His parents were deeply affected by the death in quick succession of their three elder children from croup, and Jules was sent away to live with an aunt in Bernissart for a few years before he returned to Ghent, where the educational possibilities were better.

Despite being politically active in East Flanders, he found time to launch himself on an academic career, becoming in 1883 Professor of Public Law at the Catholic University of Louvain.

[2] After eight years at the Justice Ministry, van den Heuvel resigned his office in May 1907, which coincided with a change of prime minister though not of the ruling party.

He was a Belgian delegate to the Second International Peace Conference at The Hague between June and October 1907 and thereafter remained an active member of the political establishment.

"Minister of State" in Belgium may be described as an honorary title, but during the years that followed, Van den Heuvel was deeply involved in attempts to improve the conditions of the Belgian Congo.

After the war ended, he attended the Paris Peace Conference, at the request of the Foreign Ministry and drew up the schedule of damages suffered by Belgium.