(1970) MiNr. 1623y Dr ** - Belgium - King Baudouin I.

King Baudouin I - Belgian monarch with a vision

Baudouin I, full name Baudouin Albert Charles Léopold Axel Marie Gustave, was born on 7 September 1930 in Brussels, the son of Prince Leopold and Princess Astrid. After the abdication of his father Leopold III in 1951, Baudouin ascended the Belgian throne at the age of only 20. His reign lasted more than four decades and was one of the longest in modern Belgian history.

Baudouin's life and reign were marked by the dramatic events of the 20th century. He led Belgium through a period of post-war reconstruction, federalisation of the state and complex political and linguistic tensions between the Flemish and Walloons. In 1960, he oversaw the decolonization of the Belgian Congo, an event that marked the end of Belgium's colonial era but also brought political upheaval and tension.

Unlike his predecessors, Baudouin came across as a quiet but deeply committed monarch. He avoided ostentation, preferred moral authority to gestures of power, and often acted as a mediator between political camps. His conservative Catholic beliefs resulted in one of the most controversial moments of his reign - he temporarily abdicated the throne in 1990 to avoid having to sign a law legalising abortion. The move was legally resolved by making him "incapacitated" for a day and the law was signed by the Belgian government.

King Baudouin had no descendants. He and his wife, Princess Fabiola of Spain, were a publicly popular, if privately private, couple. He died suddenly of a heart attack while on holiday in Spain on 31 July 1993. He was succeeded by his younger brother Albert II.

Baudouin I remains in Belgian collective memory as a monarch who preserved the dignity of the crown and the unity of the country despite the difficulties of the 20th century. His likeness often appears on coins, stamps and medals issued during his long reign.