Remembering King Baudouin

To remember King Baudouin on the 30th anniversary of his death, the Belgian Royal Palace has released several photos from the archives.

King Baudouin was King of the Belgian from 17 July 1951 until his death in 1993. He was the elder son of King Leopold III and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden. King Leopold abdicated in 1951 in his favour.

King Baudouin remained unmarried until 15 December 1960, when he married the Spanish noblewoman Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón. All five of her pregnancies ended in miscarriages, leaving Baudouin’s younger brother Albert as the heir to the throne.

He died on 31 July 1993 of heart failure after a year of 42 years. King Baudouin was interred in the royal vault at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, which will open to the public this afternoon so people can pay their respects.