Why is there so much negativity about Laurent?


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kalnel

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Every time I read a story about Prince Laurent, including the interview he gave the students today, there seems to be some suggestion that he isn't liked or respected. I'm aware of the fraud allegations from a year or two ago, but this goes much further back -- even his Wikipedia entry says that King Baudouin may have disliked him because of liberal religious views.

I'm curious if there's some specific thing or things that Laurent did to cause a negative impression of himself. Apart from his speaking out about animal rights years ago, I can't remember reading anything public.

Did Laurent do something to cause this bad reputation, or is he a victim of a general negative impression?

(Also, where did he go to school? He mentions attending school in the United States, but his biography on Wikipedia doesn't mention this.)

Thanks,
kal
 
Totally unrespectful and a lot of mistakes .
The Prime-Minister now is Herman Van Rompuy.
It is not easy for a Prince born second..
 
Much of the article seems to be the typical media innuendo, he turns up at an event without his wife so his marriage is on the rocks. Someone says he can't afford a full time nanny and therefore he wishes to live in a bigger house etc
 
Though there might be some negativity in the press about Laurent, I have to say that agfter his father he is probably the most popular Belgian royal. More popular than his brother evidently. Many Belgians have a soft spot for 'prince Woof'.
 
Much of the article seems to be the typical media innuendo, he turns up at an event without his wife so his marriage is on the rocks. etc

but his marriage WAS on the rocks at a certain point (2003-2004)!! It is not false.
My sources? Their portuguese maid and her husband who worked for Laurent and Claire. They told the fights to a belgian friend of mine who used to be lady-in-waiting of Princess Paola in the 60s.

But if this source does not seem very serious to you I can give you another one above all reproach: the book "Le mythe d´Argenteuil" by Michel Verwilghen, a most serious author.

I think there´s so much negativity about Laurent because he is a negative person.....he only cares for the animals. This belgian friend who I mentionned above just loves him precisely for this reason.

But Laurent getting involved with the natural daughter of his father is quite insensitive. His passion for luxury cars also.

And I don´t know if it was mentionned here Laurent wanted to convert to Muslim religion for political reasons (there are more than half million of muslims in Belgium), as you can see by these articles of the most important French-speaking belgian newspapers (and extremely monarchist one of them):

Lalibre.be - "Le prince Laurent voulait devenir musulman"

Archives - lesoir.be
 
Servants, maids, ladies-in-waiting of Princes should do their work instead of revealing private affairs about their royals..
I may tell you thet Prince Laurent is NOT a negative person. The Prince is perhaps to sensitive but has a great heart. I saw him last month on the Brussel's Grand Place, he wanted to be there when a full huge truck started his trip to Soeur Emmanuelle poors in Egypt and afterwards he went back home alone with an ordinar motorbike.
He loves his children, his wife Princess Claire looks beautiful and smiling . We see her often in official visits with HM the Queen..
Alberto, you may write what you want but our Prince is very popular in his country. We just like him as he is.
 
It is not easy for a Prince born second..
Well, under some aspects I think you're right, but surely a second-born has less pressions on him...

Their portuguese maid and her husband who worked for Laurent and Claire
It seems to me an usual thing for the dependants of the Belgian Royal Family to tell what's happening in the Family; also a nurse of the children of Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz did it some time ago, telling that Astrid is a bad mother for her children or something similar...

King Albert II admitted the existence of an illegitimate daughter, Delphine Boël
I know this is not properly about the topic, but is it true? I know that nothing was officially said and confirmed...
 
I didn't know this, thanks Maria Olivia.
 
Servants, maids, ladies-in-waiting of Princes should do their work instead of revealing private affairs about their royals..
.....Alberto, you may write what you want but our Prince is very popular in his country. We just like him as he is.

Maria Olivia, I mentionned also the book, "Les mythes d´Argenteuil", have you read it?

I know Laurent is popular, as I said my friend loves him (I don´t) and I go often to Belgium.

And what about the articles by La Libre Belgique and Le Soir published this month saying Laurent wanted to convert to Muslim religion?
 
I believe that the source for that infromation is rather shady. It was written by Jan van den Berghe, a royalty author (and a very bad one I might add), and he seems to have gotten the information from Col. Noël Vaessen, who took the blame for the mess around Laurent's furniture. So hardly an objective source.

Added to that, it is not sure how serious the prince was about this, did he mention it once, just as a joke or did he make some steps towards becoming a muslim?
 
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A lot of books about the RF were written since King Baudouin died.. They are not 100 % thruth and people by the books for having interesting private details about the RF.
What was altough important it is due to a book on Queen Paola , that we knew about Dephine Boël , which has been hidden for years but published at the very moment of Prince Philippe's engagement.
About Prince Laurent becoming muslim , remember he wanted as Godfather for his first child Louise Reza the last Shah's son which was not possible but that is Laurent..
 
