Prime minister Michel descended from Antwerp foundling

Belgium's prime minister Charles Michel has remarkable roots, according to a group of genealogy enthusiasts. One of Michel's ancestors was Aloïse Ziebor, a foundling who was discovered in Antwerp in 1834 and passed away in 1877, say the genealogists. They presented their findings during a conference on genealogy in Wavre, where Charles Michel is mayor, writes De Standaard.

Michel was unable to attend the conference, but his father and brother, who are also politicians, were present. During the event, the associations Familiekunde Vlaanderen and GéniWal presented the prime minister's family tree, which goes back to the eighth generation in the mid-17th century.

According to the group's research, politics were not the original Michel family vocation, as many of the ancestors included construction- and seasonal workers.