apartments were still occupied until 1935, but after Queen Astrid 's death, King Leopold III chose to live in

3465-471: The Habsburg Netherlands to Charles of Habsburg . It was also in this same room that, in 1555, Charles V abdicated in favour of his son, King Philip II of Spain . This impressive complex suffered several fires over the centuries. In 1679, a fire destroyed part of the roof. A large fire that broke out on 3 February 1731 almost completely destroyed the building. Only the court chapel and the walls of

3570-744: The Holy Thursday mass in Mechelen . On 16 April 1949, she left Brussels and stayed at Fischbach Castle in Luxembourg for a few days before returning to Switzerland. She returned to Belgium again to vote in the referendum on 12 March 1950, which ended up with the result of the maintenance of the monarchy in Belgium. After the accession of her brother Baudouin, Joséphine-Charlotte resided in Laeken with her father, stepmother and her brothers. She also took up her official duties and made several official trips outside Belgium. At

3675-720: The Red Cross . She also served as honorary president of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra. She became the chief guide of Luxembourg’s guides movement in 1990. She was the patron of the Union of Voluntary Blood Donors and the Luxembourg Paediatrics Society. The Grand Duchess also oversaw the restoration of the Grand Ducal Palace from 1991 until 1996. She became a patron and honorary president of l’association pour la protection curative de l’enfance ,

3780-694: The Scouts and Guides of Luxembourg , the Equestrian Federation, les Jeunesses musicales , the International Bazaar of Luxembourg and the Hëllef fir kriibskrank Kanner Foundation. She also regularly visited Luxembourg's social and cultural centers, establishments, institutes, hospitals and nurseries. Beside secular organizations, Joséphine-Charlotte supported religious institutions such as Action Catholique des Femmes du Luxembourg (ACFL) of which she became

3885-608: The Swiss Reformed Church . Of the rest of the population, there were 91 members of an Orthodox church (or about 3.02% of the population), and there were 101 individuals (or about 3.36% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 19 individuals (or about 0.63% of the population) who were Jewish , and 68 (or about 2.26% of the population) who were Muslim . There were 9 individuals who were Buddhist , 8 individuals who were Hindu and 7 individuals who belonged to another church. 603 (or about 20.04% of

3990-540: The University of Geneva where she received lessons from Jean Piaget . On 11 April 1949, Joséphine-Charlotte returned to Belgium for the first time since the war from Luxembourg. She was the first member of the royal family to set foot on Belgian soil again since World War II . She visited Belgium as a test to see how the population reacted to the royal family and to polish the monarchy's reputation. A few months earlier, she had expressed her desire to return to Belgium during

4095-626: The coat of arms of Belgium . Above the door leading to the Grand Staircase, a bas-relief depicts two female figures holding hands above a crowned lion and holding a sword and a bundle of arrows. It is a representation of the union of the Northern Provinces (holding a rudder ) and the Southern Provinces (holding a cornucopia ) under the aegis of the House of Orange-Nassau (represented by

4200-525: The mantelpiece clock with a bronze reproduction of Michelangelo's Il Pensieroso ("The Thinker"), which adorns the fireplace. This space is also used as a chapel in the event of the death of a member of the Belgian royal family . Requested by Leopold II from Henri Maquet as a tribute to his Congo colony , the Hall of Mirrors contains many elements reminiscent of its primary vocation: exotic plant decorations, lion figures, copper sconces (and not gilding ,

4305-401: The primary economic sector and about businesses involved in this sector. 52 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 9 businesses in this sector. 659 people were employed in the tertiary sector , with 91 businesses in this sector. There were 1,412 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 45.7% of the workforce. In 2008

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4410-513: The 2009 Grand Conseil election, there were a total of 1,413 registered voters of which 640 (45.3%) voted. The most popular party in the municipality for this election was the Libéral with 26.8% of the ballots. In the canton-wide election they received the highest proportion of votes. The second most popular party was the Les Radicaux (with 14.5%), they were sixth in the canton-wide election, while

4515-512: The 2009-2010 school year there were a total of 723 students in the Pregny-Chambésy school system. The education system in the Canton of Geneva allows young children to attend two years of non-obligatory Kindergarten . During that school year, there were 53 children who were in a pre-kindergarten class. The canton's school system provides two years of non-mandatory kindergarten and requires students to attend six years of primary school , with some of

