In Laken, one of the suburbs of the capital city, Brussels, the royal family of Belgium has its main residence and Notre Dame church is situated nearby. As with all Belgian place names, there is a Flemish version and the town is also known as Laeken in French. The church was built in 1854, during the reign of King Leopold I, to commemorate the death of his wife Louise Marie, the very first Queen of Belgium. Construction continued until 1908. As of March of 1997, the church again was under renovation. The edifice was designed by Joseph Poelaert, the same architect who designed the Palace of Justice in Brussels. Inside the Notre Dame church there is a royal crypt where the remains of all deceased Kings and Queens of Belgium have been interred. The crypt itself is only open to public view on special occasions such as the anniversary of the death of one of the kings, the first of November (All Saints' Day) and Dynasty Day on November 15th. Behind the church, in the cemetery of Laken, one can still see part of the old medieval church which used to be there, as well as magnificent 19th century tombstones of the Brussels bourgeoisie and statues like "The Thinker" by Rodin. (J T Demitz)

In Laken, one of the suburbs of the capital city, Brussels, the royal family of Belgium has its main residence and Notre Dame church is situated nearby. As with all Belgian place names, there is a Flemish version and the town is also known as Laeken in French. The church was built in 1854, during the reign of King Leopold I, to commemorate the death of his wife Louise Marie, the very first Queen of Belgium. Construction continued until 1908. As of March of 1997, the church again was under renovation. The edifice was designed by Joseph Poelaert, the same architect who designed the Palace of Justice in Brussels. Inside the Notre Dame church there is a royal crypt where the remains of all deceased Kings and Queens of Belgium have been interred. The crypt itself is only open to public view on special occasions such as the anniversary of the death of one of the kings, the first of November (All Saints' Day) and Dynasty Day on November 15th. Behind the church, in the cemetery of Laken, one can still see part of the old medieval church which used to be there, as well as magnificent 19th century tombstones of the Brussels bourgeoisie and statues like "The Thinker" by Rodin. (J T Demitz)