Prince Laurent lives for free and received an allowance of nearly 4.3 million Swedish kronor last year. Not enough, the prince thought – as the first Belgian royal to sue the state for the benefits he believed he was entitled to.
Now, the Labour Court in Brussels has spoken. The prince is not entitled to receive social benefits, reports the Belgian TV channel VTM Nieuws. However, the court acknowledges that there are loopholes in the legislation and that Laurent should be entitled to a pension, which is not possible at present.
The 61-year-old Laurent, younger brother of King Philippe of Belgium, has claimed that his idealistic animal rights organization and work for the monarchy give him the same right to social benefits as any ordinary Belgian entrepreneur.
It's not about the financial means. It's a matter of principle, he said earlier to TV channel RTBF.
Despite Laurent's claim that it's not about the money, he has referred to healthcare costs and concerns about his family's future economic well-being, as the royal allowance will be cut off when he dies.
This is not the first time Prince Laurent has embarrassed the royal house in Brussels. In 2015, he compared his relatives to the East German secret police, Stasi, and in 2018, his royal allowance was reduced by 15 percent after he met with foreign dignitaries without the government's approval.
