Prince Laurent, Princess Claire & Family - News & Events, Part 5; Jan 2014 - Dec 2016


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Marengo

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Prince Laurent, Princess Claire & Family - News & Events, Part 5; Jan 2014 - Dec 2016

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Welcome to the 5th thread for Prince Laurent and Princess Claire's News and Pictures. You can find the previous thread here.

Please post current news and pictures only of Prince Laurent and Princess Claire in this thread.




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how sweet. laurent and claire are such an ideal couple, with such strong values shared between them. always a pleasure to know what they are up to.
 
how sweet. laurent and claire are such an ideal couple, with such strong values shared between them. always a pleasure to know what they are up to.

It created surprise in Belgium, but comments are increasingly positive about it.
 
The Belgian press is wondering where princess Claire is. She hasn't been seen at a public engagement for 7 weeks. She cancelled her attendence for a few events too.

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/1308/Prins...evige-Laurent-Claire-komt-niet-meer-mee.dhtml

The 'interview' is awful (see clip in link above), the prince seems at loss what to do and what to say. When VTM television asked why the princess didn't come along he said that the princess is not ill, and added: 'She just doesn't come along any longer'.It gets toecurvingly embarrasing when the journalist goes on:'are there other problems?'... 'but you are looking a bit sad', and later: 'can you calm the fear of our viewers and say that it is going well?' He replies: 'it goes, it goes'.

http://nos.nl/koningshuis/artikel/604648-waar-is-prinses-claire-gebleven.html

http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/16630/...etail/1784628/2014/01/31/Waar-is-Claire.dhtml

http://www.7sur7.be/7s7/fr/1530/Tet.../Mais-ou-est-passee-la-princesse-Claire.dhtml

http://www.dhnet.be/people-buzz/fam...aire-posent-question-52eb62823570e5b8eeeb169e

http://www.sudinfo.be/923949/articl...absence-de-la-princesse-claire-a-ses-cotes-el

Let's hope that it is nothing serious and that is just VTM making a fuss about nothing. Reactions in online newspapers are mainly supportive of the prince (and his wife), which for Belgian online newspaper commentators is quite something, as usually the comments are rather verminous.
 
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I suppose that there can be many other reasons for the princess not going to official events. The court unsurprisingly replied with: 'no comment'.
 
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This turn in events is certainly troubling, but what information I've read, I can honestly say I couldn't even begin to speculate as to what is happening. There are reasons for Claire's action and Laurent's reply to the journalist, but it remains private. I hope the press is just jumping to hasty conclusions. We may learn in time. Thanks for the news links.
 
Marengo, I was reading some bits on other royal sites about the interview and Laurent "supposedly" stated that Claire "is no longer with me." Was that in reply to why Claire was not accompanying him on appearances and engagements? I apologize, I'm a little confused. Thanks.
 
I read that too on Marlene's blog, however it is an incorrect translation. He said 'het is juist dat ze niet meer komt', which means 'it is just/correct that she doesn't come along any longer'.

Anyway... HLN says that everything is well within the marriage. But the newspaper thinks that the prince is going alone out of protest about the lowering of his dotation. And this way they also save money, as the princess usually needs to go to a hairdreser and get expensive clothes before an event.

Prins Laurent: "Als ik minder geld krijg, blijft Claire thuis" - HLN.be

They use quotes in the articles, but it appears that they are not quoting what the prince said, but what they thought he might think ... :ermm:

I think this is a much more likely scenario than marital problems.
 
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Ah, I see. Well, it's always easier for the media to grab the public's attention by hints that a royal marriage might be going sour. If HRH is protesting the lowering his lower dotation, is true, then the added theatrics by HRH makes sense also. ;-). I appreciate your input.
 
There were similar rumors a few years ago in UK concerning Prince Edward and his wife the Countess of Wessex. She suddenly cancelled engagements at the last minute and was rarely to be seen for a while.
Then it turned out Countess Sophie was actually expecting their second child !

The media just love to extract drama from nothing ...
 
Here the journalists assume it is because the dotation has been diminished.... pure speculation....
 
Lots of bad and damaging press lately solely because some family members (=Albert, Paola, Claire) didn't show up to important events and the press started guessing what the reasons are. Frankly, if they don’t feel the need to support the King they could at least feel obliged to support the institution monarchy, after all that is what feeds them. There are only six events throughout the year where they are expected to gather together and pretend to be a family: The New Year's reception, the memorial mass in February, National Day, a concert in autumn, King's Day and the Christmas concert. All of them get more than enough money in return for that one can expect them to attend these events, greet each other politely, put a smile on their face and behave like they are interested in what is happening.
 
Lots of bad and damaging press lately solely because some family members (=Albert, Paola, Claire) didn't show up to important events and the press started guessing what the reasons are. Frankly, if they don’t feel the need to support the King they could at least feel obliged to support the institution monarchy, after all that is what feeds them. There are only six events throughout the year where they are expected to gather together and pretend to be a family: The New Year's reception, the memorial mass in February, National Day, a concert in autumn, King's Day and the Christmas concert. All of them get more than enough money in return for that one can expect them to attend these events, greet each other politely, put a smile on their face and behave like they are interested in what is happening.

probably she had other things to do and Laurent was in a bad mood and didn't feel like give a proper answer. but that's my feeling precisely!
 
Princess Claire stays home already 7 weeks because no money for new clothes , make-up , dresser , babysitter!
Queen Paola wore for the third time her same grey with fur outfit because they have now to manage with less money!
Not fair at all !
 
