président of the Belgian Office of Foreign Commerce. In this capacity he participated in the organisation of 65 foreign commercial missions. He was also the main initiator of the Prince's activities in favour of the environment and the architectural heritage. He also participated actively in the civic education of Prince Philippe, the present king. King Baudouin Foundation When Baudouin I (1930–1993) celebrated his 25th anniversary as King of the Belgians, he did not wish to receive a personal gift to mark his jubilee. So it was that the idea of a 'lasting memorial' was born. King Baudouin was very much interested in social problems, had a strong sense of justice and was concerned that society should be harmonious. A Foundation was therefore established to mark his jubilee that would make efforts to ensure better living conditions for the population. The King Baudouin Foundation, an independent public benefit foundation, came into being on 31 March 1976. Didisheim was one of its co-founders and headed it as its CEO until 1996 and as its president (1996–2001). This is a quote from La Dernière Heure (31 July 2008): Pendant vingt-quatre ans il fut le conseiller puis le chef de cabinet du prince Albert. Il a aussi très bien connu le roi Baudouin : "En 1976, le Roi m'a demandé : "Pourriez-vous cumuler le travail que vous faites auprès de mon frère avec la gestion d'une fondation que l'on va créer pour moi?" Michel Didisheim est devenu secrétaire général de la Fondation Roi Baudouin, avant d'en être l'administrateur-délégué puis, jusqu'en 2001, le président. "Je voyais régulièrement le roi Baudouin. Nous avons beaucoup marché ensemble dans le parc de Laeken. Mais je ne peux pas prétendre, pour autant, que nous étions intimes. Très peu de gens étaient des intimes du Roi." (For twenty-four years he was the counselor and then chief of staff to Prince Albert. He also knew King Baudouin very well: "In 1976, the King asked me: "Could you combine the work you do for my brother with managing a foundation that is being created for me?" Michel Didisheim became secretary general of the King Baudouin Foundation, later being its managing director and, until 2001, its president. "I saw King Baudouin regularly. We walked a lot together in the Laeken park. But I cannot pretend, however, that we were intimate. Very few people were close friends of the King.") Associations In 1967, with