4620-808: The Boarding School of the Faithful Virgin in Brussels from the end of 1940 until 1942. She then continued her education with her own private teachers at the Royal Palace of Laeken , where her family was held prisoner. On 7 June 1944, the day after the Allied Forces landed in Normandy , France , she and her father were sent to Hirschtein Castle near Dresden, Germany and kept there under house arrest. On Adolf Hitler 's orders, King Leopold III and his family were deported to Strobl , Austria where they were given shelter in

4725-476: The Congo being very rich in copper mines) and especially terrestrial globes depicting Africa in the pediments above the chimneys. The architect and the king having died a few months apart, Albert I decided not to pursue his uncle's plans and to have mirrors installed between the columns instead of the allegorical paintings initially planned. At that time, the barrel ceiling remained unfinished and only covered with

4830-502: The Death of Princess Charlotte , is a work by portrait painter and historian Arthur William Devis . Works by Michaël Borremans were also added to the room during its refurbishment in 2010. Vestige of the former Hotel Belgiojoso renovated under William I to make it a ballroom, the Empire Room's decoration still bears traces of the Austrian era , such as the dancing putti above the doors. It

4935-597: The Empire Room, the Small and Large White Drawing Rooms are among the oldest parts of the palace. The original 18th-century decorations have been preserved. The Empire style furniture, a wedding present given by King Louis Philippe I of the French to his daughter Louise of Orléans and Leopold I, still bears its original Beauvais tapestry decoration. The Small White Drawing Room is decorated with portraits of Louise and her parents, Louis-Philippe and Princess Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily . Built by Balat between 1868 and 1872,

5040-708: The Grand Duke made numerous state visits such as to the Vatican and Brazil in 1965, the United Kingdom in 1972, USSR and Tunisia in 1975, Senegal in 1977, China in 1979, and the United States in 1984. During her tenure as a consort, she and her husband hosted 39 state visits to Luxembourg. Joséphine-Charlotte became president of the Luxembourg Red Cross in 1964. She was president of Luxembourg Youth Section of

5145-676: The Habsburg Netherlands . The Aula Magna , a gigantic room for royal receptions and other pageantry , was built for Philip the Good in the 15th century. The first regular meetings of the States General , composed of delegates from the middle class, clergy and nobility of the Burgundian Netherlands , were held there in 1465. It was in this room that, in 1515, Duchess Margaret of Austria formally relinquished her regency over

5250-600: The Luxembourgers. She also never fully mastered the Luxembourgish language . After the accession of Grand Duke Jean in 1964, the Grand Ducal family, who initially lived at Betzdorf Castle , moved to Berg Castle . Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte was actively involved in the renovation of the castle. As Grand Duchess, she often accompanied her husband on foreign visits, as well as many events within Luxembourg itself. She and

5355-446: The Netherlands . Produced by the sculptors François Rude and Jean-Louis van Geel  [ fr ] around 1826, the frieze running all around the room thus represents the four main economic activities of the country ( Trade , Navigation , Industry and Agriculture ) and the four virtues of good governance ( Abundance , Prudence , Armed force and Peace ). The frieze was reworked under Leopold II to include his cipher and

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5460-510: The Palace of Laeken, like all the kings who have succeeded him. The palace's interior was completely renovated in 1955–1958. In 1987, the Ministry of Public Works undertook the restoration, among others, of the Empire Room, the Throne Room and the Small and Large White Drawing Rooms. Since 1965, the palace has been open to the public regularly from 21 July ( Belgian National Day ) until the beginning of September. Visiting hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Around 2010, some of

5565-426: The Square Room to the Throne Room while skirting the Brabant Courtyard. It was originally intended to include a gallery of portraits of the historic rulers of Belgium, but this idea was never realised. Its current decoration, in a fairly sober neo- Louis XVI style with white stucco and Corinthian pilasters raised in gold, is embellished with allegorical paintings by Charles-Léon Cardon , reproducing or even copying at

5670-453: The Venice Staircase owes its name to the large oils on canvas representing different views of Venice . Painted by Jean-Baptiste Van Moer  [ fr ] in 1867 (while the painter was using his Prix de Rome to visit Italy), they represent Saint Mark's Square , the Grand Canal and the inner courtyard of the Doge's Palace . Other paintings, representing the Piazzetta and the Porta della Carta were later commissioned by Leopold II from

5775-410: The abbot's residence of the nearby Coudenberg Abbey, while the other was inhabited by important government members. After the Congress of Vienna in 1814–15, Brussels became (together with The Hague ) the joint capital of the new established United Kingdom of the Netherlands . It was under the rule of King William I of the Netherlands that the street was covered and the two mansions were joined with

