Belgian Nobility - Princely Houses

Princely Houses

The title of Prince (Prince in French/ Prins in Dutch) is the highest in rank. The title is not granted to new nobles. Members of the families listed below have the right to call themselves 'Prince' or 'Princess' in combination with their family name and usually enjoys the style of Serene Highness. Most families have a very old lineage (typically before the 15th century) and their ancestors often bore other titles before they obtained the highest rank. They were received on the occasion of court festivities by the King in the 'Salon Bleu' of the Royal Palace of Brussels and subsequently are called 'Noblesse du Salon Bleu' (Nobles of the Blue Room). Some families obtained and still hold titles in other countries.

• de Habsburg-Lorraine, Archduke Rudolf of Austria & his male line descendants were incorporated into Belgian nobility as HSH Prince de Habsburg-Lorraine in 1978
• de Ligne, prince since 1601.
• de Mérode, prince since 1930 (but counts of the Holy Roman Empire before, Heads of the house bore the titles Marquess of Westerlo since 1626 and Prince of Rubempré and Everberg since the 18th century. The title of Prince of Grimbergen was inherited after the death of Maria-Josepha d'Oignies-Mastain in 1842.
• de Riquet (Prince de Chimay et de Caraman)
• d'Arenberg
• de Croÿ
• de Lobkowicz. Noble family of Czech origin. Their princely title was recognized in Belgium after they fled from communist Czechoslovakia.
• Béthune-Hesdigneul
• Looz-Corswarem: prince 1825

Members of the Royal family bear the title 'Prince of Belgium'. Sometimes a specific dynastic title is granted. For example the Crown Prince is traditionally granted the title of Duke of Brabant (Duc de Brabant/Hertog van Brabant).

Note:

• Stéphanie zu Windisch-Graetz (1909–2005) belonged to the Belgian Nobility.
• Carl Bernadotte, Duke of Ostergotland, (1911–2003) brother of Queen Astrid of the Belgians. When Prince Carl married Countess Elsa von Rosen on July 6, 1937 at Kvillinge, Sweden, he had to relinquish his succession rights to the Swedish throne and his royal titles. His brother-in-law King Leopold III of Belgium conferred upon him the title Prince Bernadotte in the Belgian nobility on the same date, with the right to the title of Count or Countess for his male-line descendants.
• King Albert II was called Prince of Liège (Prince de Liège / Prins van Luik) before his accession to the throne.
• Some noble families with foreign origins, such as the Shin de Pyeongsan family (in Korea, the Pyeongsan Shin clan), are princely in nature but are not official princely houses of Belgium.