The Belgian Royal Palace announced yesterday that a mass would be held to mark the 25th anniversary of the death of King Baudouin of Belgium on the morning of 8 September at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken.
In attendance at the Thanksgiving Mass will be King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz, Prince Laurent, Prince Amedeo and Princess Elisabetta, Princess Maria Laura, as well as other members of the Belgian Royal Family. Additionally, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg will attend. King Baudouin was the maternal uncle of Grand Duke Henri.
King Albert II and Queen Paola are not listed to attend the service for Albert’s older brother. Albert has been battling health issues and had two heart procedures in May of this year.
The service has been organised by Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, and Cardinal De Kesel will preside over the hour and a half mass.
King Baudouin, who reigned for 42 years, was born on 7 September 1930 as the second child and eldest son of the future King Leopold III and Queen Astrid. His older sister would become Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg (b. 1927). His younger siblings were King Albert II (b. 1934), Prince Alexandre (b. 1942), Princess Marie-Christine (b. 1951), and Princess Marie-Esméralda (b. 1956).
Baudouin married the Spanish Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón on 15 December 1960 in Brussels. The couple would have no children as, tragically, all five of Fabiola’s pregnancies ended in miscarriage. Upon his death on 31 July 1993, his younger brother, Albert ascended the throne as King Albert II. Baudoin died from heart failure while on holiday in Spain. He was interred in Church of Our Lady of Laeken’s royal vault.
His brother, Albert would abdicate for health reasons in July 2013 in favour of his eldest child, Philippe. Baudouin’s nephew now reigns as King Philippe of Belgium.
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