Explore Argenteuil Castle and its royal connections

The Argenteuil estate is located in Waterloo, south of Brussels, on the edge of the Sonian Forest. It comprises 136 hectares of woodland and meadows, several ponds and buildings. And a large deer herd.

From next year onwards, music will fill the rooms of Argenteuil Castle, as the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel will be able to use it. Established in 1939, the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, named after art loving Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Belgians and King Albert I’s consort, provides high-level training to exceptional young musical talents. 

After all, Argenteuil is an estate with a special pedigree, closely linked to the history of Belgium and its royal family.

Castle burns down

It was banker Ferdinand de Meeûs, first governor of the Société Générale de Belgique after Belgian independence, who founded the estate between 1833 and 1836.  It was King William I, monarch of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, who in 1822 established the Generale Maatschappij to stimulate growth and investment in the south of his new kingdom, the regions that are today Belgium.  The Generale Maatschappij became the Société Générale de Belgique after Belgian independence.  Till 1850 it also served as Belgium’s central bank.  De Meeûs built the first castle in Argenteuil in 1847, but that burned down shortly afterwards. A second castle followed in 1858, designed by architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar, who also designed the famous Saint Hubert’s Galleries in the Brussels downtown.

That castle still exists today. It first provided a home to Carmelite nuns, later became the Scandinavian School Queen Astrid, and is today a European school.

Ferdinand de Meeûs's descendants divided up the estate. In 1929, American businessman and ambassador William Hallam Tuck purchased part of it. Tuck was involved in the American aid for the reconstruction of Belgium after the First World War that even included Leuven University.

'Gentilhommière' or small manor house

In 1930, William Tuck had a so-called “gentilhommière”, a manor house or country house, built on the estate. American architect William Delano drew up the plans. This “third castle” of Argenteuil is also known as “Bellevue Castle” or “Tuck Castle”. It is where Leopold III, King of Belgians, and Princess Lilian later went to live. And where the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel will be located from next year onwards.

Back to the last century. During the Second World War, the German occupiers stabled horses at Argenteuil. After the war, in 1949, William Tuck sold his estate to Belgium’s state-owned rail company, the NMBS. Eventually, the castle became Belgian state property.

From then on, Argenteuil became closely linked to a turbulent period in the history of the Belgian monarchy. When King Leopold III was forced to abdicate due to his stand during the Second World War, Prince Karel became regent of Belgium until King Boudewijn succeeded to the throne in 1951.

Prince Karel was then offered the opportunity to live in Argenteuil, but he declined. In the 1950s, various VIPs stayed at the castle, also during the 1958 World Fair in Brussels.

Leopold III and Lilian: from Laken to Argenteuil

In 1960 King Boudewijn marries Fabiola de Mora y Aragón, a Spanish aristocrat. The couple want to move into Laken Castle in Brussels. But Boudewijn's father and stepmother live there: the abdicated king, Leopold III, and his second wife Princess Lilian. They are obliged to leave Laken and according to witnesses, they take all their belongings, including all the castle’s furniture, with them to their new address: Argenteuil.

Leopold and Lilian move into Argenteuil Castle in 1961. There they receive all kinds of guests in what is sometimes referred to as ‘the second court’. Leopold III dies in 1983, and Princess Lilian continues to live there until her death in 2002. 

In private hands

The castle is in poor condition; some of the contents later turn up at various auctions. Leopold and Lilian's children – Prince Alexander, Princess Marie-Christine and Princess Marie-Esmeralda – want to turn Argenteuil into a museum, but in 2004 the Belgian state sells it.

In 2004, Jean-Marie Delwart becomes the new owner. He is a descendant of the Solvay family, a businessman in the chemical industry and a somewhat eccentric nature lover. He pays 7.8 million euros for Argenteuil and spends perhaps as much on restoring the castle.

An offer from Putin and Gaddafi

In 2019, Delwart is getting on in years and wants to sell the building to a foundation or an organisation committed to nature or art. Not to private individuals. He claims he once received an offer from Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as from the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

2025. Following the death of Jean-Marie Delwart, his heirs sell Argenteuil Castle to SPDG, a holding company belonging to the Périer-D'Ieteren family, known for its activities in the automotive sector. The sale price is reported to be 18 million euros.

21 November 2025: SPDG makes Argenteuil available to the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel for a long period of at least 40 years. This will allow twice as many musicians to stay in residence. The Music Chapel is located about 700 metres from Argenteuil, in the same green surroundings.

Princess Esmeralda, daughter of Leopold and Lilian, responds with delight: ‘When we lived here, my father, King Leopold III, made the Argenteuil estate a special place to protect the nature he loved so much.’

‘Today, I am confident that the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel will continue this legacy. Giving young talented artists the opportunity to develop in this green environment full of family memories, close to the Music Chapel that my grandmother created, touches me deeply.’