Baudouin was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his death in 1993. He was the last Belgian king to be sovereign of the Congo, before it became independent in 1960 and became the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
King Baudouin in 1960
Baudouin (left) and his brother Albert, c. 1940
Baudouin and his wife, Fabiola de Mora y Aragón, during a 1964 visit to Israel
King Baudouin's statue in the city of Aalst
Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled King of the Belgians and serves as the country's head of state and commander-in-chief of the Belgian Armed Forces. There have been seven Belgian monarchs since independence in 1830.
Monarchy of Belgium
Equestrian statue of King Leopold II in Brussels, Belgium
Busts of the first five Kings of the Belgians
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels is the National Basilica of Belgium.