Prince Laurent accused of Fraud

[Marengo]

Originally Posted by princess olga

Paola was on record recently saying something along these lines: "Albert and I had our problems but nowadays, we think we were made for each other." So cute! Wish Laurent hadn't been a victim of their darker marital days however.

I remember the wedding of Laurent, where the 'rock priest', father Gilbert, was telling about the strained relationship between a father and a son AND about the reconsiliation. Laurent and his mother looked particulary moved during this part of the sermon, as did the King.

Part of the sermon, which can be found in this post by Alexandria

I would like to dedicate to you, brothers and sisters, dearly loved, who are here, and to those who watch this by means of theirs screen, I would like to dedicate this beautiful, true story to you, the most beautiful story I know; I dedicate this story to you, Paola and Albert, Nicole and Nicolas, Maria, Henri, to all those who love eachother, to those who have succeeded in trying to cope with fidelity and finally to those who, with this advice, have left eachother, have divorced and … remarried. There is so much suffering in today´s world people go through. So to all those women, all those men, I dedicate this story, the story of the white handkerchiefs.

An adult man of twenty years old had blemished the name of his parents, an affair which more or less had ruined the reputation of his parents. The father had told John who had blemished his family´s fame: ´John, leave this place and never again return to this house.´ So, John, with a heavy soul, left his home. A little later he told himself: ´I am really a piece of ****, a scoundrel, so I am going to ask my father to forgive me.´ But he was so afraid of his father that he thought that he would throw him out of the house for ever. Then he wrote him a letter: ´Father, I really have been a disgrace to you, I ask your forgiveness, I would so much like to come home again, I am writing to you now, I don´t even tell you my address, because I am so afraid that you will say ´no´ to me. If you forgive me, put a white handkerchief, I beg you, on an apple-tree in front of the house, on the big alley leading to the house, on the last apple-tree.´ Then a little later he said to his brother and friend Mark: ´I beg you Mark, I beg you, accompany me, we are going to do the following. I will take you to the house. At 500 m distance from the house, you will drive me. Then I will take the passenger´s seat, I will close my eyes. Slowly you will drive along the alley with the apple-trees, you will stop. If there is a white handkerchief we will drive on to the house. If there isn´t any I will never return to the house.´ As said, so done. At 100 m John changed seat with Mark, he sat on the passenger´s seat, he closed his eyes and slowly the car drove along the grand alley with the apple-trees up till the last apple-tree before the house and John, with his eyes closed, said to Mark: ´I beg you, Mark, did my father put a white handkerchief on the apple-tree in front of the house?´ Mark said to him: ´No, John, there is no handkerchief in the apple-tree in front of the house, but there are hundreds of them all along the alley which leads to the house!´

I have the impression that since his marriage to Claire the relations with his family have been improving, but as I said that is just an impression, I don t have any facts to prove that.

[Marengo]

An long article about the scandal from The Independant (originally posted by Susan T on the Royal News and Views MB):

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2145134.ece

[flcty]

Song for a prince
Fri 19/01/07 - The Brussels music group 'Les Clémentines' has composed a song about the King's youngest son Prince Laurent. The group's inspiration was the Prince's recent appearance in court at the trial of his former advisor Colonel Noël Vaessen...
...The case inspired musicians Toni Le Coq and Charles Hermand to write "Lolo... y va tout rembourser" (Lolo... he is going to pay it all back).
Lolo is a pet name often given by French-speaking Belgians to friends and loved one called Laurent.
The musicians aren't out to insult Prince Laurent. They told journalists that the song is a joke, intended to make the Prince seem likeable. "To us the Prince is a real star."
The text will be sung by an impersonator, who is specialised in imitating the colourful Walloon Budget Minister Michel Daerden (Francophone socialist).
The text will be accompanied by techno-style dance music. The single will be released on February 2 on the Sony record label.
Both Dutch and French versions of the song will feature on the CD single.
The article can be found here...
http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flande...9_laurent_song

[princess olga]

Originally Posted by Marengo

I remember the wedding of Laurent, where the 'rock priest', father Gilbert, was telling about the strained relationship between a father and a son AND about the reconsiliation. Laurent and his mother looked particulary moved during this part of the sermon, as did the King.

Part of the sermon, which can be found in this post by Alexandria



I have the impression that since his marriage to Claire the relations with his family have been improving, but as I said that is just an impression, I don t have any facts to prove that.

I have the same impression, that Claire did a lot to help mend fences between her husband and his family. She really seems a calming force (of course I have no evidence here either, just my impression! )

[martha-louise]

I think the family relations have improved since père Gilbert is a friend of the family. He understands the prince well, so he could do some reconciliation talk. And the function of Claire, I see it as a surplus, she became good friends with Mathilde, she and the kids are the stable link between Laurent and the family IMO
I have the impression that this fraude case didn't hurt the relations, because he didn't tend to do wrong. (He keeps appearing in public, with can show that he isn't disturbed by soul-searching questions)

[princess olga]

Originally Posted by martha-louise

I think the family relations have improved since père Gilbert is a friend of the family. He understands the prince well, so he could do some reconciliation talk. And the function of Claire, I see it as a surplus, she became good friends with Mathilde, she and the kids are the stable link between Laurent and the family IMO
I have the impression that this fraude case didn't hurt the relations, because he didn't tend to do wrong. (He keeps appearing in public, with can show that he isn't disturbed by soul-searching questions)

What's the consensus in Belgium currently on the scandal and Lauren'ts role in it now that he's said he'll pay back his share? And how do the Belgians see Laurent's role in the future? Can he keep on going with what he was doing prior to this sad story?