5880-401: The artist and installed in a small annex corridor. Unlike most European royal residences, the Palace of Brussels is no longer the real residence of the Kings of the Belgians, who prefer to live in the Palace of Laeken . It was under Leopold III that the palace really only became a place of work, housing the king's office as well as the services of his household. It was also at the palace that

5985-474: The ball given the day before the wedding of King Baudouin with Fabiola de Mora y Aragón in 1960 or the reception that followed the wedding of Prince Philippe with Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz in 1999. Built by Balat in the west wing of the palace, the Marble Room owes its name to its panelling and its green, pink and black marble fireplaces. On the walls, two portraits by Louis Gallait represent Godfrey of Bouillon and Charles V . The space served mainly as

6090-460: The children attending smaller, specialized classes. In Pregny-Chambésy there were 70 students in kindergarten or primary school and 11 students were in the special, smaller classes. The secondary school program consists of three lower, obligatory years of schooling, followed by three to five years of optional, advanced schools. There were 70 lower secondary students who attended school in Pregny-Chambésy. There were 120 upper secondary students from

6195-464: The construction rate of new housing units was 2.7 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2010 , was 0.58%. The historical population is given in the following chart: The Campagne Du Reposoir, the Rothschild Castle and outbuildings, the Museum des Suisses dans le monde, the Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) Archives and the Serres de Rothschild are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance . In

6300-541: The country, the flag is hoisted on the central building. If he is present inside the palace, then the guard of honour stands at the front of the palace. The adjacent park, Brussels Park , is separated from the Royal Palace by the Place des Palais. This rectangular park, measuring more than 13 ha (32 acres), contains around sixty sculptures, primarily inspired by Greco-Roman mythology ; two water basins with fountains; monumental neoclassical railings and gates; as well as two bandstands where numerous shows take place in

6405-407: The decorator Axel Vervoordt to renovate the room. It was completely modified, going so far as to repaint the walls in the ochre colour they had in the Dutch era (hence the change of name for this room). It now houses a portrait of Leopold I painted in 1846 by Franz Xaver Winterhalter , Empire style armchairs that belonged to Napoleon and his wife Joséphine at the Palace of Laeken , as well as

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6510-428: The east, and to the Hôtel Belle-Vue to the west. The Royal Palace is especially striking for the magnificence of its interiors and some important works of art are exhibited there. Located on the site of the former Rue Héraldique , the Grand Staircase was designed by Alphonse Balat in 1868 and 1872. In front of the central flight, in a false loggia , dominates a statue of Peace in the guise of Minerva made by

6615-399: The engagement of Joséphine-Charlotte and Jean had already been circulating after Jean visited her in Pregny-Chambésy in 1948. On 7 November 1952, the couple announced their engagement to the public. Joséphine-Charlotte and Jean were joined in marriage on 9 April 1953 in Luxembourg . During their 52-year marriage, the couple had five children: As a Belgian princess, Joséphine-Charlotte brought

6720-436: The expression blue blood ), the room was full of paintings and included a table set with the famous birds of Buffon service ordered to the painter Frédéric Théodore Faber . Even if this noble privilege disappeared during the reign of Baudouin, the expression Princes and Dukes of the Blue Room survived in the documents regulating precedence . On the occasion of the Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) in 2010, Queen Paola asked

6825-433: The forested land, 8.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 4.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 6.2% is used for growing crops and 5.9% is pastures, while 3.4% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in lakes. The municipality is located 3 km (1.9 mi) from Geneva on the right shore of Lake Geneva. It originally consisted of

6930-458: The gardens of the Castle of Laeken for her children’s enjoyment. Joséphine-Charlotte often accompanied her mother on official public appearances. Joséphine-Charlotte's mother was killed in an automobile accident in Switzerland in August 1935 when Joséphine-Charlotte was nearly eight. After her mother's death, Joséphine-Charlotte spontaneously assumed the role of mother for her two brothers. The Belgian public extended their enormous sympathies onto

7035-501: The grieving family, with great concern given to the effects their mother's death had on Joséphine-Charlotte and her brothers. King Leopold remained a devoted father to his children and kept close ties with his late wife's family. Many photographs exist from this time of the children with their Swedish grandparents and Norwegian cousins. Later, in 1941, her father remarried to Mary Lilian Baels (later became Princess of Réthy). This marriage produced three more children: Prince Alexandre (who

