and accounts and military quotas. United Chambers The United Chambers (, , ) is the name given to the body created when both chambers of the Federal Parliament meet in joint session. The United Chambers are convened only on certain occasions enumerated in the Belgian Constitution: the King must take the constitutional oath before the United Chambers, in accordance with article 91 of the Constitution, and the United Chambers must provide for the regency if the successor to the Crown is a minor or the King is unable to reign, in accordance with articles 92 and 93 of the Constitution. The last session of the United Chambers took place on 21 July 2013, when King Philippe of Belgium took the constitutional oath. Palace of the Nation The Palace of the Nation (; ) was built from 1779 to 1783 to a neoclassical design by the French architect Gilles-Barnabé Guimard and includes sculptures by Gilles-Lambert Godecharle. Under Austrian rule, it housed the Sovereign Council of Brabant before being used as a courthouse during the French period. During the Dutch period, it was one of two homes of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, the other being in The Hague. Following Belgian Independence in 1830, the Provisional Government of Belgium and the Belgian National Congress moved into the building and the first session of the House of Representatives and Senate was held there a year later. The building stands across the street from Brussels Park's northern entrance, near the site of the former palace of the Dukes of Brabant, which was destroyed by fire in 1731, and has itself been badly damaged by fire, in 1820 and 1883. In the 1930s, a bunker was built underneath the park, connected by tunnels to the House of Parliament. See also Politics of Belgium Court of Audit of Belgium List of political parties in Belgium Brussels Parliament Flemish Parliament Commission communautaire française Parliament of the German-speaking Community Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie Walloon Parliament Parliament of the French Community List of legislatures by country References External links Chamber of Representatives Senate 1831 establishments in Belgium Belgium Belgium Belgium