Belgian nobility

Because most old families have resided in the current territory of Belgium for centuries and prior to the founding of the modern Belgian state, their members have been drawn from a variety of nations.

[citation needed] In the period under Dutch sovereignty, the nobility was an important factor in move towards independence.

After independence, the Kingdom of the Netherlands lost an important segment of their nobles, as all of the highest born families lived in the south, and thus became part of the Belgian nobility.

[citation needed] During the Austrian period, the high nobility participated in the government, both political and at the imperial court of Brussels.

As Belgium is a democratic constitutional monarchy there are no legal privileges attached to bearing a noble title or to being a member of the aristocracy.

They sometimes own and manage companies, or have leading positions in cultural society, business, banking, diplomacy, NGOs etc.

Hereditary titles are conferred by letters patent, which are issued by the king of the Belgians, co-signed by the minister of foreign affairs.

The origin of such titles for Belgian families thus pre-dates the current monarchy, having been conferred or recognised by sovereigns of other jurisdictions.

[citation needed] Écuyer, Jonkheer (Dutch, originally meaning "young lord") is the lowest Belgian title recognised by law.

When he becomes a Belgian citizen by naturalization, he loses his nobiliary status of his country of origin and therefore no longer has the right to bear his foreign title.

[8] If foreign titles are recognized, the bearers are incorporated into the Belgian nobility (see above for some Polish and Bohemian princes, two Austrian archdukes).