Rocking horse Bruul
Are you sitting comfortably and enjoying the view? Perfect! Then allow me to introduce myself! My name is Charles, Prince Charles actually. I spent my boyhood in Mechelen and so I know the city like the back of my hand. I was born in 1500 and grew up on Keizerstraat at the court of my aunt Margareta of Austria. That’s the palace with the beautiful inner garden.
Here in Mechelen and all over the world they know me as Emperor Charles V. My empire that was so vast that the sun never set on it. I reigned over more than 27 kingdoms, 13 duchies and 22 counties in Europe, Central America and North Africa. Sadly, I was unable to enjoy them for long. I was just 58 when I died in Yuste in Spain.
Where you rock, I tell stories about the city and in particular about the places I have fond memories of.
| Please note that the rocking horse in the Bruul is currently in the barn for maintenance. Therefore, you won’t be able to visit this horse temporarily. |
Rocking horse Bruul
My aunt was always very concerned about my health. When I was nine, my sisters caught smallpox. My aunt and I moved to Brussels temporarily so that I wouldn’t fall ill. But it didn’t help, because I caught it too. Fortunately, we all made a full recovery. When I was 14, I had a high temperature after dancing so much at the wedding of my sister Isabella and her husband Christian, the king of Denmark. I had to stay in bed for days. But it was worth it!
A little further along, here in the Botanical Garden, is a statue of Rembert Dodoens. He is 17 years younger than me and was the city of Mechelen’s physician. The statue of my aunt Margareta stands on the Schoenmarkt, right next to the Grote Markt. There’s a statue of me too. You can see it on the left side of the façade of the town hall, above the balcony. I am holding a sceptre – a symbol of a king’s or emperor’s sovereignty – and an orb. The latter is a globe surmounted with a cross, symbolizing a king’s or emperor’s territory.
- You will also find this walk in the Visit Mechelen app. That way you can follow the horses on a map without having to scan the QR code each time. Download the app here.
- Free
- Available in 4 languages: Dutch, French, German & English.
