Controversy around Laurents visit to Congo & meeting Libyan diplomats - Mar/Apr 2011

[Marengo]

Prince Laurent has met the prime minister around noon today. I wonder what has been said, but it should have been a very akward conversation. The prime minister has been critisized for the way he dealt with the situation. He gave the Congo thing some days and didn't meet the prince immidiately.... but in the mean time the prince had the thing with the Libyan diplomats, which could have been prevented....

Yesterday even many Walloon parlementarians critisized Laurent.

--
In the mean time the prince denies the Libyan involvement. And Viscount Etienne Davignon (minister of state) defended the actions of the prince. He also expressed the hope that it would be possible for the politicians to allow Laurent to make himself useful. Up to now it seems he is only allowed to cut the occassional ribbon or two...

[grevinnan]

Originally Posted by Moonmaiden23

Sigh...Laurent, Laurent, Laurent.

I would love to be a fly on the wall when he converses privately with the sedate, never-puts-a-foot-wrong Princess Claire.

How on EARTH did those two manage to decide to try to make a marriage with such different personalities??!

Perhaps a princess title is priceless.

[Al_bina]

I hope the parties involved will be able to find a solution to this extremely awkward situation. Prince Laurent is known for being a rebel, but he should keep in mind that his actions reflect badly on the Belgian royal family.

[lucien]

Strict measures for a loose canon:

Gov't curtailes unruly Prince Laurent - News Summary ROYALBLOG.NL

Courtesy hja

[Moonmaiden23]

On paper it sounds okay to "curtail" the Prince whatever that means. But in all honesty I am kind of nervous about what Laurent is capable of if he feels he is being pushed too far.

If he feels PERSECUTED...which he apparently does...and if the Government decides to cut him off or reduce his stipend, what's to stop him from REALLY going off the rails?!

[rominet09]

Originally Posted by grevinnan

Perhaps a princess title is priceless.

You really shouldn't say that ! She has done nothing to justify this comment.
Besides, as a Belgian, I can tell you that Laurent is very popular among the population. A rebel yes, but a very likeable man too !

[Esmerelda]

AFP: Under fire, Belgian prince agrees to play by the rules

Originally Posted by Marengo

De Standaard also lists all the previous issues about Laurent:

De Standaard Online - De flaters van prins Laurent

- (speeding) tickets
- Selling the pictures of his children
- Causing trouble in an airplane
- he critisized the press
- he wanted a muslim godfather for princess Louise
- fraud with money belonging to the Navy
- an expensive villa on Sicily
- the KINT foundation
- women (like Wendy van Wanten).

Did he really sell pictures of his children?

[Bones]

Although I feel for the King, at this point I am in sympathy with Prince Laurent as I think the media has proven that, when it comes to the Belgian royals, they can turn anything into a controversy and can and will put the worst possible spin on anything they do. Maybe if the Prime Minister spent less time worrying about Prince Laurent he could focus on something more important like, oh, I don't know, *forming an actual government*! This looks like the media covering for the political elites. Yes, they've been a terrible failure in coming to an agreement on anything ---but look what Prince Laurent is doing! He went overseas without permission, OMG!

I mean seriously, the Prince is, as we used to say, "free, white and 21" and it is getting a little ridiculous how royals are allowed fewer and fewer basic rights and freedoms. And as has been mentioned I think, what would cutting off his allowance do? Does anyone seriously think he would attract no media attention just because he gets no government money? Are people interested in him because he's on the state payroll or because his father is the King? Because that second part can't be changed by an act of parliament. He hasn't hurt anybody, nobody's bleeding over this, give the guy a break!

[Esmerelda]

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/n...-laurent-congo

[grevinnan]

Originally Posted by Bones

... He hasn't hurt anybody, nobody's bleeding over this, give the guy a break!

Considering the situation in Congo perhaps this statement is rather perplexing.

[Esmerelda]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...294481779.html
Prince Laurent is getting quite a lot of international press. If the anecdotes in the article are true, I'm not surprised about his reputation as an 'enfant terrible'

[mgrant]

Does anyone else think he's a little too old to be behaving like an infant? He needs a time out!!!!!!

[Bones]

Originally Posted by grevinnan

Considering the situation in Congo perhaps this statement is rather perplexing.

And what does he have to do with the "situation in the Congo"? How has Prince Laurent hurt them? Is there more to this than I know or are he and his family just born guilty for being relatives of Leopold II?

[Esmerelda]

Originally Posted by Bones

And what does he have to do with the "situation in the Congo"? How has Prince Laurent hurt them? Is there more to this than I know or are he and his family just born guilty for being relatives of Leopold II?

From what I understand according to the articles, the Belgian government is not getting on very well with Congo. Laurent could have been seen as representing them. I don't think this is about colonial guilt.