The Resume

(September 7, 1930-July 31, 1993)
Born in Brussels, Belgium
Birth name was Baudouin Albert Charles Leopold Axel Maria Gustave
Son of King Leopold III
King of Belgium (1951-93)

Why he might be annoying:

He was described by the New York Times as 'self-effacing almost to the verge of obsession.'
Upon his ascension to the throne, he stood on the palace balcony acknowledging the crowds for less than a minute before retiring inside.
At his father's behest, he refused to attend the funeral of King George VI, creating a rift between the Belgian and British royal families.
During independence ceremonies in Zaire, he gave a speech praising King Leopold II, drawing a withering response from Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba.
The Belgian Parliament deposed him for one day when he refused to grant Royal Assent to a law legalizing abortion (April 4, 1990).

Why he might not be annoying:

His mother died in a car crash when he was four.
He was imprisoned with the royal family by the Nazis during WWII.
He was devout and hard working.
He reportedly wanted to become a Trappist monk but was persuaded that two abdications back to back would spell the end of the Belgian monarchy.
He said about his refusal to approve the abortion law, 'Does freedom of conscience apply to everyone except the King?'
People delivering eulogies at his funeral ranged from the Bishop of Antwerp to a former prostitute (who praised his campaign against the international sex trade).

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Belgian Royalty
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 47]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [September] (Ranked: 9071930)
• Hey! Look at Me, I'm Waving Hi
• I Attended Institut Le Rosey
• I Attended John F. Kennedy's Funeral [November 25, 1963]
• I Attended Winston Churchill’s State Funeral [January 30, 1965]
• I Died in 1993 (Ranked: 62)
• I Drive an Aston Martin
• Look at Me, I'm a Man in Shades
• Monarchs, Royalty and Nobles
• New York City Ticker Tape Parades (Ranked: 1959)
• Profiles 34251-34500 (Ranked: 34281)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 291 Votes: 62.89% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 36 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 33 Votes: 48.48% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 18 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying