July 21 – National Day of Belgium (since 1831)

The twenty-first of July is the National Day of Belgium. On that day, shops and post offices are closed and the country commemorates the fact that on that day in 1831 the first king of Belgium, Leopold I , took the constitutional oath. The king and other members of the Belgian royal family traditionally attend a service during this holiday in the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula in Brussels and there is often a parade on Place des Palais, in front of the Royal Palace.

Before the 21st of July 1831, the Belgians had already had a king. Together with the Northern Netherlands they were part of the kingdom of William I of the Netherlands. However, the Belgians revolted in 1830 and eventually seceded.

The starting signal for the Belgian struggle for independence was given on 25 August 1830. On that day, on the occasion of the birthday of King William I, the opera La Muette de Portica (the mute of Portica) was played in the Muntschouwburg in Brussels , a piece about a revolt against the Neapolitan royal guard. While the play was being performed, there was a commotion. A group of rioters had already gathered at the theatre, and they were joined by several dozen visitors to the theatre. Together they smashed windows, looted shops and collected weapons. The genie was out of the bottle. It was the beginning of the Belgian uprising .

For fifteen years William I was king of both the Northern and Southern Netherlands (1815). The two areas were merged during the Congress of Vienna, which had to reorganize Europe after the fall of Napoleon.

After fifteen years, many Belgians were dissatisfied. Many of the Catholic southerners, for example, were not happy with the fact that William I was Protestant , and the French-speaking nobles again found it annoying that the government spoke Dutch. Many liberals also believed that the king was far too powerful.

Leopold II

When King Charles X was successfully deposed in France in 1830 , the Belgians also took action. King William I wanted to keep the Southern Netherlands in the kingdom at all costs and used the army against the rebels. Soon, however, the army also split. Confederate soldiers deserted on a large scale. This further strengthened the Belgians’ sense of independence and a new king was appointed: Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, the first king of the Belgians, or Leopold I. This king took the constitutional oath on 21 July 1831. For that reason, the twenty-first of July is still the national holiday in Belgium.

Leopold I was first asked to become king of Greece in 1830. However, the German prince did not like this. The Belgians considered him a suitable candidate, among other things, because they hoped to strengthen ties with England through this king. Leopold I was the uncle of Queen Victoria of England.

Like William I, Leopold was Protestant. He accepted the kingship with the promise that he would give his children a Catholic upbringing in predominantly Catholic Belgium. The fact that Leopold only spoke French and not Dutch was no problem for the Belgians at the time.