Royal families: de Merodes
One of the most important noble families of Belgium certainly is the noble House de Merode.
The de Merode family really has a long, interesting and even a royal history, which started already in the Middle Ages.
Since a long time, their coat of arms had yellow and red colours and their motto is: "Plus d'honneur que d'honneur".
Some Royal History of the family
de Merode came from a village located in Germany, in the city of Düren, which lies between Aachen and Köln. In the Middle Ages it was a part of the Duchy of Julich. Nowadays it is a part of the state:
North Rhine-Westphalia.
At the beginning de Merode family had the rank of Freiherr of the Holy Roman Empire, the family had possessions and influence in Köln and in the Rhineland.
It was from the sons of Werner III von Merode (born in 1278), that the two branches of the noble house descended.
From the 14th century onwards, a branch of de Merode family gained power and possessions in the Duchy of Brabant and the Prince- Bishopric of Liège nowadays located in Belgium but then these regions were a part of the Burgundian Netherlands and later the Habsburg Netherlands.
When Richard de Merode married Margareth van Wesemael, the house inherited important possessions such as Westerloo and the County of Olen.
In 1451 Jean I de Merode married Adelheid van Hoorn and she brought Gheel, Diepenbeek and Duffel into the possessions of the noble family.
It was Jean II de Merode who held the position of Lord Chamberlain of Archduke Philip the Handsome.
In 1626 King Philip IV of Spain granted to Philippe I de Merode the title Marquis of Westerloo.
Through the marriage of Philippe-François de Merode with Louise- Brigitte de Rubempré, they received the domains and titles of Princes de Rubempré and Prince of Everberg.
Charles-Guillaume-Ghislain de Merode-Westerloo was mayor of Brussels and senator of the French Empire. In 1815 he became Grand Marshal of the court of King William I of the Netherlands.
Under the reign of King William I of the Netherlands, de Merode family became counts.
His sons Henri, Félix, Frédéric and Werner would play an important role in the Belgian revolution and the political life of the Kingdom of Belgium.
Frédéric de Merode even became a new national hero when he was killed in the battle near Berchem during the Belgian revolution. It was Félix de Merode who searched for a new King of Belgium after the revolution. He was a part of the delegation who went to England to talk with Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
In 1930 the family de Merode recieved the title Prince instead of the title Count.
Other important family members
* Louise de Merode, who married Carlo Emmanuele dal Pozzo. She was the mother of Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo, who later became Queen Consort of Spain.
* Antoinette de Merode, who married Prince Charles III of Monaco
In 2013, I had the chance to visit the tomb of Antoinette de Merode in the Cathedral of Monaco.
* Prince Emmanuel de Merode, Director of the Virunga National Park in Congo. Interested? Read this article of National Geographic about him on this link.
* Princess Baudouin de Merode, lady-in-waiting of Queen Paola of Belgium.
The de Merode family really has a long, interesting and even a royal history, which started already in the Middle Ages.
Since a long time, their coat of arms had yellow and red colours and their motto is: "Plus d'honneur que d'honneur".
Coat of Arms of de Merode Family
Source picture: Wikipedia
Some Royal History of the family
de Merode came from a village located in Germany, in the city of Düren, which lies between Aachen and Köln. In the Middle Ages it was a part of the Duchy of Julich. Nowadays it is a part of the state:
North Rhine-Westphalia.
At the beginning de Merode family had the rank of Freiherr of the Holy Roman Empire, the family had possessions and influence in Köln and in the Rhineland.
It was from the sons of Werner III von Merode (born in 1278), that the two branches of the noble house descended.
From the 14th century onwards, a branch of de Merode family gained power and possessions in the Duchy of Brabant and the Prince- Bishopric of Liège nowadays located in Belgium but then these regions were a part of the Burgundian Netherlands and later the Habsburg Netherlands.
When Richard de Merode married Margareth van Wesemael, the house inherited important possessions such as Westerloo and the County of Olen.
In 1451 Jean I de Merode married Adelheid van Hoorn and she brought Gheel, Diepenbeek and Duffel into the possessions of the noble family.
It was Jean II de Merode who held the position of Lord Chamberlain of Archduke Philip the Handsome.
In 1626 King Philip IV of Spain granted to Philippe I de Merode the title Marquis of Westerloo.
Through the marriage of Philippe-François de Merode with Louise- Brigitte de Rubempré, they received the domains and titles of Princes de Rubempré and Prince of Everberg.
Philippe François de Merode
Source picture: Wikipedia
Charles-Guillaume-Ghislain de Merode-Westerloo was mayor of Brussels and senator of the French Empire. In 1815 he became Grand Marshal of the court of King William I of the Netherlands.
Under the reign of King William I of the Netherlands, de Merode family became counts.
His sons Henri, Félix, Frédéric and Werner would play an important role in the Belgian revolution and the political life of the Kingdom of Belgium.
Frédéric de Merode even became a new national hero when he was killed in the battle near Berchem during the Belgian revolution. It was Félix de Merode who searched for a new King of Belgium after the revolution. He was a part of the delegation who went to England to talk with Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Félix de Merode
Source picture: Wikipedia
In 1930 the family de Merode recieved the title Prince instead of the title Count.
Other important family members
* Louise de Merode, who married Carlo Emmanuele dal Pozzo. She was the mother of Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo, who later became Queen Consort of Spain.
Louise de Merode, Source picture: Wikipedia
* Antoinette de Merode, who married Prince Charles III of Monaco
Antoinette de Merode tomb at the Cathedral in Monaco |
In 2013, I had the chance to visit the tomb of Antoinette de Merode in the Cathedral of Monaco.
* Prince Emmanuel de Merode, Director of the Virunga National Park in Congo. Interested? Read this article of National Geographic about him on this link.
* Princess Baudouin de Merode, lady-in-waiting of Queen Paola of Belgium.
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