12 1/2 Euros - Philippe Queen Fabiola

This piece was issued to mark the abdication of King Albert II and the accession of Philippe on July 21, 2013 — Belgium's National Day. Albert cited health reasons, making him the first Belgian king to abdicate voluntarily since the constitutional monarchy was established. Queen Fabiola, widow of the legendary Baudouin I, died just five months later in December 2013, which lends this particular pairing an unintended finality.