[martha-louise]

Well things go on just as they were before. There is no accusation against Laurent. Court believes he didn't know that the money that Vaessen offered him was illegimate. So in terms of jurisdiction Laurent has nothing done wrong.
But as he was the reciever of the money, the court will ask to pay the Marine back, so there is a high possibility Laurent will pay for it.

[Marengo]

I believe last week Noel Vaessen was found guilty of fraud but he got a very light punishmentm, no prison time and he only has to do community service (though I do not remember the exact verdict, maybe others can help).

[fanletizia]

BELGIAN ROYAL HOUSE GIVES BACK THE MONEY TURNED ASIDE TO PRINCE LAURENT

The 175,000 euros will be destined to the repair of military houses of victims of industrial accident
...
Prince Laurent had left to the margin of possible crimes, but once demonstrated that the 175,000 inverted ones in the reforms of their house have an illegal origin, the agreement agreed to between the Government and Palace to give back the money are put in firm. The payment will take place through the civil list of the King, who understands the totality of the budget of the Belgian Royal Family, and the money will be destined to the repair of military houses of victims of industrial accident.

LA CASA REAL BELGA DEVUELVE EL DINERO DESVIADO AL PRÍNCIPE LAURENT

[Marengo]

well, good that all this seem to have come to an end. Let's hope Laurent can keep himself out of serious trouble from now on!

I am still worried about the report (from several sources) that Laurent tended to get physical with his previous girlfriends. I hope for Claire's sake that that was the falsest rumour of them all.

[Marengo]

I read in the Dutch version of newspaper 'Metro' that Laurents organisation 'KINT' receives much less subsidy from the goverment from now on. One assumes it has something to do with the accusations that were made against Laurent (using KINT money for personal expenses).

[Marengo]

A new accusation towards the prince was made by one of his former employees of KINT. Jacques Wirtgen was fired by KINT on August 31st. He now accuses the Prince of ´gerommel´ (messing) with a private foundation.

Read an article of Het Laatste Nieuws here, in Dutch only.

In the mean time he was interviewed by newspaper Sud Presse. Laurent said that the former advisors were ´becoming crazy´. He says the accusations weren´t credible and that he was accused of thins he didn´t do. Read the HLN article in Dutch here. He also advises some journalists to change jobs and become authors instead as they made so many things up.

And that is not all, Colonel Vaessen, the former advisor who started all this presented his book about the scandal in French. Again HLN, here and in Dutch only.

[stephanievl]

Inetrview with prince Laurent (Belang van Limburg)

Prince Laurent feels "tired" about all the criticism on him.
The man who was once immence popular gets a lot of crisicim the last months.
”Ik haven't changed. I am still the same person as when I was popular as it were.”
"Also my behaviour hasn't changed", Laurent says. "I don't know but it must be that some people think that they can earn a lot of money by writing whatever they want about me"

Why don't you write your own book? You could tell your own truth
I don't feel like talking about myself. I have written a book once about the history of Brussels, told by dogs. I worked on it for 40 years.

Maybe kolonel Vaesen wrote his book about you because he feld himself abandoned by you?
Listen, he had to stand trail once and the only criticism he had about me was that I ate to much spaghetti. Imagine you that I on my way home cross 10.000 red lights and kill 200 people. Would you say the judge that I ate to much spaghetti?

Why is the distribution of his book not prevented? Your father did that with an other book.
That did not happen because I don't care about that book. When I would prevent that the book would come out that I wouls give it more publicity.

How reacts your wife princess Claire?
She doesn't find the attacs verry reliable. One good advice: if you don't know anything, shut up about it.

You look tired.
That is normal! One year i am punnished for things that I didn't do. How can someone keep after someone so long?

You don't like the journalists?
I wouls advise them to change profession, become writers, independent people..

You pay much attention ecology. But you drive a Porsche Cayenne. Not a verry "green" car?
We are not going to discust about stupid things? In wich language do I have to make it clear? I have showed enough that I am associated with the ecologic sector! I am never looking for sensation and i will never give in to it.

[Marengo]

Thx for that. Do you think this is a coordinated interview by the court or is the prince his usual self and is he acting like a loose canon again? His replies aren+t very diplomatic, but very human of course.

[SASSY]

Wasn't he treated for depression a few years ago?? Maybe he's bi-polar, and I'm not saying that in jest. He seems like he has mood swings.
And what's this about the history of Belgium as told by dogs???