The Palace on the Meir or Paleis op de Meir, located in the heart of Antwerp’s busiest shopping street, is being relaunched as an exclusive event location. Managed by heritage organisation Herita, the historic city palace will now be available for a range of events, including conferences, networking receptions, weddings, corporate functions and pop-up catering. 

This decision follows several successful summer openings and exhibitions, as well as repeated interest from companies seeking a unique and grand venue.

Built in 1745 by a wealthy Antwerp merchant who died before its completion, the palace has a rich and varied history. It was acquired by Napoleon in 1811, who had it lavishly redecorated, though he never lived there due to his exile to Elba. 

Later, it passed into the hands of Dutch King William I, who added the Hall of the XVII Provinces. After the Belgian Revolution of 1830, the palace came under Belgian ownership, with King Leopold II introducing its most opulent feature: the gilded Hall of Mirrors, designed for lavish banquets and celebrations.

The palace has always been associated with grandeur and festivity. Herita’s general manager, Matthias Francken, noted that the venue has long been a place of dining and celebration and that this new chapter continues that legacy. Jeroen Bryon of Herita described the building as a “mini-Versailles in the middle of the city”, a hidden gem with an impressive history unfamiliar to many.

Until now, the Palace was not generally available for private or corporate events, despite frequent inquiries. That has changed. Herita aims to create public experiences across all the monuments it manages, with a particular focus on the B2B sector for the Palace on the Meir. 

The highlight is the Hall of Mirrors, though other historic rooms are also available. Events will centre on the first floor, while the ground floor and garden will host rotating pop-ups rather than permanent hospitality businesses. These may include temporary catering, retail, or other creative concepts.

The Chocolate Line, run by chocolatier Dominique Persoone, remains on the ground floor, attracting many visitors and complementing the Palace’s character. 

Until recently, Café Louise operated on the same level. The coach house in the garden, currently home to interior design store Flamant, will take on a new role after May.

In terms of culinary offerings, Herita is taking a historically inspired approach, seeking to evoke “the taste of the emperor” with dishes linked to Napoleon and other royal figures. 

The palace will continue to host group visits and exhibitions alongside its new event function. Restoration work, including refurbishment of the façade and woodwork, is ongoing to prepare the palace for its renewed purpose as a premier venue steeped in history.

The Paleis op de Meir

The Royal Palace on the Meir is a former 18th-century city palace in the Belgian city of Antwerp. Once owned by notable rulers such as Napoleon Bonaparte, William I of the Netherlands and the Belgian royal family, it served as both an imperial and royal residence. The palace is located at the corner of the Meir and the Wapper and was transferred to public ownership in 1969.

The palace was commissioned by Johan Alexander van Susteren (1719–1764), a wealthy merchant who made his fortune through investments in the Ostend Company. 

The architect Jan Pieter van Baurscheidt the Younger designed the residence, and Van Susteren had three buildings on the Meir demolished in 1745 to make way for its construction. Although Van Susteren primarily lived in a castle in ‘s-Gravenwezel, he desired a second home in Antwerp. He died childless in 1764 before the palace was completed.

Following his death, the property was sold to Jonkheer Johannes de Fraula, who oversaw the completion of the palace, including the stables and garden. 

In 1777, he sold the estate to Count Jean Alexandre Roose de Baisy and his wife, Marie Anne Josephe van de Werve. Their daughter, Caroline Marie Josephe, inherited the palace in 1798 and later sold it to Napoleon in 1812 after the death of her husband, Count Charles Francois de Brouchoven de Bergeyck.

The palace’s central location caught the attention of Napoleon Bonaparte during the French occupation following the Revolution. In 1812, he purchased the property for 170,000 francs. He ordered its conversion into four separate apartments—for himself, the empress, the grand marshal, and a lady-in-waiting. 

The interiors were redesigned in the French Empire style, with the involvement of Parisian decorators such as Pierre Fontaine. Furnishings were imported from France and from the Palace on Dam Square in Amsterdam. 

The palace was filled with red-brown mahogany furniture, side tables, candlesticks, and gilded bronze ornaments. Despite these lavish preparations, Napoleon never stayed there; by the time the palace was ready, he had been exiled to Elba.

In 1814, the Russian Tsar Alexander I occupied the palace. On 28 June of that year, he appeared on the balcony to greet the people of Antwerp, establishing a tradition that would continue for decades. After the French withdrawal, the Southern Netherlands became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the palace passed to the new monarch, King William I, who commissioned the decoration of the Hall of the XVII Provinces.

Following the Belgian Revolution in 1830, the Provisional Government requisitioned the building. It became the residence of the first Belgian head of state, Regent Erasme-Louis Surlet de Chokier. 

The following year, King Leopold I made his ceremonial entry into Antwerp from the palace, which he used regularly. He hosted Queen Victoria there twice, and subsequent monarchs, along with figures such as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, also used the palace for receptions and official appearances from its balcony.

King Leopold II significantly altered the building, adding a grand hall of mirrors and ordering the construction of a gallery connecting the two side wings. 

Modern plumbing was also installed during his reign. King Albert I used the palace briefly during World War I after fleeing Brussels. 

In the 1960s, the Royal Household deemed the building no longer suitable for royal use. King Baudouin donated the palace, along with its furnishings, to the Ministry of Culture in 1969. Since then, the palace has served as a venue for cultural events and temporary exhibitions.

Restoration works began in 2001 under the supervision of Heritage Flanders. These included repairs to the façade and roof, as well as the restoration of the Empire-style salons.

 Wall coverings were cleaned and repaired, ceiling decorations regilded, and modern climate control and fire protection systems were installed. In 2004, Heritage Flanders assumed management of the palace and compiled an inventory of its furniture.

On 12 March 2010, 150 historically significant pieces of furniture were returned to the palace from the Royal Palace of Brussels, where they had been kept. Experts found the pieces to be in good condition. An opening weekend took place on 8 and 9 May 2010, allowing the public to admire the restored interiors and furnishings.

The first-floor halls and salons were given a museum function. Visitors could view the Empire-style furniture and décor, and the hall of mirrors hosted dinners, receptions, presentations, walking dinners and fashion shows. In the blue salon, once Napoleon’s own room, portraits of Napoleon and Leopold II were displayed. 

On the ground floor, chocolatier Dominique Persoone operates The Chocolate Line, alongside a coffee and tea house. Income from venue rentals supports the heritage organisation Herita in maintaining and developing the monument.

The Palace on the Meir reopened temporarily to the public in 2013 and again in 2021, as part of the celebrations for 800 years of the city. On both occasions, historical furniture was brought out of storage and displayed. 

Visitors were given the opportunity to explore the hall of mirrors and view the empress’s bed, continuing the building’s evolution from royal residence to a monument of public heritage.