7140-428: The length of the building. A large part of the shallow grounds located in front of the palace were also filled in, in order to increase the space in front of its façade. After the designs of the king's architect Alphonse Balat , imposing rooms like the Grand Staircase, the Throne Room and the Grand Gallery were added. Balat also planned a new façade but died before the plans could be executed. The palace's current façade

7245-434: The lion). It is therefore the last true Dutch symbol present in the palace, as the lion is still the one depicted on the coat of arms of the Netherlands . There are also in this room two paintings by the English portraitist George Dawe representing the young Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Princess Charlotte of Wales at the time of their wedding. The 'Il Pensieroso' Room or Square Room takes its former name from

7350-423: The marriage of Prince Albert of Liège to Paola Ruffo di Calabria in 1959 and the signing of the sixth state reform in 2014. It also contains a work by Patrick Corillon  [ fr ] entitled Flowers of the Royal Palace . The Coburg Room takes its name from the set of portraits representing a large number of relatives of Leopold I by different artists. One can find there as well: the king himself, when he

7455-412: The motifs of the Dying Slave and the Rebellious Slave by Michelangelo , as well as two Egyptian statues of the goddess Sekhmet probably brought back by the young Prince Leopold during his trips to the Orient , . The Large Anteroom was used under William I of the Netherlands as the Throne Room. Its decoration is therefore loaded with many political symbols relating to the United Kingdom of

7560-428: The movement and storage of goods, 65 or 11.7% were in a hotel or restaurant, 27 or 4.9% were in the information industry, 70 or 12.6% were the insurance or financial industry, 64 or 11.5% were technical professionals or scientists, 57 or 10.3% were in education and 136 or 24.5% were in health care. In 2000 , there were 1,362 workers who commuted into the municipality and 1,117 workers who commuted away. The municipality

7665-511: The municipality. There were 1,442 married individuals, 182 widows or widowers and 153 individuals who are divorced. As of 2000 , there were 1,060 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. There were 331 households that consist of only one person and 90 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 1,099 households that answered this question, 30.1% were households made up of just one person and there were 9 adults who lived with their parents. Of

7770-521: The next most (25) were built before 1919. There were 7 multi-family houses built between 1996 and 2000. In 2000 there were 1,146 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 3 rooms of which there were 243. There were 63 single room apartments and 516 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 1,006 apartments (87.8% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 117 apartments (10.2%) were seasonally occupied and 23 apartments (2.0%) were empty. As of 2009 ,

7875-403: The non-Swiss population increased by 104 people. This represents a population growth rate of 2.3%. The age distribution of the population (as of 2000 ) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.5% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.2% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 15.3%. As of 2000 , there were 1,232 people who were single and never married in

7980-717: The offices of the King and the Queen, the Royal Palace houses the services of the Grand Marshal of the Court, the King's Head of Cabinet, the Head of the King's Military Household and the Intendant of the King's Civil List. The Royal Palace also includes the State Rooms where large receptions are held, as well as the apartments provided for foreign Heads of State during official visits. The first nucleus of

8085-446: The old mansions were incorporated in the new Royal Palace and were only partly refurnished. Some of them survived the 19th and 20th centuries' renovations and are still partly intact. A major addition to the interior decoration from the time of William I is the so-called "Empire Room", which was designed as a ballroom. It has a very refined cream and gold decoration designed and executed by the famous French sculptor François Rude . After

8190-666: The old palace's garden was redesigned as a public park. On the northern side, a new building for the Council of Brabant was built by the French architect Gilles-Barnabé Guimard , which now houses the Belgian Federal Parliament and is known as the Palace of the Nation . On the other side of the park (the building plot of the present-day Royal Palace), the park's middle axis continued as a street between two newly built mansions. One served as

8295-457: The older sister of Belgian monarchs Baudouin and Albert II . Leopold and Astrid were devoted parents to their children. While her parents went abroad, Joséphine-Charlotte and her siblings stayed in Belgium under the care of governesses and nannies. She and her siblings lived with their maternal grandparents in their summer house in Sweden during holidays. Queen Astrid commissioned a playhouse built in

8400-415: The palace's halls were converted into meeting rooms, with adapted sound systems and facilities for simultaneous interpretation. In March 2023, new renovation work began on the palace's façade, including the installation of double glazing . The balustrades, stone stairs, garden walls, gates and fences are also being repaired. The project cost approximately €6 million. The Royal Palace, imposing and majestic,

