The House of Merode is one of the most prominent families of the

Belgian nobility The Belgian nobility comprises Belgian individuals or families recognized as noble with or without a title of nobility in the Kingdom of Belgium. The Belgian constitution states that no specific privileges are attached to the nobility. History ...

. It originates from the village of Merode, which is now in the municipality of

Langerwehe Langerwehe is a municipality in the Düren (district), district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately 10 km west of Düren. It is a twin town of Exmouth, United Kingdom. Nearby is Holzheim Cast ...

in Germany. Over the past five centuries, different branches bore noble titles and had estates on the territories of the modern-day states of

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. Through marriage, the house is connected with many prominent European noble families. The House of Merode played an important role in the history of the

Southern Netherlands The Southern Netherlands, also called the Catholic Netherlands, were the parts of the Low Countries belonging to the Holy Roman Empire which were at first largely controlled by Habsburg Spain (Spanish Netherlands, 1556–1714) and later by the ...

and the Kingdom of

. The surname of the family and the name of the house is sometimes written de Mérode in French. The name is spelled de Merode or van Merode in Dutch and von Merode in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

. The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

of the House of Merode is

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

ed as: ''Or four pallets gules, a bordure engrailed azure''. The

motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

of the house is ''Plus d'honneur que d'honneurs''"About the Merode family", Castle de Merode Westerlo
/ref> in French and ''Meer eer dan eerbetoon'' in Dutch.

Origin

The family stems from the village of Merode in what is now Germany. Merode is located in the vicinity of the city of

Düren Düren (; Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: Düre) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, between Aachen and Cologne, on the river Rur (river), Rur. History Roman era The area of Düren was part of Gallia Belgica, more specifically the ter ...

, which lies between

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

and

Köln Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

and was once part of the

Duchy of Jülich The Duchy of Jülich (; ; ) comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay west of the Rhine river and was bordered by the Electorate of Cologne to the east and the Duchy of Limburg to the wes ...

. Today, it is part of the municipality of

in the state of

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

. A branch of the Merode family still owns the castle (''Schloss Merode'') from which the family's name derives. Originally, the Merode family had the rank of of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. During the Middle Ages, the family had possessions and influence in Köln and in the

Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...

, and it belonged to the '' reichsunmittelbar'' aristocracy. They supported the monastery of Schwarzenbroich, which was also the burial place for the deceased members of the family. From the sons of Werner III von Merode (†1278), two branches of the house descended. The oldest branch was called 'Scheiffart von Merode'. The 'Scheiffart' or 'German' branch became extinct in 1733. The younger branch descends from Werner IV von Merode (†1316). This house also split into different branches, of which the branch of the Marquess of Westerloo, called 'de Merode-Westerloo', would become the most famous. The present-day 'Princes de Merode' in Belgium descend from the latter branch via Charles-Guillaume de Merode-Westerloo (1762–1830) and three of his four sons.

History

From the 14th century onwards, a branch of the Merode family gained power and possessions in the

Duchy of Brabant The Duchy of Brabant, a Imperial State, state of the Holy Roman Empire, was established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant of 1085–1183, and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries. The Duchy comprised part of the Bu ...

and the

Prince-Bishopric of Liège The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège was a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-day Belgium. It was an Imperial Estate, so the bishop of Liège, as ...

, on the territory of present-day Belgium. At that time, these territories belonged to the

Burgundian Netherlands The Burgundian Netherlands were those parts of the Low Countries ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy during the Burgundian Age between 1384 and 1482. Within their Burgundian State, which itself belonged partly to the Holy Roman Empire and partly t ...

and later to the

Habsburg Netherlands Habsburg Netherlands were the parts of the Low Countries that were ruled by sovereigns of the Holy Roman Empire's House of Habsburg. This rule began in 1482 and ended for the Northern Netherlands in 1581 and for the Southern Netherlands in 1797. ...

