National Congress of Belgium

Its purpose was to devise a national constitution for the new state, whose independence had been proclaimed on 4 October 1830 by the self-declared Provisional Government.

The National Congress was elected by approximately 30,000 voters on 3 November 1830 and consisted of 200 members.

Other candidates included Auguste de Beauharnais and Archduke Charles of Austria, younger brother of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor and the last Governor-General of the Austrian Netherlands.

[1] The choice of Louis of Nemours, was unacceptable to the government of the United Kingdom and another candidate had to be found.

The National Congress appointed him king on 4 June and six weeks later he was sworn in by swearing allegiance to the Belgian Constitution in front of the Church of St. James on Coudenberg in Brussels.