The Belgian queen has received tragic news upon her return from a state visit to South Africa with King Philippe. Three of her relatives have passed away. Bernard de Launoit, CEO of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, died following a 6-month battle with illness. He will be remembered as an individual who lived with passion and had an infinite love for classical music. The motive for the murder of Baroness Myriam Lechien, wife of Baron Guy Ullens of Schooten Whettnall, is currently unknown, but it is speculated that it might be linked to inheritance issues. Queen Mathilde’s uncle, Raoul d’Udekem d’Acoz, also passed away at the age of 87. He had been involved in the local politics of Hérinnes and Ypres for many years.
Recently returned from South Africa where she was present for a state visit in the company of King Philippe, the Belgian queen has just learned terrible news. The death of three relatives.
Bernard deLaunoit
Bernard de Launoit, CEO and executive president of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, died on Thursday, the artistic institution announced in a press release. “Bernard left us, surrounded by his family, from an illness once morest which he fought with all his might for 6 months. An exemplary fight“, emphasizes his team. “We will remember him as someone who lived his life with passion. A devouring passion for art in all its forms and an infinite love of classical music“, she adds.”He led the helm of the Music Chapel for nearly 20 years, bringing it to shine throughout the world, under the unconditional sign of excellence.“.
After a degree in Economics at the Free University of Brussels, Bernard de Launoit began his career in the arts at the end of the 1980s, working at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp (Muhka). He then joined the Galerie Isy Brachot in Brussels and Paris, before becoming for five years (from 1994 to 1999) managing director of the auction house Christie’s Belgium. Son of businessman Jean-Pierre de Launoit, this music lover born in 1964 also joined the Orchester des Champs Elysées in Paris for a time and was also one of the founders of the Magritte Foundation. But it was at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel that he finally settled for nearly two decades.
Myriam Ullens,
A septuagenarian living in Ohain (Lasne) was shot dead outside her home, the prosecution said earlier in the day. According to the media, the victim is Baroness Myriam Lechien, second wife of Baron Guy Ullens of Schooten Whettnall. He is a Belgian businessman, patron, philanthropist and collector of contemporary art. According to specialized sources, his fortune is estimated at more than 2 billion euros.
Nicolas Ullens de Schooten, born in 1965, fired a gun on Wednesday around 10 a.m. in front of the property where his father and his second wife live. The 50-year-old shot his mother-in-law, born in 1952. When help arrived, the 70-year-old was already dead. The laboratory of the federal judicial police, a medical examiner, a magistrate and a ballistics expert descended on the scene.
The alleged murderer was deprived of his liberty and was to be heard by the investigators during the followingnoon of Wednesday. An investigating judge has been seized of the case. The investigation was entrusted to the federal judicial police. The alleged perpetrator, Nicolas Ullens de Schooten, is a former State Security agent. His name has already been mentioned during an investigation for violation of professional secrecy.
According to some sources, the motive for the murder might be linked to inheritance issues. It is said that the mother-in-law of Nicolas Ullens squandered the fortune of her husband, who had suffered a stroke. The Walloon Brabant prosecutor’s office does not accredit any of this information and assumptions.
Raoul d’Udekem d’Acoz
Raoul d’Udekem d’Acoz, Queen Mathilde’s uncle, died on Saturday at the age of 87, confirmed the mayor of Hérinnes, Kris Poelaert. He was born on April 21, 1935 in Uccle. Since the 90s, he had settled in Hérinnes (Herne), in Flemish Brabant. He was CD&V alderman there between 2001 and 2007 and became honorary alderman in 2014.
The same year, he had drawn the list of the Vlaamse Christen Partij for the regional elections. “Raoul d’Udekem d’Acoz has always been very involved in the town“, emphasized Kris Poelaert. “His title of honorary alderman was a mark of gratitude for his contribution to the positive image of Herne“. The queen’s uncle had also lived in Ypres for many years. There too he had devoted himself to local politics, being a municipal councilor for 24 years.
The Belgian royal family has been struck by tragedy with the recent deaths of three relatives. Bernard de Launoit, CEO and executive president of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, passed away following a six-month battle with illness. He was remembered as a passionate advocate for the arts and classical music. Myriam Ullens, a septuagenarian living in Ohain, was shot dead outside her home in what may be a family inheritance dispute. Lastly, Raoul d’Udekem d’Acoz, Queen Mathilde’s uncle, passed away at the age of 87. Our thoughts are with the Belgian royal family during this difficult time.