. The marriage of Richard de Merode with Margareth van

Wezemaal Rotselaar () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, Flemish-Brabant, near the convergence of the Demer and the Dijle. Since 1 January 1977 the municipality comprises the towns of ...

marked a new age in the family's history. Due to this marriage, the house of Merode inherited important seigniories in Brabant, such as

Westerlo Westerlo () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises seven towns: * Westerlo centrum * * Tongerlo * Heultje * Voortkapel * Oosterwijk * In 2021, Westerlo had a total population of 25,288. Th ...

o and the County of Olen. Jean I de Merode married Adelheid van

Hoorn Hoorn () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the northwest of the Netherlands, in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland. It is the largest town an ...

in 1451 and brought Gheel,

Diepenbeek Diepenbeek (; ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. On January 1, 2012, Diepenbeek had a total population of 18,337. Its total area is which gives a population density Population density (in agriculture: ...

and

Duffel Duffel () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Belgium, Belgian province of Antwerp (province), Antwerp. The municipality comprises the town of Duffel proper. On 1 January 2020, Duffel had a total population of 17,664. The total ar ...

into the possession of the family. Through these and other marriages, the Merode family became one of the most important noble families in the Duchy of Brabant. Jean II de Merode held the position of Lord Chamberlain of

Philip the Handsome Philip the Handsome (22 June/July 1478 – 25 September 1506), also called the Fair, was ruler of the Burgundian Netherlands and titular Duke of Burgundy from 1482 to 1506, as well as the first Habsburg King of Castile (as Philip I) for a brief ...

. He was succeeded by his son Jean III. After his death in 1551 his heirs ordered a monumental sepulchre for him and his wife that was made by the

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

sculptor Cornelis Floris. It stands in the church of Gheel and was erected in 1554. The

Eighty Years War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Reformation, centralisation, exce ...

greatly damaged the possessions of the Merode family. In the more prosperous era after the

Twelve Years' Truce The Twelve Years' Truce was a ceasefire during the Eighty Years' War between Habsburg Spain, Spain and the Dutch Republic, agreed in Antwerp on 9 April 1609 and ended on 9 April 1621. While European powers like Kingdom of France, France began tre ...

, the family's fortune grew again. In 1626, the title of Marquis of Westerloo was granted to Philippe I de Merode by King

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV (, ; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the ...

. It was his great-grandson, Jean-Philippe-Eugène de Merode, Marquis of Westerloo, who would become one of the most illustrious descendants of the house: He is known as the '' Feld-Maréchal de Merode'' and became a knight in the

order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...

, having served as an important military commander. In the 18th century, the branch of Merode-Westerloo acquired wealth and power due to the extinction of other branches of the house (Merode-Houffalize, Merode-Deinze, Merode-Montfort, Merode-Calvo) and a few very advantageous marriages. Through marriage of Philippe-François de Mérode with Louise-Brigitte de Rubempré, they acquired the domains and titles of ' Princes of Rubempré' and 'Prince of

Everberg Everberg is a town in the Belgian province Flemish Brabant and is part of the municipality of Kortenberg. The territory covers an area of 925 ha. The neighbouring towns or municipalities are Leefdaal, Kortenberg, Erps-Kwerps, Meerbeek, Sterrebeek ...

'. During the French Revolution, the

Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The period began with the acquisition by the Austrian Habsburg monarchy of the former Spanish Netherlands under the Treaty of Ras ...

were invaded by French republican troops and were incorporated into the French Republic. The domains of the family were confiscated and noble privileges were abolished. The family fled to Germany for a while. It was only after the declaration of the '' Empire des Français'' by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

in 1804 that the family could regain their domains and some of their titles. A re-introduction of the noble privileges, however, would never be achieved. As a result, members of the Merode family became prominently engaged in politics and diplomacy. Charles-Guillaume-Ghislain de Merode-Westerloo had been active as a minister under Austrian rule since 1787 and would hold several other important political posts under successive regimes, such as mayor of

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

in 1805, and

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

of the French Empire in 1809. In 1815, he became Grand-Marshal of the court of King

William I of the Netherlands William I (Willem Frederik; 24 August 1772 – 12 December 1843) was King of the Netherlands and List of monarchs of Luxembourg, Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1815 until his abdication in 1840. Born as the son of William V, Prince of Orange, ...

, when the Belgian provinces were part of the

United Kingdom of the Netherlands The United Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as it existed from 1815 to 1839. The United Netherlands was created in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars through the fusion of territories t ...

. His sons, Henri, Félix, Frédéric and Werner would play an important role in the

Belgian revolution The Belgian Revolution (, ) was a conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. The ...

and in the political life of the

Kingdom of Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southe ...