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but his marriage WAS on the rocks at a certain point (2003-2004)!! It is not false.
My sources? Their portuguese maid and her husband who worked for Laurent and Claire. They told the fights to a belgian friend of mine who used to be lady-in-waiting of Princess Paola in the 60s.

But if this source does not seem very serious to you I can give you another one above all reproach: the book "Le mythe d´Argenteuil" by Michel Verwilghen, a most serious author.

I think there´s so much negativity about Laurent because he is a negative person.....he only cares for the animals. This belgian friend who I mentionned above just loves him precisely for this reason.

But Laurent getting involved with the natural daughter of his father is quite insensitive. His passion for luxury cars also.

And I don´t know if it was mentionned here Laurent wanted to convert to Muslim religion for political reasons (there are more than half million of muslims in Belgium), as you can see by these articles of the most important French-speaking belgian newspapers (and extremely monarchist one of them):

Lalibre.be - "Le prince Laurent voulait devenir musulman"

Archives - lesoir.be

But those sources wern't quoted in the article and I was commenting on thte typical manner of the media fabricating whole cloth from scraps. As to your sources, well I'm not going to dispute them as I certainly don't have anything simialr to go by, but I would rather base my opinions on something a bit more realistic than a newspaper article that gives innuendos.
And as for prefering animals to people, well I don't blame him if your comments are typical of the sort he hears.
I'm not into luxery cars but if he wants to be, well good for him.
Theres a 'royalty' author who is doing a hatchett job on the Crown prince and Princess of Denmark. Sounds llike similar people have been doing the same to Laurent.
 
Negativity about Prince Laurent is not surprising. I would say that he does not fit the mold of an obedient humble Prince and raise . His choices such as Prince Reza as a godfather caused a few raised eyebrows. At the same time, I think that Belgium is a bit negative about their royal family in general.
 
Negativity about Prince Laurent is not surprising. I would say that he does not fit the mold of an obedient humble Prince and raise . His choices such as Prince Reza as a godfather caused a few raised eyebrows. At the same time, I think that Belgium is a bit negative about their royal family in general.

Prince Reza being chosen as Louise's god-father was a story that was circulated at the time. There was never any confirmation that he was either a god-father or asked to be one.
 
In Belgium we are not negative at all about our Royal Family.
We are sadly a small country split by two languages French and Dutch.
Unfortunately the Dutch language of the Queen , Princesses Mathilde , Claire and Astrid are really weak ; they know a few sentences quite well but are unable to answer to a difficult and unprepared question... comparing to Princess Maxima who is speaking dutch really fluently.
Mathilde and Astrid's children are going in flamish schools and they will be no problem anymore for the next generation.
But we need our monarchy, which is above all our linguistic problems..
King Albert II is very popular , may he have a long life..
 
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Personally I see nothing wrong with Prince Laurent wishing to have Prince Reza as his child's godfather. Furthermore, it can not be determined whether or not Prince Laurent approached Prince Reza with the request. However, this unconfirmed gossip added to the image of Prince Laurent as a rebel of some kind.
Indeed, Belgians need their monarchy because it tends to unify the country. I find it interesting that none of Princesses, especially Crown Princess Mathilde, in the family made every effort to polish the Dutch though.
 
Poor Queen Fabiola, she seems to be such a lovely woman...why a whitch?
 
See this is what I man, Laurent has a bad image because - Someoneheard something somehwre that he did something which they don't approve of.
He seems to be a little bit differnet from the rest of the family. Maybe less religious, or hidebound I don't know.
I also don't get the fuss about Prince Reza being godfather.
 
I find it hard to believe that Queen Fabiola would deploy drastic measures such as exorcism. Given the interview in HUMO, my conlcusion is that Prince Laurent's unfavourable image is a result of milking his social status for gaining business advantages. Then again Vaessen would tell anything to defend himself.I am not sure what to believe...
 
Poor Queen Fabiola, she seems to be such a lovely woman...why a whitch?

ahahaha! for many reasons! try and read "La Republique du Roi". It gives you an idea.
Her biographies, trying to be laudatory, causes her dammage, like saying she was (is) such a correct person that she didn´t talk to her mother for 18 years because her mother took side with her divorced son...........
 
Maybe Laurent suffers from the William/Harry syndrome... every royal family needs a "bad boy" so that they look interesting. Didn't everyone complain that Philippe wasn't interesting at all (before he met Mathilde for sure)?
 
Maybe Laurent suffers from the William/Harry syndrome... every royal family needs a "bad boy" so that they look interesting. Didn't everyone complain that Philippe wasn't interesting at all (before he met Mathilde for sure)?

Hello!

if it is true Laurent took it to an extreme!!!!!
 
Again a bad book and you believe all what is written.
I have in my library more than 50 books about our royals but only the interesting ones.
This is my last message for this thread.
 
I guess because he receives a dotation, but doesn't do much.
And only seems to want the positive things of being a royal.
He wants to be a rebel, but he is not.
If he was a real rebel, he would just go live abroad and get a job or so...
 
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