As an internationally renowned city, Brussels naturally had many magnificent buildings, such as Egmont Palace, the main venue for Brussels's diplomatic affairs. But Brussels Town Hall stood on the Grand Place, and it was the most magnificent building there.
Besides the town hall, the square was bordered by the residence of the Duke of Brabant and the mint. Before 1792, the Austrians had minted Thalers there. After 1792, Joseph II moved the mint to his hereditary lands, and it had stood vacant ever since. Many believed this was Joseph II's revenge for the Brabant Revolution.
Whether that was true no longer mattered. In any case, the mint was visible from the windows of Georgiana's sitting room, as conspicuous as an elephant in the room—and one tied up with ribbons at that. Festooning was one of Brussels's specialties, and now the entire square had been decorated.
But the first person she was to meet was not a mint official, but the manager of Brussels's Royal Opera House, who had come to see her on behalf of the writers' and actors' guilds.
Among Joseph II's many reforms, Freemasonry had been heavily restricted. There were only three officially recognized meeting places, and any gathering outside those three locations would be treated as an illegal assembly and suppressed. Yet Joseph II had not banned Freemasonry altogether. He had even protected Mozart, a member of Freemasonry.
Later, Joseph II died, and Mozart's opera The Magic Flute was banned by the next Austrian government. Though disguised as a fairy tale, it was in fact a satire on society, especially the coloratura soprano Queen of the Night, who was plainly Queen Maria Theresa herself. The manager hoped Georgiana would permit the opera to be performed at the welcoming reception held at the Royal Opera House the following