. Frédéric de Merode became a new national hero when he was killed in the battle near

Berchem Berchem () is a southern Districts of Antwerp, district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Berchem is located along the old ''Grote Steenweg'' (Dutch language, Dutch for 'Big Paved Road') that has connected ...

during the Belgian revolution, while Félix de Merode became an important member of the

Provisional Government of Belgium The Provisional Government (; ) was the first iteration of the Belgian state, formed in the midst of the Belgian Revolution. After Dutch forces were expelled from Brussels on 27 September 1830, the recently created Revolutionary Committee tr ...

and the Belgian National Congress. After the first Belgian legislative elections, Henri de Merode became a senator, while his brothers Félix and Werner both became members of parliament.Eugène Duchesne, "Merode (Henri-Marie-Ghislain, comte de)", ''

Biographie Nationale de Belgique The ''Biographie nationale de Belgique'' (; ) is a biographical dictionary of Belgium. It was published by the Royal Academy of Belgium in 44 volumes between 1866 and 1986. A continuation series, entitled the ''Nouvelle Biographie Nationale'' (, ...

''
vol. 14
(Brussels, 1897), 563-566. The descendants of Henri, Félix and Werner de Merode would form different branches, whose descendants would continue to play an important role in Belgian politics and diplomacy.

Wealth

The family is known for its large estates and old castles. In 2014, the House of Merode-Westerloo sold 1,476 hectares of privately owned land to the Flemish region. Among the castles owned are Merode,

, Trelon, Serrant,

Rixensart Rixensart (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2018, Rixensart had a total population of 22,401. The total area is 17.54 km2 which gives a population density of 1,277 inhabitant ...

, Solre-sur-Sambre and Neffe. File:Langerwehe-Merode Denkmal-Nr. 18, Kreuzherrenstr. 1 (1146).jpg, Schloss Merode File:Kasteel de Merode - Westerlo.jpg,

File:Château de Rixensart - Château vu depuis la cour - 01.jpg,

File:Everberg-Prinsendreef91-93-97-De-Merodekasteel.JPG,

File:00 Solre-sur-Sambre JPG2.jpg, Solre-sur-Sambre File:Château de Trélon - 2018-08-04 - 10.jpg, Trélon File:Château de Guignicourt sur Vence.jpg, Guignicourt sur Vence

Notable members of Henri's branch

* Henri de Merode married Jeanne-Louise de Thézan Poujol (1787–1862). *Charles-Antoine-Ghislain (1824–1892) succeeded him and married Princess Marie d'

Arenberg Arenberg, also spelled as Aremberg or Ahremberg, is a former county, principality and finally duchy that was located in what is now Germany. The Dukes of Arenberg remain a prominent Belgian noble family. History First mentioned in the 12th c ...

(1830–1905). *Their son Henri de Merode (1856–1908) married Princess Nathalie de Croy (1863–1957). *His sister Countess Jeanne de Merode (1853–1944), unmarried, philanthropist. *Charles de Merode (1887–1977) married Marguerite de Laguiche (1895–1988) and had no children.

Notable members of Felix's branch

Upon the death of Charles de Merode in 1977, this line became the senior branch of the House of Merode. * Philippe Felix de Merode *Bishop Xavier de Merode (1820–1874), son of Felix, and minister of

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

Sollier, Joseph. "Frédéric-François-Xavier Ghislain de Mérode." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911 * Prince Emmanuel de Merode, noted conservationist, Director of the

Virunga National Park Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in 1925. In elevation, it ranges from in the Semliki River valley to in the Rwenzori Mountains. ...

in the Congo; married to

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

n paleontologist

Louise Leakey Princess Louise de Merode (''née'' Leakey, born 21 March 1972) is a Kenyan paleontologist and anthropologist. She conducts research and field work on human fossils in Eastern Africa. Early life and education Louise Leakey was born in Nairobi, ...

. *Princess Baudouin de Merode, ''née'' Nathalie van den Abeele (1948), widowed first wife of Baron Guy de Bassompierre, lady-in-waiting of

Queen Paola of Belgium Paola Margherita Maria-Antonia Consiglia dei Principi Ruffo di Calabria (born 11 September 1937) is a member of the Belgian royal family who was List of Belgian royal consorts, Queen of the Belgians during the reign of her husband, Albert II of ...

since 1997.

