The Church of Our Lady of Laeken

The Church of Our Lady of Laeken (French: Église Notre-Dame de Laeken) is a neo-Gothic Roman Catholic church in the Brussels district of Laeken, Belgium. It was originally built in memory of Queen Louise-Marie, wife of King Leopold I to the design of architect Joseph Poelaert.

Louise-Marie died in Ostend in 1850 and wished to be buried in Laeken. The nearby Royal Castle of Laeken was, and still is, the royal residence. Leopold I wished the church to be constructed in her memory and as a mausoleum for her. The architect Joseph Poelaert was chosen to design the new church.

The first stone was laid by King Leopold I in 1854. The church was consecrated in 1872, but not completed until 1909 after a lengthy interruption of the work. The crypt holds the tombs of the Belgian Royal Family, including those of all the former Kings of the Belgians.