To respect the wish of his late wife, who wanted to be buried in Laeken, King Leopold I commissioned plans for a new church to replace the old one. Joseph Poelaert won the competition under a pseudonym and supervised the works, which began with the laying of the first stone on 27 May 1854. Too absorbed by the construction of the Palace of Justice, the architect delegated the elevation of the church to colleagues. Consecrated in 1872, the Church of Our Lady of Laeken was not completed until 1907. The royal crypt behind the choir holds the remains of Belgium’s sovereigns and princes. The first family members transferred there were King Leopold I and Queen Louise-Marie, on 20 April 1876. The building, the largest example of neo-Gothic style in Belgium, forms the focal point of Avenue de la Reine and remains an important landmark along the royal route. Its roof spaces and terraces offer unexpected views over Brussels.