Crown Council of Belgium

The Crown Council of Belgium is composed of the King of the Belgians, the Ministers and the Ministers of State. The King chairs the Crown Council. During a session of the Crown Council, the Ministers of State can only advise the King, as the authority to make political decisions is vested in the King and the Federal Government, in accordance with the Belgian Constitution.

To date, the Crown Council has met on only five occasions:

• July 16, 1870: The start of the Franco-Prussian War (Leopold II of Belgium)
• August 2 and 3, 1914: The German ultimatum to Belgium at the beginning of World War I (Albert I of Belgium)
• May 2, 1919: The Treaty of Versailles (Albert I of Belgium)
• March 23, 1950: The Royal Question (Leopold III of Belgium)
• February 18, 1960: The independence of Belgian Congo (Baudouin I of Belgium)

Living Ministers of State

• Pierre Harmel
• Jean Defraigne
• Willy Claes
• Guy Spitaels
• Antoinette Spaak
• Willy De Clercq
• Wilfried Martens
• Leo Tindemans
• Philippe Busquin
• Paula D'Hondt
• Gilbert Temmerman
• Karel Van Miert
• Andries Kinsbergen
• Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb
• Guy Verhofstadt
• Philippe Moureaux

• Louis Tobback
• Annemie Neyts
• Magda Aelvoet
• Louis Michel
• José Daras
• Gérard Deprez
• Herman De Croo
• Philippe Maystadt
• Robert Urbain
• François-Xavier de Donnea
• Antoine Duquesne
• Mark Eyskens
• Jean-Luc Dehaene
• Elio Di Rupo
• Freddy Willockx
• Raymond Langendries

• Miet Smet
• Patrick Dewael
• Roger Lallemand
• Jos Geysels
• Karel De Gucht
• Daniel Ducarme
• Jacky Morael
• Luc Coene
• Herman Van Rompuy
• Jaak Gabriëls
• Charles Picqué
• Philippe Monfils
• Etienne Davignon
• Steve Stevaert
• Johan Vande Lanotte

None of the living Ministers of State has ever participated in a Crown Council.

References

• André Molitor, La Fonction Royale en Belgique, CRISP, 1979