PRINCE BAUDOUIN: (1869-1891) Prince Baudouin of Belgium was the first child and elder son of Prince Philippe, Count ...

PRINCE BAUDOUIN: (1869-1891) Prince Baudouin of Belgium was the first child and elder son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and nephew of King Leopold II of Belgium. Leopold II´s eldest and only son, the heir Leopold Duke of Brabant, died in January 1869, leaving the King with only one person in the line of succession, his younger brother Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders. Baudouin´s birth in June 1869 was very much celebrated, as the second in line to the throne after his father. Baudoin died in January 1891, at the early age of 21, and his younger brother Albert became heir presumptive and later succeeded his uncle Leopold II as Albert I of Belgium. Rare A.L.S., `Baudouin´, two pages, 8vo, Brussels, 7th October 1887, to Auguste Scheler, in French. The eighteen years old Prince Baudoin writes to the King´s librarian referring in an amusing way to his tourism trip to Venice, and commenting that he has brought back for him a small present, being a paperweight representing the Lion of St. Marc, the city emblem. He further apologizes for not having found better but `… les boutiques de Venise sont assez pauvres en petits objets´ (''…the shops of Venice are quite poor in small objects'') prince Baudoin signs his letter `Votre éleve tout dévoué´ (''Your fully devoted pupil'') VG Jean Auguste Scheler (1819-1890) Librarian to King Leopold II and professor at the Brussels university. His father was the Chaplain to King Leopold I.