8505-416: The palace. It was his son and successor, King Leopold II , who judging the building to be too modest for a king of his stature, kept on enlarging and embellishing the palace until his death in 1909. During Leopold II's reign, the palace nearly doubled in surface area. The houses located between the different buildings were destroyed and gave way to two symmetrical curved galleries, which considerably widened

8610-755: The plural form because another palace was built on the left side of the Royal Palace. This new building (1823) was designed as the residence of the Crown Prince called the Prince of Orange (the future King William II of the Netherlands ). Nowadays, it houses five Belgian academies including the Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium (RASAB) and is consequently called the Academy Palace . The rooms and salons of

8715-557: The population in the municipality 396 or about 13.2% were born in Pregny-Chambésy and lived there in 2000. There were 598 or 19.9% who were born in the same canton, while 402 or 13.4% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 1,157 or 38.5% were born outside of Switzerland. In 2008 there were 15 live births to Swiss citizens and 20 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 27 deaths of Swiss citizens and 9 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration,

8820-419: The population of Swiss citizens decreased by 12 while the foreign population increased by 11. There were 8 Swiss men and 2 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 79 non-Swiss men and 61 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 24 and

8925-539: The population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist , and 507 individuals (or about 16.85% of the population) did not answer the question. In Pregny-Chambésy about 667 or (22.2%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education , and 816 or (27.1%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule ). Of the 816 who completed tertiary schooling, 30.1% were Swiss men, 24.4% were Swiss women, 25.5% were non-Swiss men and 20.0% were non-Swiss women. During

9030-461: The present-day building dates from the end of the 18th century. However, the grounds on which the Royal Palace stands were once part of the Palace of Coudenberg , a very old palatial complex that dated back to the Middle Ages . The existing façade was only built after 1900 on the initiative of King Leopold II . The Royal Palace is situated in front of Brussels Park , from which it is separated by

9135-619: The presentation of a gift from the Belgian delegation of the Ladies of the Resistance. In Bastogne , she visited Bastogne's Town Hall, the war memorial and Mardasson Memorial . She also visited Bande , Marche and Namur before reaching Brussels , where she stayed at the Royal Palace of Laeken with her grandmother, Queen Elisabeth . On 13 April 1949, Joséphine-Charlotte visited Lichtervelde and La Panne before returning to Brussels to participate in

9240-407: The request of Leopold II works by the French painters Charles Le Brun and Louis-Jacques Durameau : Dawn , Day and Twilight are completed by Aurora located on one of the central walls. This gallery, ideal for its length and the possibility of housing an orchestra on a raised balcony, often hosts receptions: for example the dinner given in honour of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1958,

9345-401: The rest of the households, there are 250 married couples without children, 375 married couples with children There were 78 single parents with a child or children. There were 17 households that were made up of unrelated people and 39 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing. In 2000 there were 564 single family homes (or 73.1% of the total) out of

9450-668: The same time, she also devoted herself to social problems and developed her interest in the arts. In February 1953, Joséphine-Charlotte visited several villages in Belgium that were affected by the floods. She also distributed aids and gifts. A few days before her wedding, Joséphine-Charlotte announced in a radio message that she would donate all the donations she had received to a national Belgian fund to combat polio. Joséphine-Charlotte met Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg during one of her short stays with her godmother and future mother-in-law, Grand Duchess Charlotte, in Fischbach in 1948. Rumours of

9555-400: The sculptor Charles-Auguste Fraikin in 1877. The steps are made of white marble and the banisters of green marble enhanced with bronze decoration. Access to this staircase is via a vestibule housing the busts of some Kings and Queens of the Belgians . Two full-length portraits of the current sovereigns frame the door. One also finds in these spaces two bronze candelabra taking up

9660-459: The sculptor Thomas Vinçotte . The new design includes a formal front garden with gilded railings, gates and balustrades , separating the building from the Place des Palais. The work left unfinished at the death of Leopold II in 1909 and Maquet in 1911 was taken up under King Albert I by Maquet's pupil, Octave Flanneau  [ fr ] , who rebuilt the Hôtel de la Liste Civile. Interrupted by

9765-407: The state rooms. During state visits, the royal apartments and suites are at the disposal of visiting heads of state. Ambassadors too are received there with state ceremony. New Year's receptions are held for NATO , EU ambassadors and politicians. Royal wedding banquets take place in the palace, and after their death, the body of the deceased king lies in state there. If the king is currently in

