Bernard Le Grelle

Bernard le Grelle (born July 7, 1948) is a Belgian investigative journalist, political adviser, author, former United Nations expert and public affairs executive. He is known for his long-term investigation into the 1963, John F. Kennedy assassination. He is a member of the noble Le Grelle family. Le Grelle was born in Aalst (Belgium) into the Le Grelle family, a wealthy family dating back into the XVIIth century, ennobled in 1794 by Francis II, the last Holy Roman Emperor. His direct ancestor, Joseph J. Le Grelle, founded the Joseph-J. Le Grelle bank in 1792 at the age of 27. The Bank was minting its own currency. His son, Count Gérard Le Grelle, the first Mayor of Antwerp, member of the National Congress and the Belgian House of Representatives, saved the Vatican from bankruptcy and received in 1852 the title of Roman Count from Pope Pie IX. By order of King Leopold I of Belgium the title of Belgian Count was registered and extended to all descendants in 1853. Le Grelle's grant-uncle Monsignor Count Stanislas Le Grelle (Antwerp 1874 – Rome 1957), friend of Eugenio Pacelli who was elected Pope in 1939 as Pius XII, Master of the House of the Pope and Papal Secret Chamberlain played an important role in the Vatican. Le Grelle's grandmother belongs to the Agie de Selsaeten family. His ancestor, Pierre Agie (1757), came from France and launched in Antwerp a trading company, competing with the Dutch Compagnie des Indes. His son Charles (known as 'Charles le Chinois') went to China and became very influential at the Imperial Court in Beijing. He travelled all the way to Moscow and was the host of Alexander I the Tsar of Russia. Napoleon, while in Antwerp in February 1798, stayed in one of the Agie's houses. Charles and his son Gustave (1834–1909) were both Consuls of Russia in Antwerp. Le Grelle's maternal great-grandfather was Baron Romain Moyersoen, a Belgian statesman, who was President of the Belgian Senate (1936–1939), Minister of Industry and Economy.