National Day in Belgium

On July 21, Belgium celebrates an important day in its history. After the Belgian Revolution in 1830, which led to the country’s independence, the National Congress decided to make Belgium a kingdom. Belgian National Day commemorates an event that occurred July 21, 1831. Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg swore allegiance to the new Belgian Constitution and became the first King of the Belgians. He travelled further through the country, among others through Bruges and Ghent, and on 21 July 1831, he took the constitutional oath as the first king of the Belgians on the Place Royale in Brussels. Independence Day celebrates the separation of Belgium from the Netherlands in 1831, as well as the formal establishment of the Kingdom.

Every year, several ceremonies are held to commemorate the day, starting with the Belgian royal family, as well as the country’s political institutions, ambassadors and representatives of various European institutions, attending the Te Deum hymn in several religious venues across the country.