A historic letter from Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) will be handed over to Ghent authorities during a solemn ceremony at City Hall on Tuesday.
The letter, written in French and dated 30 December 1578, requests that Jan van Hembyse ensure fair trials for Catholic nobles who had been imprisoned in Ghent for over a year.
At the time, van Hembyse led the Calvinist Republic of the City of Counts, established in 1577 following a coup against the Habsburg Catholic regime.
At the end of August, the letter was put up for auction by Lyon & Turnbull, an Edinburgh-based auction house. The Ghent administration paid over €23,000 to retrieve the document from its owner and prevent its sale.
"This letter symbolises a unique period in Ghent’s history," said Filip Watteeuw, a local councillor for archives.
Until April 2025, residents of Ghent can view a replica at City Hall. The original will be kept in the archives, where preservation conditions are optimal.
