It has emerged that a Spanish-speaking woman was found sleeping in the grounds of the royal palace in Brussels. It’s unclear how the woman, who has been described as “confused”, entered the property.
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'Confused' Spanish-speaker found sleeping in Palace of Brussels grounds
Colin Clapson
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The royal palace is not releasing any details and is leaving all communication to the public prosecutor’s office. Police were called to the scene and detained the woman, who was conveyed to a psychiatric hospital. Procedures that should lead to compulsory hospitalisation have been initiated.
Renovation work is underway at the palace with a lot of to-ing and fro-ing. It’s thought this may have facilitated her entry into a secure site.
The royal palace of Brussels situated on Brussels Park is the office of Filip, King of Belgians, the Belgian head of state. The king and his family live at the royal palace of Laken also in the City of Brussels.
The royal palace won't be filing a complaint against the woman as their was no malicious intent. The palace has determined how the woman accessed the grounds and has taken action to prevent this in future.
Royal Palace of Brussels
The Royal Palace of Brussels is a Brussels landmark. Designed by architect Tieleman Fransiscus Suys the palace opened in 1829 – months before an opera performance in Brussels triggered a rebellion in the Southern Netherlands and Belgium seceded from the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1830.
King William I of the Netherlands had commissioned the building at a time when his kingdom still included the Belgian territories. North and South had been reunited in the Kingdom of the Netherlands that was established in 1813, when Napoleon’s army pulled out of Amsterdam.
Belgium became independent in 1830 and a year later, Leopold I, King of Belgians, could move into the palace, where he also had his office.
Over the years the palace has repeatedly been extended and renovated. In fact renovation work is currently also underway.
This is the palace where King Filip has his office and gets down to work. It is also here he sees his foreign guests as well as representatives of Belgian political bodies and other guests. Every year the Palace of Brussels is opened up to the public at large from the end of July till the end of August.