A top diplomat, Frans van Daele was appointed as the head of King Philippe of Belgium’s cabinet. 

Van Daele studied philosophy and art at the Catholic University of Leuven. He joined Foreign Affairs in 1971. Since 1973, Van Daele has worked successively for the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union, for the Embassy in Athens and later, once again for the Permanent Representation. In 1984 Van Daele became press spokesperson for the Minister of Foreign Affairs Leo Tindemans (CVP).

After a period at the Belgian Embassy in Rome, Van Daele became Deputy Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations in New York (1989). Between 1991 and 1992, when Belgium was a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, he represented his country in the Council.