House of Baillet

The Baillet family or de Baillet or Baillet von Latour is a former Belgian noble family. The house is divided into different branches, the most known were the Counts of Baillet-Latour.

History

The title of Count of Baillet was created by imperial decree of Charles VI, [Holy Roman Emperor] on 10 March 1719. The first Count of Baillet was Christophe-Ernest. He was the son of Maximilien-Antoine de Baillet, Seigneur de Latour and his wife, Anne Marie Coenen. The family had great influence in politics and church, many members were active in the Catholic Party.
The family resided in the Chateau de Latour next to Virton until 1794. In 1980 the last male heir, Count Alfred de Baillet-Latour died without children meaning that the title became extinct. Upon his death the family fortune was, according to his will, used to found the Artois-Baillet Latour Foundation.