Notable members of Werner's branch

Werner de Merode (1797–1840), founder of the present younger branch of the family, married in 1818 with Countess Victoire de Spangen d'Uyternesse. Among their descendants are: * The

Aosta Aosta ( , , ; ; , or ; or ) is the principal city of the Aosta Valley, a bilingual Regions of Italy, region in the Italy, Italian Alps, north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel and the G ...

branch of the Italian royal family, by the marriage of Louise de Merode (1819–1868) (sister of the penultimate Merode of Ham-sur-Heure) with Carlo Emmanuele dal Pozzo, 5th Prince of Cisterna, and by the marriage of their daughter

Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo Maria Vittoria Carlotta Enrichetta Giovanna dal Pozzo, 6th Princess of Cisterna d'Asti and of Belriguardo (9 August 1847 – 8 November 1876), was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen of Spain from 16 November 1870 until 11 February 1873 as the wi ...

with the founder of the Aosta branch: Prince Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta and sometime King Amadeo I of Spain. *

Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este ( Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta, 7 April 1930 – 10 January 2022) was an Italian princess, the first-born child of Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta, and Princess Anne d'Orléans. Biography Margherita, bo ...

, mother of Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este, husband of

Princess Astrid of Belgium Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962), is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and the younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe. She is married to Pr ...

, and therefore of their children, who are princes of Belgium. * The princely family of Monaco, by the marriage of Antoinette de Merode (1828–1864) (another sister of the penultimate Merode of Ham-sur-Heure) with Prince Charles III of Monaco, founder of Monte Carlo, ancestor of Albert II of Monaco. * The

House of Arenberg The House of Arenberg is an aristocratic lineage that is constituted by three successive families that took their name from Arenberg, a small territory of the Holy Roman Empire in the Eifel region. The inheritance of the House of Croÿ, House of C ...

, by the marriage of Marie-Ghislaine (1830–1892) with the Prince de Merode; Antoine, Duke of Arenberg, was their grandson. * Jean de Merode (1864–1933), lieutenant colonel, Grand Marshal of the Court of Belgium, received from King Albert I in 1928 the title of ''Prince de Merode'', which was extended shortly thereafter to all family members. * Their son, Amaury de Merode (1902–1980), was Grand Marshal of the Court of King Leopold III, president of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium, and president of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). He married Princess Marie-Claire de Croy (1907–2000). * Their great-grandson Frederic de Merode (1911–1958), president of the Red Cross of Belgium. * Their great-grandson Werner de Merode (1914–1995), Belgian diplomat. * Their great-great-grandson Alexandre de Merode (1934–2002), vice president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), president of the IOC Medical Commission, founding chairman of Sportel in Monaco, president of the Royal Association of Historic Houses and Gardens of Belgium, chairman of various sports federations and president of the Centre d'Oeuvre de Merode. * Victurnienne Ghislaine Françoise Renée de Mérode, married to count Charles John d'Oultremont, nephew of

Titles of the family

Some members of the House of Merode carried the title of Count from the fifteenth century, while a branch had the title of Baron of the

in the mid-fifteenth century and gained the title of Prince in 1759. Philippe, Count of Merode (1594–1638), was the first Marquis of

o. The House of Merode bears the following titles: * Prince of Rubempré: ** Incorporated by marriage by Philippe-François de Mérode, 2nd Prince of Rubempré in 1704.Nobiliare des Pays-bas et du Comte de Bourgogne, /J. S. F. J. L. de Iierckenrode ** Recognition by the Kingdom of Belgium in 1846. *Prince of Everberghe in the Holy Roman Empire (1759) *Prince of Everberghe in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (1827) *Prince of Grimberghe in the Kingdom of Belgium (1842) *Prince de/van Merode in the Kingdom of Belgium (1929)

Gallery

File:Armoiries de Merode 2.svg, Arms of the House of Merode: ''Or four pallets gules, a bordure engrailed azure.'' File:Armoiries de Merode 1.svg, Arms of the House of Scheiffart von Merode: ''Or four pallets gules.''

References

Sources

* *

External links

Official website of the Castle of the Princes de Merode in WesterlooOfficial website of the Castle of the Princes de Merode in Solre-sur-Sambre

Website of Schloss Merode, recently damaged by fire
{{DEFAULTSORT:House Of Merode Merode Mer Mer