Prince Laurent, Princess Claire & Family - News & Events, Part 6; Dec 2016 - Aug 2023

[Lee-Z]

Apparently P.Laurent has dropped his twitter account
Prins Laurent verdwijnt van Twitter|Prive| Telegraaf.nl

google translated

 

[vkrish]

Every country and Head of State is eager to do business with China. That's not at all a crime. Even the Queen of Queens recently hosted a lavish State Visit
so I that's not a big deal. Of course if he bypassed the official protocol then he should certainly be brought into line

 

[tommy100]

Governments have their own, often complex ways, of dealing with any country. When dealing with a country like China each and every action by anyone remotely seen as "official" is watched and analysed. The fact is Laurent is a loose cannon and does need bringing into line.

 

[maria-olivia]

If no twitter , no picture . An NVA Member (who always critic our Royals was there too!

 

[maria-olivia]

Prince Laurent is invited to see our Prime Minister , Mr Charles Michel, and to explain why he went in Uniform to the Chinese Ambassade. His Dotation is now 307.000 euros a year !

 

[royal rob]

Invited !!!
A invite he can't refuse

 

[Lee-Z]

Invited !!!
A invite he can't refuse

No indeed, but keep in mind that not all posters on these forums are native english speakers (or writers) and sometimes words get a bit changed in translation.
This is a small article about the case:
Premier Michel houdt hoorzitting met Laurent|Prive| Telegraaf.nl
google translation
In this article the word "must explain" is used

 

[Marengo]

HLN suspects that the prince may lose 77.000 euros of his dotation:

Laurent kan tot 77.000 euro dotatie verliezen - HLN.be

Apparently Laurent was also on the agenda in the counsel of ministers, who have more important things to take care of and thus must have been irritated by the matter.

The law needs to be changed if the government wants to take away the entire dotation, which is not likely to happen at this point.

 

[cdm]

Laurent got out of the meeting with the prime minister with a doctor's certificate.
He will have his lawyer represent him at a meeting later this month.

Prins Laurent omzeilt bolwassing premier Michel met een ziektebriefje
https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2017/0...wassing-premier-michel-met-een-ziektebr.html/

 

[tommy100]

So he ill? Hope he doesn't make a miraculous recovery next week...

 

[Marengo]

Sigh...... an excuse that people usually use when in secundary school. The poor prime minister must have better things to do than to waste his time with such triffles.

 

[maria-olivia]

I agree , now he has to stay home for a while ! really stupid

 

[rominet09]

I used to be so fond of him.... now.....
Of course he can be really ill but it's difficult to believe

 

[iceflower]

.

Princess Claire and the children attended the ceremony of the 20th anniversary of the Prince Laurent Foundation in La Hulpe, oganized by Marie-Claude (Mimi) Solvay de la Hulpe on September 16. Prince Laurent did not attend the event.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** belga gallery **

 

[maria-olivia]

Of course no , he has a serious illness !
Mimi Solvay is doing a lot for Prince Laurent and his family but not being there for his own Foundation...

 

[iceflower]

.

On September 28 Princess Claire as Honorary President of Renovassistance attended the inauguration of the newest renovation project of the organisation:


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** fb gallery **

 

[Marie H]

Thanks for these photos of Princess Claire and the children

 

[iceflower]

.

So Laurent missed another event. He used to attend the competition in previous years.

Here are some more photos:


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 **

 

[maria-olivia]

Laurent is still ILL !

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

It's nice to see Claire and the children at the event; Louise in particular is looking quite grown up now.
Laurent has been a no-show for a while now. I hope, in a weird kind of way, that he is genuinely ill (not that I want to wish an illness upon someone, but hopefully I'm understandable!) and is absent not because he doesn't want to attend, which wouldn't surprise me with Laurent.

 

[Somebody]

Of course no , he has a serious illness !
Mimi Solvay is doing a lot for Prince Laurent and his family but not being there for his own Foundation...

