Royal Collection

The Royal Collection consists of an extensive range of works of art and decorative objects such as sculptures, paintings, furniture, silverware and porcelain. This Collection belongs to the Belgian State, which puts it at the disposal of the King for his own use.

A Belgian collection

When the Belgian Monarchy was established, the Collection consisted of works of art and furniture of French and Dutch origin which formerly furnished royal and imperial residences in the Netherlands.

This ensemble was subsequently supplemented by the large art collection of King Leopold II and objects acquired to decorate the new Staterooms. Mostly of Belgian origin, this Collection gives a faithful image of the artistic production in Belgium in the 19th century. The collection of paintings is particularly representative of the great art collections of the period. As it has been preserved in its entirety its value is all the greater.

A living collection

The Collection was subsequently further enriched with a small core of works from the estates of King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth and the Counts of Flanders. During the reign of King Albert II, the Collection was substantially supplemented with works by Jan Fabre, Marthe Wéry, Dirk Braeckman, Patrick Corillon and Michael Borremans.

Part of the Collection can be viewed by the general public during the summer opening of the Royal Palace in Brussels. Representative examples are the Empire furniture and the Beauvais tapestries in the White Rooms, the tapestries made after cartoons by Goya in the eponymous room, and the abovementioned contemporary works of art.