Villa Schonenberg

Villa Schönenberg is a modern residence standing within the Royal Domain of Laeken, a district of Brussels. The building was completed in 1998 and is owned by the Royal Trust, the body that manages the assets of the Belgian royal family. It serves as the private home of Princess Astrid and her family, which means it is not open to visitors and does not form part of any regular sightseeing route through Brussels.

Why does it share its name with a much older palace?

The name points back to a far older chapter of this site's history. Between 1782 and 1784, Laeken saw the construction of a palace originally known as the Palace of Schönenberg, built as a residence for the Governors of the Austrian Netherlands, Archduchess Maria Christina and her husband, Albert of Saxe-Teschen. The design came from French architect Charles de Wailly, with construction carried out by architect-contractor Louis Montoyer between 1781 and 1785. The surrounding gardens were laid out according to instructions from the celebrated English landscape designer Lancelot "Capability" Brown. The present-day villa bearing the same name stands close to that historic estate, but it is an entirely separate, much more recent structure.

What became of the original palace?

Following the French Revolution and the annexation of the region by France in 1794-1795, the Archdukes were forced to leave and the estate was sold off. The building was spared from demolition in 1803 thanks to Napoleon Bonaparte, who arranged for the Département of the Dyle to purchase it as a residence. In 1831, King Leopold I, the first monarch of independent Belgium, moved into the castle at Laeken. A fire partially destroyed the palace in 1890; it was subsequently rebuilt, and underwent significant expansion in the early 20th century during the reign of King Leopold II.

Can Villa Schönenberg be visited?

No. It remains a private residence of the royal family, located within a section of the Royal Domain that is closed to the public. The wider grounds in Laeken do, however, contain features that have long drawn outside visitors — most notably the Royal Greenhouses, which open to the public on a seasonal basis, along with a set of ornamental oriental pavilions set within the park. The villa forms a sealed-off part of the same estate, visible from the outside only at a distance, beyond the domain's perimeter fencing.

Where exactly is it located?

The site sits in the Laeken district in the north of Brussels, within the extensive green estate belonging to the royal family. The coordinates recorded for this location are approximately 50.8894°N, 4.3486°E, placing it a few kilometres from the city centre, surrounded by the parkland typical of the wider Royal Domain.

Frequently asked questions

Is Villa Schönenberg the same building as the Laeken palace? No — it is a separate, much newer structure dating from 1998, though both names refer back to the same historic location.

Who currently lives at the villa? It is the residence of Princess Astrid and her family.

Can the villa be seen while visiting Laeken? The villa itself stays off-limits, but neighbouring parts of the Royal Domain, such as the greenhouses, are occasionally opened to visitors.