published a widely distributed series of articles in the newspaper Le Soir. He remained a controversial figure. King Baudouin, replacing his father as King in 1950, also refused to receive Pierlot at the palace. After 1947, he refused to return to politics or to respond publicly to criticism from his political enemies. Pierlot died in Uccle, a wealthy suburb of Brussels, on 13 December 1963, ten days before his 80th birthday. He is buried in Cugnon. A charitable organisation, the Fondation Hubert Pierlot (Hubert Pierlot Foundation), was established by friends of Pierlot in 1966. Posthumous rehabilitation After his death, Pierlot's political reputation was reappraised by historians who reconsidered the decisions he took during his wartime government. He was notably praised by his colleague, Paul-Henri Spaak who later became first President of the United Nations General Assembly, Secretary General of NATO, and one of the founding fathers of the European Union. In his 1969 memoires, Spaak praised Pierlot as "serious to the point of severity, honest to the point of scrupulosity, a tireless worker, a devout Christian, a patriot, a model of civic, professional, and family virtues, he was an exceptional man." References Bibliography External links Hubert Pierlot at the official website of the Belgian Prime Minister Hubert Pierlot, du devoir au sacrifice at La Libre Belgique Hubert Pierlot, Premier ministre oublié at L'Avenir Hubert Pierlot in ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures 1883 births 1963 deaths People from Bertrix Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968) alumni Belgian military personnel of World War I 20th-century Belgian lawyers Catholic Party (Belgium) politicians Prime Ministers of Belgium Belgian Ministers of State Members of the Belgian government in exile World War II political leaders Counts of Belgium