Baudouin of Belgium (1869-1891)

Baudouin of Belgium (June 3rd, 1869 - January 23rd, 1891), Prince de Belgique, Duke of Saxony, Prince of Saxony-Cobourg-Gotha. He is the son of Philippe Count de Flandres and the Countess of Flandres, Marie de Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. He was thus the nephew of the King Léopold II like his successor.

Birth of the Prince (June 3rd, 1869)

June 4th, 1869, the Monitor published in its first page the following news: " Yesterday, June 3rd, at six hours quinzes minutes of the evening, S.A.R. Mrs. the Countess of Flandres is fortunately been confined of a Prince. His Royal Highness and the majestic child goes well. This happy news was transmitted by telegraph to the authorities of the country and to the Ministers for the King to the étaranger." The Prince who had just been born accepted the names of Baudouin-Léopold-Philippe-Marie-Charles-Antoine-Joseph-Louis-Baudouin.

He receives the first name of Baudouin

The name of Baudouin was agreeably to sound with the Belgian ears, to which he recalled the glorious memories of antan, and how much the Prince was fortunately inspired which had thus wanted to join again the stopped screen of historical times by giving to his/her son the name of Baudouin-Arm-of-iron, the large Forester of Flandres, Baudouin VII of Flanders, the guard of weak, the avenger of oppressed, the retributive relentless, of Baudouin V of Flanders, the Courageous one, Count de Flandre, of Hainaut and Namur, was appointed Marquis of the Holy roman Empire by Frederic Barberousse because of his high exploits, of Baudouin IX of Constantinople, most famous of the line, - this heroic Belgian who planted the étandard with the Lion of Flanders on the dome of Holy-Sophie and sat while conquering on the throne of the Roman Emperors, melting in the East the empire of Latin.

The Prince and the study

The youth of the Prince was studious; it rose early; very often, around seven hours of the morning, one saw lamps lit on the floor of the right wing of the Palate of the Count de Flandre. It was Prince Baudouin who began his day and which was put at the work. All that was field of the art of warfare interested it particularly. The introduction into the armament of rifle to fast shooting and the new powders suggested the subject of a conference to him which it gave to the regiment police officers with such an agreement of the question that, spontaneously, the officers asked that the Prince allow the impression of his work, but its modesty refused there. " My work is not interesting enough, says to them it, at my age one raises the questions, one can discuss, but one does not give the solution." of it; And, however, as prompt to initiate itself with all characteristics of soldiering as skilful to conquer all devotions, the Prince had a not very common scholarship for his age. One had not dared to hope, in a chief if little assisted by the experiment a so clear knowledge, so firmly based art of the war.

The Prince and people

The Prince was of his time. Thus he spoke admirably Flemish; he gave of them evidence in more than one circumstance. It was in particular in Bruges, the shortly after the inauguration of the Breydel monument and De Coninc, on August 17th, 1887. The Prince affectionnait the old city where wander along the solitary channels the mustérieux swans, proud and hieratic, where in each stone the heart of the Flanders mother sings, where art vibrates under the warheads of the cathedrals and the arches of the cloisters, in the museums of the large Masters, the lace poêmes which spout out fingers of fairy of his/her pale daughters to the émaciés features. The Prince liked to come to Bruges and Bruges had reserved an imposing reception to him. One gave in his honor to the theater of the city a national drama, in Flemish language. The welcome was addressed to the Prince in this beautiful language and the Prince answered it in purest Flemish. Its speech produced an enormous feeling, enthusiasm was such as the people wanted to uncouple the horses of his car and to trail the Prince in triumph. Such it was in Flemish country, such it was shown in the Walloon provinces: simple, cordial, distributing with the same good thanks of the pleasant words to all. In 1890 it was charged to go to represent the King Léopold II and the Marie-Henriette Queen with the festivals jubilaires in Liege. Its presence in the large Walloon city was worth a series of ovations to him 'a truly spontaneous and sincere cordiality. Minors and metallurgists acclaimed it vigorously. The banquet given by the artillery division of the civic guard to all his brothers in arms of the country, Prince Baudouin answered toast of the burgomaster of Liege of a vibrating voice and in patriotic terms which were covered with applause.

The Prince and the social movement

The Prince followed of an attentive eye and with an lively interest the economic and social evolution of the century; one of the first people whom it made invite to discuss lengthily with it was a professor of university which returned from Berlin where it avit studied the protective institutions of the hygiene and the old age of the workman. In a visit made with the factories of Couillet it got informed especially of the schools, the hospital, the retirement and relief funds; it entered several of the working houses of the establishment, questioned many workmen. Those were shown very touched its sympathetic nerve attention and to the station by greeting it their acclamations accompanied it. The popularity of the Prince was gift sat well; everywhere where it was shown, it aiamit to be mixed with crowd, to circulate unperceived, in its rows, pointing out these good Princes of the time of the Communes which fraternized with their people. If it had been without question the sovereign who likes the humble ones, Prince Baudouin less had exerted some on high not assembled authority worthy of his good sense, of his pleasant eloquence, his judgment lit by a wide knowledge and of his love of the public property.

The new terribel

January 23rd, 1891, at dawn, a disaster rumor ran in the streets of Brussels. At 7 o'clock in the morning the news burst, incredible, amazing, like a clap of thunder in a sky without cloud. A few moments the telegraph faisiat to later arrive in all the country this painful message: " S.A.R. Monseigneur Prince Baudouin died this night at one hour quanrante five minutes"

Random links: