King's Feast 2004 - present


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Perhaps it was the best one they got?
 
Not exactly a happy Royal Family photo you'd like shared :previous:
 
The palace could have published the photo of the family attending the mass and nothing else

This photo is very disturbing
 
I thought Princess Claire had problems with the King and the Queen (no show up for our National Day) but am surprised also for the rest of the family. I don't understand, it is really un faux pas !
 
Goodness! I don't really follow the Belgian RF, but this seems quite unusual - I've always thought that Royals are so good at covering up any problems and difficulties when in full view of the camera and the public.
It seems to me that Queen Paola has aged quite dramatically recently. But how dignified Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz appear - it's good that the King and Queen still have them to rely upon!
 
Laurent not greeting his family and vice versa is an old story. For ex. just go back on page 9
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f29/kings-feast-2004-2016-a-4075-9.html#post1619113
of this very thread and you will see how in 2013 Albert, Paola and Astrid didn't bother to greet Laurent. They just reap what they sow. Sad that neither of them seems to be able to keep their bitter feelings under check in public for the sake of the institution.

Laurent reportedly suffers from a mental illness which gets worse during the winter months. And he always needs much attention, so he struck again yesterday – like many times before btw. During the last years he has insulted his family, the RF's staff, politicians and so on and he has gambled away all the chances which were given to him. It's my firm belief that he would be much better off if he just leaves the spotlight and his extended family to find a bit of peace.

Then again this isn't just about a family airing their dirty laundry in public but also about the institution which provides them a more than lavish income. IMO they should abolish Laurent and Astrid's dotation at the latest when Princess Elisabeth turns 18. It was one of Alberts biggest mistakes to ask for financial support and it only created a really unhealthy sense of entitlement in both of them. A huge majority of the Belgians doesn't want to pay for them anyway. Also Albert and Paola should get themselves a decent advisor and rethink their post-abdication actions.
 
maria-olivia said:
I thought Princess Claire had problems with the King and the Queen (no show up for our National Day) but am surprised also for the rest of the family. I don't understand, it is really un faux pas !
Click to expand...
According to LeSoir which has the best royal coverage at the moment she was pushing for her own dotation (how unrealistic is that :wacko:) and is now disappointed she didn't get one. However, over the last decade she has missed many major royal events. So perhaps she doesn't attach much imoprtance to the royal aspect of her life at all. She could start working again.
 
*Mara* said:
According to LeSoir which has the best royal coverage at the moment she was pushing for her own dotation (how unrealistic is that :wacko:) and is now disappointed she didn't get one. [...]
Click to expand...

The dotation to Prince Laurent of course includes his spouse. But what when the Prince keeps his spouse penniless and dependant? Who knows?

It are mixed signals anyway. Prince Laurent seems on collison course with his parents. At the same time his mother donated a 17th C vicarage and lands in the village of Fenffe to Laurent's sons Nicholas and Aymeric. That mansion is under complete renovation now, and is therefore a pretty lavish gift by grandma Paola.

Vicarage

Detail of the interesting building material
 
Duc_et_Pair said:
The dotation to Prince Laurent of course includes his spouse. But what when the Prince keeps his spouse penniless and dependant? Who knows?
Click to expand...
Yes, who knows. But even if that's the case it's not the taxpayers task at all to fix these kind of marital troubles.
 
*Mara* said:
Yes, who knows. But even if that's the case it's not the taxpayers task at all to fix these kind of marital troubles.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily more dotation, but perhaps an individual dotation indeed, like is done in the Netherlands. This would solve dependancies on the (unwilling) spouse.
 
The Children are going to the very expensive Lycée Français and know no word of Dutch.
 
maria-olivia said:
The Children are going to the very expensive Lycée Français and know no word of Dutch.
Click to expand...

I don't know what it is with Prince Laurent. It looks like he makes exactly the choices which are as provocative as possible... Does he not consider how this would land amongst the Dutch-speaking citizens (more than 60% of the population) ?
 
I am sure King Albert asked Prince Laurent not to attend this year.
What he did last year towards his parents is a terrible public lack of respect.
 
Agreed, if he can not treat his relatives with respect in public it is better he does not appear with them at all.

I suppose the absence is related to the prince's illness, that he got when the prime minister wanted to meet with him.
 
:previous:
Yep, what goes around, comes around. I agree with the view that Laurent appears to go through actions that are purposefully provocative to his family, Govt., the public. He then whines about being treated unfairly and harshly at the consequences of those actions. I don't get him either.
It was the best for Laurent to not attend the King's Feast this year, but again, it was the direct result of his behaviour last year.
 
Princess Claire is a surprise but at least she's a more preferable choice than her buffoon of a husband.
 
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The former king and former queen are very well

Laurent is not here, is he ill ?
 
Here are a few extra photos from this morning annual Mass at Saint Michael and St Gudula Cathedral in Brussels.

PPE Agency
 
melina premiere said:
The former king and former queen are very well

Laurent is not here, is he ill ?
Click to expand...

Prince Laurent was expected to have a conversation with the Premier Ministre, M Charles Michel. (He has a problem with the Government for -once again- breaking the rules. The Goverment wants to impose a financial sanction on the Prince).

Prince Laurent excused himself for that conversation because of "illness". So he was wise to remain at home indeed, and not appear in public.
 
I think Queen Paola looks very frail.:sad:

Do the Royal children not attend King's Feast Mass?
 
:previous: Thank you Duc.

I always love to see Philippe and Mathilde's immaculately raised children, but there is no way they should miss school.
 
Moonmaiden23 said:
:previous: Thank you Duc.

I always love to see Philippe and Mathilde's immaculately raised children, but there is no way they should miss school.
Click to expand...

In my option the Princes and Princesses could join, but anti-royalist (social) media is never far away in Belgium: immediately there would be moaning about "the privileges of these Coburgs".
 
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