Belgian Congo 1000 Francs Banknote, King Baudouin I |
Central Bank of Belgian Congo |
Belgian Congo banknotes, Belgian Congo paper money, Belgian Congo bank notes.
Obverse: Portrait of King Baudouin I in military uniform, King of the Belgians and the last Sovereign King of the Belgian Congo. Aerial view of Leopoldville at lover center. In 1966, Léopoldville was renamed Kinshasa for a village named Kinchassa that once stood near the site.
Reverse: View of an African village with small huts.
Watermark: Waterbuck's head.
Baudouin of Belgium
Baudouin (Dutch: Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Marie Gustaaf van België, French: Baudouin Albert Charles Léopold Axel Marie Gustave de Belgique; 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993) reigned as King of the Belgians, following his father's abdication, from 1951 until his death in 1993. He was the eldest son of King Leopold III (1901–83) and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden (1905–35). Having had no children, the crown passed on to his brother, King Albert II of the Belgians (formerly HRH The Prince of Liège), following his death. He was the first cousin of King Harald V of Norway, Princess Astrid of Norway, and Princess Ragnhild of Norway. Baudouin is the French form of his name, the form most commonly used outside Belgium; his Dutch name is Boudewijn. Very rarely, his name is anglicized as Baldwin.
During Baudouin's reign the colony of Belgian Congo became independent. The King personally attended the festivities; he gave a speech that received a blistering response by Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba.