At the Royal Greenhouses of Laken

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On April 20th. 2023, I finally got the chance to visit the Royal Greenhouses of Laken (near Brussels). First we passed the Royal Palace of Laken, the family home of King Philippe of the Belgians. In the Royal Park of Laken, the Greenhouses are located. 



Dark clouds above the Royal Greenhouses of Laken



History

The original gardens of the Royal Palace of Laeken date back to the 18th century, but King Leopold II drastically changed their appearance. The king, having visited the Crystal Palace at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, wanted such a progressive building in his palace's garden, which would combine his love for plants with multifunctional spaces that could also be used as a banquet, theatre and dining halls.

He commissioned his architect Alphonse Balat to create a greenhouse. The inauguration took place in 1880, but the complex was also expanded afterwards. 

After Balat's death, Leopold called upon the architects Henri Maquet and Charles Girault. The octagonal Palm Pavilion was furnished as a bedroom and connected to the palace by a subterranean corridor where Leopold received his mistresses. 

On 20 May 1880 the engagement of Archduke Rudolf of Austria and Princess Stéphanie of Belgium took place in the Greenhouses of Laken. Unfortunately this wedding was no success as we all know. 

After the death of the king, in 1909, the greenhouses were preserved, but the Iron Church was converted into a private royal bathing house.







Nowadays

The Winter Garden at the palace in Laeken still serves as the setting for royal receptions. 
Queen Fabiola of Belgium (who was born in Spain) used to pick oranges from the trees at the greenhouses in Laken.  The pictures for the 50th B-Day (2023) of Queen Mathilde  of the Belgians were taken at the Royal Park in Laken with on the background the greenhouses. Every year in the spring, the greenhouses are partially opened to the public for twenty days. 

Famous visitors

* Pope John Paul II (1985)
* Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States (2001)
* Melania Trump, First Lady of the United States (2017)
* Brigitte Marcron (2017)





A visit

The Royal Greenhouses of Laken were open for public in 2023 between 14 April and 7 May. It can be reached by public transport or by car. Before entering the domain there is a security check.

The tickets for the Royal Greenhouses are for sale for 5 EUR (in 2023) and they have to be booked in advance!  That day we opted for the long tour which brought us first through the royal park and then to the royal greenhouses. 





Of course such an amazing visit gives lots of ideas for our own garden. 


So, if you like flowers, gardens, royals and history, this certainly is the place to be! More information on this link . 

own pictures taken on 20 April 2023
Location: Brussel, België

Comments

Vallypee said…
What a beautiful place, Kathleen. I want to go there myself now! I shall have to check to see when they are next open. It’s interesting for me to see they were inspired by Crystal Palace, which, as you probably know, was burnt down.
May 16, 2023 at 7:24 AM
Kathleen Van Lierop said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
May 16, 2023 at 8:02 PM
Kathleen Van Lierop said…
Thank you so much for commenting, Vall! It was so lovely! They are only open a few weeks a year. This was actually the first time I visited the royal greenhouses of Laken. It gave lots of inspiration
May 16, 2023 at 10:33 PM
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