What is this serious illness? Or are you sarcastic given your earlier comments...

 

[Marengo]

A depression?

 

[Countessmeout]

He has been treated for depression in the past I believe.

There has been speculation for months about his illness. And while it has been confirmed he is ill, no confirmation given of if what. I tend to think it may be depression. I would think if it was a physical illness they may be a bit more forthcoming. There is such a stigma about depression and mental health unfortunately for many.

 

[Marengo]

I suppose the sceptisism comes from the fact that it seems that the illness is used to suit Laurent. Him being too ill to meet the prime minister for a scolding about his visit to the Chinese embassy seems like he is just hiding away from the consequences of his actions.

 

[Katrianna]

So true, like the fable of the boy crying wolf, although we, and the public don't know that Laurent could be truly ill and depression should, be treated as a physical illness is treated as far as removing the stigma of mental illness is concerned. I agree with Marengo that it's not unreasonable for skepticism to emerge when Laurent was, seemingly in good health when attending the event at the Chinese Embassy and then when summoned for a meeting with the Prime Minister, he's suddenly too ill to attend.
Sometimes depressed people can carry out functions normally without any outward signs, then something occurs that is a challenge to these persons mentally and they can't cope with it, such as facing the PM in response to his actions at the Chinese Embassy with a possible scolding/reprimand.
All pure speculation on my part as, of course, I don't personally know HRH or am privy to his life. I'm also not defending his actions either. If he's gone against the Govt., as has happened in the past, he should account for his actions to the Govt.

 

[Marengo]

Prince Laurent's solicitor defended the prince in a 7-page long letter to the prime minister. He claims the issue harms the prince' s human rights:

However, Prince Laurent’s solicitor says that the Federal Government is in danger of threatening Prince Laurent’s human rights. The law that states that Prince Laurent has to ask for permission to meet foreign officials is open to interpretation.
According to his solicitor, the government is interpreting the law so strictly that Laurent can’t enjoy a normal social life.
Speaking about the presence of the Prince at the embassy, his solicitor told VRT News that "It is something the Prince is allowed to do, as long as his actions don’t have any political consequences”.

From: http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/News/1.3106614

Article in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/01/belgian-prince-laurent-human-rights-breached-pay-cut

Reactions have been acid, as was to be expected.

 

[polyesco]

Human Rights? enjoy his social life?
wow

 

[Somebody]

And a 15% cut will rob the family of all their livelihoods?!

The solution according to the prince is that he announces any visit 10 days in advance? Why hasn't he doing that before? Would have saved him a lot of trouble

 

[eya]

Prince Laurent's solicitor defended the prince in a 7-page long letter to the prime minister. He claims the issue harms the prince' s human rights:



From: Prince Laurent’s solicitor writes to the PM

Article in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/01/belgian-prince-laurent-human-rights-breached-pay-cut

Reactions have been acid, as was to be expected.

More articles about this

Belgium's Prince Laurent protests over fine - BBC News

Belgium's 'cursed prince' complains his human rights are being infringed by salary cut

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

It is dangerous that the politicians are getting fed up with the royal family. No, not the separatists and the marxists, they are nothing new... But yesterday a respected mainstream politician as Karel de Gucht (Liberal Party), a former Minister of Defence, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, a former member of the European Commission (sort of EU minister) wrote in a newspaper: "What would Belgium actually notice if they woke up and there was no Philippe and no Mathilde at the palace?"

The current Prime Minister, Charles Michel, is from the same political family as this Karel de Gucht. Also the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the Luxembourgian Prime Minister Xavier Bettel belong to the same political family.

That such a prominent politician, an éminence grise of Belgian politics, openly dares to discuss this, is alarming. A taboo has fallen. And essentially all thanks to this useless clown, Prince Laurent. There are no complaints about his brother King Philippe and his sister Princess Astrid, who both run a faultless parcours so far. Prince Laurent is the rusty nail in the already rotten coffin of the Belgian monarchy.