Belgian Royalty: Baudouin (1869-91)


Figure 1.--Although the image is indestinct, Budouin here, probably about 1878 wears a dark kneepants suit with some sailor styling and a bow tie Also note his sailor hat. The girl is his sister Henriette.

Baudouin was born in 1869. His father was Philip Count of Flanders, younger son of King Leopold I. As he was the eldest son he would have been the first to inherit the throne after his father when his uncle Leopold I died. We have been able to find little information about Baudouin. He apparently wore dresses when young, although we are not sure just when he was breeched. As a boy he wore kneepants suits with some sailor styling, but not the traditional suits that later became popular for Belgian royalty. Hi wears his sailor suit with a bowtie and sailor hat. A year or two later he looks to be wearing a dark long pants suit. He looks like a very healthy boy in the available photographs. He died at about 21 years of age. I'm not sure what the circumstances were. Press reports speculate on mysterious circumstances. There were reports of a duel or suiside or possibly pnemonia. ["Belgian ...", p. 7.] Presumably the Belgian press was more authoritative on Baudouin's death. The Prince never married and there were no children. As a result, his younger rother Albert became king when Leopold II died.

Sources

"Belgian Prince arrives," New York Times (March 9, 1898), p. 7.






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Created: October 5, 2000
Last updated: May 15, 2002