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Érasme-Louis Surlet de Chokier | |
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| Regent of Belgium | |
| In office 25 February 1831 – 21 July 1831 | |
| Prime Minister | Étienne de Gerlache Joseph Lebeau |
| Succeeded by | Leopold I (asKing of the Belgians) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1769-11-27)27 November 1769 City of Liège,Liège |
| Died | 7 August 1839(1839-08-07) (aged 69) Gingelom,Belgium |
Érasme-Louis Surlet de Chokier (French pronunciation:[eʁasmlwisyʁlɛdəʃɔkje]; 27 November 1769 – 7 August 1839), born inLiège, was a Belgian politician and, before the accession ofLeopold I to the Belgian throne, was the firstregent ofBelgium.
During theLiège Revolution of 1789, when a crowd followed the example of theFrench Revolution and drove offPrince-Bishop of LiègeCésar-Constantin-François, Surlet de Chokier served in the patriotic army. When the following year this army was defeated by the Austrians atHasselt andZutendaal, Surlet de Chokier was forced to flee toBreda, not being able to return to his estate atGingelom until 1792.
After the French annexation ofLiège, Surlet de Chokier became a devoted follower of the French revolution and ofNapoleon. In 1800, Surlet de Chokier was elected mayor of Gingelom and member of the départemental council ofMeuse-Inférieure. In 1812, he became a member of the French parliament.
After the fall of Napoleon, Surlet de Chokier entered theHouse of Representatives of theStaten-Generaal as leader of theSouthern opposition, where his opposition to the government gave him the nicknameSurlet de Choquant. Although he was made a baron by the king in 1816, his opposition had angered KingWilliam I so much that the monarch personally made sure that Surlet de Chokier was not re-elected in 1828.
After theBelgian Revolution started, Surlet de Chokier was sent by theArrondissement of Hasselt as a deputy to theNational Congress. Elected Chairman of the Congress, Surlet de Chokier was active in the creation of theBelgian Constitution. After theDuke of Nemours refused the Belgian crown that had been offered to him, Surlet de Chokier was appointed Regent of Belgium on 24 February 1831. He served as Regent until Leopold I took theoath as King of the Belgians on 21 July 1831.
Surlet de Chokier died in 1839 in Gingelom.
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| Political offices | ||
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| New title | Regent of Belgium 25 February 1831 – 21 July 1831 | Succeeded byasKing of the Belgians |
