The highest and oldest military and civil order in Belgium, the Order of Leopold is a civil and military honorary order named after the first King of the Belgians. It was created in 1832 on the initiative of Count Félix de Merode. An earlier organisation, the Société des Décorés de l’Ordre, was founded on 3 January 1856, but the Association as we know it today was created in June 1934 at the request of King Albert I. It was established to bring recipients together and, primarily, so that they would help one another in times of need. Solidarity is therefore a key concern of the Association of the Order of Leopold. Funded through various activities, it looks after isolated or hospitalised members but can also take care of orphans if one of their parents had received the Order. Its headquarters is located in a town house on the Rue du Tabellion/Notarisstraat, whose reception rooms, lined with portraits of Belgian royalty and dignitaries, serve as the setting for meetings, conferences and cultural events.
