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Oostende has always been called 'The Queen of the Belgian Sea-side resorts', mainly because of the city's connection with the Belgian Royal Family. The first king Leopold I, owned a house in Oostende (Langestraat 69 ). It was here that his wife, Belgium's first Queen Louise-Marie d'Orleans died in 1850 at the age of 38.
It was, however,  King Leopold II who gave Oostende its royal character. He had several villas built as from 1874. He liked Oostende so much that he regularly met with criticism on his neglecting the capital Brussels. Also, rumor quickly spread that Leopold II, who had numerous mistresses, preferred to be away from his wife in Brussels and spend more time in Oostende for his frequent amorous escapades. He rewarded the hospitality of the city with the construction of some magnificent monuments.
Later Belgian kings tended to stay away from Oostende. Leopold III preferred Knokke and his successor, King Boudewijn, preferred to spend his holidays in Spain, the home country of his wife Queen Fabiola.

At the extreme Western side of the Sea Promenade King Leopold II had a 390m long gallery constructed in 1906. This beautiful promenade with its white columns in Belle-Epoque style goes from the Royal Villa to the Wellington horse-racing tracks. The elegant gallery with its Toscan columns was built by the French architect Charles Girault. At the end of the gallery is a small but beautiful pavilion. It is known as the 'Venetian Gallery'.
The former royal villa, built by Leopold II but renovated after W.W.II by the architect Dugardijn, now harbors a luxurious hotel. Not far from here is the equestrian statue of Leopold II.

In the church of St. Peter and St. Paul stands the mausoleum of Queen Louise-Marie, wife of King Leopold I. Belgium's first queen led a short and unhappy life. At the age of twenty she had to marry Leopold of Saxonia Coburg who had accepted to be the first king of the newly created Belgian State. This over-romantic woman dearly loved her lying and cheating husband. Very often the Belgian press,as well as the Belgian population, who were angered by the amorous scandals of Leopold took the side of the sad and lonely queen. She died in Oostende in October 1850. Her white marble mausoleum was made in 1859 by K. Fraikin.

Other places and names remind us of the connection between Oostende and the Royal Family. In front of the St. Peter and St. Paul's church is a statue for King Albert I and his wife Queen Elisabeth. Both monarchs symbolize the resistance and the endurance of the Belgian people during the First World War.

Furthermore, there are numerous streets and parks in the city that have received the name of one of the members of the Royal Family : Leopold II Avenue, Maria Hendrika Park, Elisabeth Avenue, Throne street, Albert I Promenade, Queen Astrid Avenue, Leopold III Avenue, Queen's Avenue, Princess Stephanie Square, Marie José Square, and so on....
 

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