9870-466: The summer. The park's middle axis marks both the middle peristyle of the Royal Palace and of the Belgian Federal Parliament building ( Palace of the Nation ) on the other side of the park. The two facing buildings are said to symbolise Belgium's system of government: a constitutional monarchy . Pregny-Chamb%C3%A9sy Pregny-Chambésy is a commune in the canton of Geneva in Switzerland . It

9975-542: The surrounding town. The monumental vaults remaining under the square and its surrounding buildings can be visited. Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine , at that time Governor of the Austrian Netherlands , had a new palace, the Palace of Charles of Lorraine , built on the nearby site of the former Palace of Orange-Nassau . The Palace of Charles of Lorraine is now part of the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) and

10080-536: The third most popular party was the Les Verts (with 13.1%), they were second in the canton-wide election. For the 2009 Conseil d'Etat election, there were a total of 1,410 registered voters of which 728 (51.6%) voted. In 2011, all the municipalities held local elections, and in Pregny-Chambésy there were 19 spots open on the municipal council (legislature) and 3 on the Administrative council (executive). There were

10185-444: The total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 606. The number of jobs in the primary sector was, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 51 of which 11 or (21.6%) were in manufacturing and 40 (78.4%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 555. In the tertiary sector; 26 or 4.7% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 18 or 3.2% were in

10290-438: The village of Pregny and the hamlets of Chambésy-Dessus and Chembésy-Dessous as well as the settlement of Roilbot. Until 1960 it was known as Pregny . Pregny-Chambésy has a population (as of December 2020 ) of 3,803. As of 2008 , 49.2% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of 21.2%. It has changed at a rate of 26.1% due to migration and at

10395-519: The will of Leopold II, whose monogram is inscribed in the parquet flooring in oak , maple , mahogany and ebony . It was Queen Elisabeth who had the red velvet and silk hangings installed. The exterior spaces are each decorated with a large allegorical bas-relief of the Meuse and Scheldt rivers, works of the sculptor Thomas Vinçotte . The perimeter of the central space is decorated with female figures attributed to Auguste Rodin , representing

10500-421: Was also Joséphine-Charlotte's godson), Princess Marie-Christine and Princess Marie-Esméralda . Joséphine-Charlotte initially had a hard time accepting her father's second marriage but later developed a close relationship with her stepmother and called her "Mother". Joséphine-Charlotte first attended school at the Royal Palace in Brussels, where a small class had been organized for her. In her free time, she joined

10605-455: Was born there ( Leopold II , on 9 April 1835), none died there, but many marriages took place there: among many others, that of the future Leopold II with Marie-Henriette of Habsburg-Lorraine , that of Princess Charlotte with Archduke Maximilian , that of Prince Albert of Liège with Paola Ruffo di Calabria , that of King Baudouin with Fabiola de Mora y Aragón and that of Prince Philippe with Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz . The palace plays

10710-540: Was held in Luxembourg. The concert was performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and directed by Tugan Sokhiev while Rudolf Buchbinder performed on the piano. [REDACTED] Media related to Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium at Wikimedia Commons Royal Palace of Brussels The Royal Palace of Brussels ( French : Palais royal de Bruxelles [palɛ ʁwajal də bʁysɛl] ; Dutch : Koninklijk Paleis van Brussel [ˈkoːnɪŋklək paːˈlɛis fɑm ˈbrʏsəl] ; German : Königlicher Palast von Brüssel )

10815-576: Was in this room that Napoleon received with his wife Joséphine the authorities of the City of Brussels in 1803. On the floor, the room sometimes houses a huge Kerman carpet offered by Shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar of Persia to Leopold II in 1900, and which recalls this gift in a Persian inscription. On the two central chimneys, one can also admire busts of Leopold I and his son, Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders . This room housed, among other things,

10920-457: Was only executed after 1904 according to new plans by the architect Henri Maquet . Suys' façade was demolished for this undertaking and the new façade was added to the gutted salons. The salons and the Empire Room in the east wing were restored, as were the Hall of Mirrors and new salons in the west wing. The sculpture of the façade's pediment shows an allegorical figure of Belgium flanked by groups representing Industry and Agriculture , by

11025-537: Was still only prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (the name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha would only come after the acquisition of the eponymous duchy by his brother Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha ); his father Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld ; his mother Countess Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf ; his sister Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and brother-in-law Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (parents of Queen Victoria ); his great-uncle Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld ( generalfeldmarschall of

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