Princess Claire stays home already 7 weeks because no money for new clothes , make-up , dresser , babysitter!
Queen Paola wore for the third time her same grey with fur outfit because they have now to manage with less money!
Not fair at all !
Albert gets what Philippe got when he was still CP. If Philippe could manage with this budget for his family of six for sure two pensioners can have a comfortable life with this money. Not to mention that Philippe gets 700.000€ less than his father when he was reigning king. You never heard him or his wife complaining, they simply do their work. And this is how it should be. Albert and Laurent come across as spoiled angry men with their complaining, it's really damaging and they better stop this asap.
 
Albert gets what Philippe got when he was still CP. If Philippe could manage with this budget for his family of six for sure two pensioners can have a comfortable life with this money. Not to mention that Philippe gets 700.000€ less than his father when he was reigning king. You never heard him or his wife complaining, they simply do their work. And this is how it should be. Albert and Laurent come across as spoiled angry men with their complaining, it's really damaging and they better stop this asap.

I agree with you. But I'm not going on with this
When Philippe ascended the throne I had the feeling that something changed in Laurent's disposition towards the Royal House, he even made a statement or something if I'm not wrong saying how happy he was to support his brother, and he did a lot of engagements representing his brother. so I think I'm going to wait and see.
Certainly I'm not buying the "they don't have money for new clothes" thing. One doesn't need to show everyday in a new dress. One can be smart enough by wearing store's clothes, like the Duchess of Cambridge does with her Zara outfits
 
Not to mention that Philippe gets 700.000€ less than his father when he was reigning king. You never heard him or his wife complaining, they simply do their work. And this is how it should be.

If you really think this, than I want you to be my employee!
Now seriously, why should they do the same work for less money? Especially when everything is more and more expensive? In the end they could do it for free, couldn´t they? They are absolutely right not to do it, it is very simple - less money, less representation.
 
Somebody made the twitter account:

https://twitter.com/ClaireLCoombs

which also twittered: 'I woke up this morning, read the press and I 'm flabbergasted. why do some people dare putting words in our mouth ?? So far from reality'.

Now the question is, is this really princess Claire? The palace points out that there is one official twiter account for communication, which is https://twitter.com/MonarchieBe

source: HLN
 
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Somebody made the twitter account:

https://twitter.com/ClaireLCoombs

which also twittered: 'I woke up this morning, read the press and I 'm flabbergasted. why do some people dare putting words in our mouth ?? So far from reality'.

Now the question is, is this really princess Claire? The palace points out that there is one official twiter account for communication, which is https://twitter.com/MonarchieBe

Not a verified account and it was only set up yesterday - so unlikely on this evidence so far.
 
Prince Laurent alone this evening for les Magritte du cinema. last year they attended to-gether. If I was Claire and referring to her twitter of to-day (flabbergasted) I should be there.
 
Now seriously, why should they do the same work for less money? Especially when everything is more and more expensive?
Their dotation was effectively lowered because they have to pay taxes on a smaller part of it. No unfair or inappropriate deal imo, just an adaption to reality and it was said that Albert was okay with this decision to take the heat out of the money discussion. The dotations of Astrid and Laurent have been under attack for a long time and so was the amount of money that Fabiola got. Even the former Belgian PM who agreed to introduce the dotations said it was a mistake. Something had to be done. That Albert and Laurent now complain about it sheds no positive light on them and their judgement. Just my view on it though.

In the end they could do it for free, couldn´t they?
See this is what the members of the biggest Flemish party, the republican N-VA (New Flemish Alliance) expect Elisabeth to do in the future. They are working on their manifesto today - there are elections in May - and they decided to abolish the dotation for the heir to the throne. The first version of the text still mentioned a dotation for the CP but the members of the party decided to scrap this sentence. Albert and Laurent's latest antics for sure were very helpful, they undermine the position of the monarchy.
They are absolutely right not to do it, it is very simple - less money, less representation.
Laurent gets more money than the Belgian Prime Minister and had 4 official activities in January, the New Years reception, a visit to Brussels motor show, a visit to a Lego exhibition (he stayed 15 minutes) and a visit to a gallery (he stayed 9 minutes there) so in Laurent's case less representation = no representation. ;)
 
Their dotation was effectively lowered because they have to pay taxes on a smaller part of it. No unfair or inappropriate deal imo, just an adaption to reality and it was said that Albert was okay with this decision to take the heat out of the money discussion. The dotations of Astrid and Laurent have been under attack for a long time and so was the amount of money that Fabiola got. Even the former Belgian PM who agreed to introduce the dotations said it was a mistake. Something had to be done. That Albert and Laurent now complain about it sheds no positive light on them and their judgement. Just my view on it though.

See this is what the members of the biggest Flemish party, the republican N-VA (New Flemish Alliance) expect Elisabeth to do in the future. They are working on their manifesto today - there are elections in May - and they decided to abolish the dotation for the heir to the throne. The first version of the text still mentioned a dotation for the CP but the members of the party decided to scrap this sentence. Albert and Laurent's latest antics for sure were very helpful, they undermine the position of the monarchy.
Laurent gets more money than the Belgian Prime Minister and had 4 official activities in January, the New Years reception, a visit to Brussels motor show, a visit to a Lego exhibition (he stayed 15 minutes) and a visit to a gallery (he stayed 9 minutes there) so in Laurent's case less representation = no representation. ;)

IT's always interesting to see what activities royals do other than BRF (I'm British). In the month of January, Prince Andrew (probably the least popular member of the family and who receives about £145,000 pa directly from the Queen to pay for travel and his office (no salary)), did 24 engagements on 10 days of the month.

That wont make him any more popular :lol:
 
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