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King Baudouin of the Belgians was the eldest son and heir of King Leopold III, succeeding his father upon his abdication in 1951. In December of 1960 he married Doña Fabiola Fernanda María de las Victorias Antonia Adelaida de Mora y Aragón. The two were never able to have children but were deeply devoted to each other through their shared values. King Baudouin's reign saw many historic events; the granting of independence to the Congo, the extension of federal autonomy to Flanders and Wallonia and the rebuilding of Belgium after World War II and establishing her new place in the political environment of the Cold War. King Baudouin was a deeply religious Catholic and refused to sign an abortion bill in 1990 which caused him to lose his throne for a day while the bill became law. A devout man who put duty first, he set a perfect example as monarch and was widely respected by all of his people of every background. It came as a great shock when he died in 1993 while on holiday in Spain. He was succeeded by his brother the current King Albert II.