The son of Leopold III and Queen Astrid, Baudouin shared his father's internment by the Germans during World War II and his postwar exile in Switzerland. After Leopold stepped down, Baudouin acted as head of state from Aug. 11, 1950, until July 16, 1951, and the next day he became the fifth king of the Belgians.

During his long reign Baudouin served effectively as a unifying force in Belgium, a country deeply divided into Flemish- and French-speaking factions, and he was respected for the impartiality with which he treated the two groups. He recognized early the imminence of Congolese independence and made a fact-finding tour of the Belgian Congo in December 1959; he proclaimed its independence at Léopoldville (now Kinshasa, Congo) on June 30, 1960. Baudouin was criticized, however, for his 1990 decision to step down for one day rather than assent to a government bill legalizing abortion; he was reinstated by parliament after its passage.

On Dec. 15, 1960, Baudouin married a Spanish noblewoman, Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón. Because the royal couple were childless, Baudouin was succeeded by his brother, Prince Albert.