Belgium bought out the Duke of Wellington's "perpetual" Waterloo rent in 1988 and kept a right to take back the land

William I of the Netherlands made Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, Prince of Waterloo by royal decree of 8 July 1815. A decree-law of 29 September 1815 attached an endowment to be held "irrevocably and in perpetuity": about 1,083 hectares of land near Waterloo and an annual rent. Belgium took over the obligation under the London treaties of 1831 and 1839. Expropriations cut the land to about 986 hectares, and the rent became 81,128 francs. On 26 January 1988 the 8th Duke gave up the rent for good. In return Belgium waived its right of return on 25 hectares. It keeps that right over the rest if the male line by primogeniture fails. On 27 March 2009 the Flemish nationalist MP Bruno Stevenheydens said the farm rents were worth about 5 million francs a year in 2000 and asked why they continued. On 18 June 2009 the Finance Minister answered that there was no reason to change the arrangement. Spain had made Wellington Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo in 1812 and given him the Soto de Roma estate near Granada in 1813^†. In 2010 the 8th Duke ceded the Spanish dukedom to his son Charles (Orden JUS/1527/2010). Charles, 9th Duke since 2014, holds both foreign titles in 2026.