BALDWIN I

(1930-1993)

Baudouin/Boudewijn Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave was born inLaekenon 7 September 1930, the elder son of the future kingLeopold IIIand Princess Astrid. He became the fifth king of the Belgians on the abdication of his father on 17 July 1951. He married Dona Fabiola Fernanda Maria de las Victorias Antonia Adelaïda Mora y Aragon (1928- ) on 15 December 1960 at the Cathédrale desSaints-Michel-et-Gudule. The king died of heart failure on 31 July 1993 at the Villa Astrida in Motril, in the south of Spain. His funeral in Brussels attracted many thousands. He is interred in the royal vault at the church ofNotre-Dame de Laeken. A number of sites in the metropolitan area have been named in his honor, notably theStade Roi Baudouinand the Parc Roi Baudouin. Installation of the latter, inJette, began in 1981. The King Baudouin Memorial is housed in the HôtelBelle-Vue.