A scandal-prone Belgian prince has said that the government’s proposal to cut his £264,000 allowance is a ‘violation of human rights’ that he may appeal to the highest European court.
Prince Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe of Belgium, caused a diplomatic incident when he visited a celebration honouring the 90th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army on July 19 at the Chinese Embassy in Brussels.
It caused a scandal in Belgian royalty and governmental circles as nobody authorised the prince to visit the celebration on behalf of Belgium.
Prince Laurent is the younger brother of King Philippe of Belgium and is renowned for his gaffes and scandals
His various gaffes and scandals have led to the former military helicopter pilot being nicknamed The Cursed Prince (Le Prince Maudit).
One of the preconditions of 54-year-old Prince Laurent’s state income of £264,634 is that the scandal-prone prince is not allowed to have contact with foreign dignitaries without authorisation.
Even though reports first stated that Prince Laurent might lose his entire stipend, it was eventually proposed by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and King Philippe that a partial retraction of Price Laurent’s yearly stipend might be more suitable.
The proposal, which advocates to cut Prince Laurent’s stipend by up to 15 per cent a year, will be decided upon by the Belgian government next week.
It was reported that he would initially lose all his income but the Prime Minister and his brother King Philippe agreed to a 15 per cent cut
Now Prince Laurent has fired back at losing part of his stipend as according to local media his lawyer sent a seven-page letter to Prime Minister Michel and the government.
According to Prince Laurent’s lawyer, the law on which the Belgian government is using to cut the stipend contradicts the country’s constitution and violates human rights.
The seven page letter also states that the government sentences Prince Laurent to ‘social isolation’ as the ban on unauthorised contact with foreign dignitaries includes some relatives.
Laurent Arnauts argued that his visit to the embassy caused ‘no diplomatic damage of any kind’ and also states the prince has no access to social security or a pension, nor the right to do any paid work.
Prince Laurent’s lawyer said his if client was banned from seeing foreign dignitaries it could lead to ‘social isolation’
The situation that goes ‘against the most fundamental human rights in a developed society’ and warns Belgium might even be dragged in front of the European Court of Human Rights.
In the letter, the lawyer said the prince is open for a constructive dialogue to seek a solution together with the government as long as his fundamental rights are not infringed.
Prince Laurent has faced criticism before on many occasions for non-authorised foreign contacts.
Last summer, Belgian local media reported that Michel only at the last moment managed to prevent Prince Laurent from giving a speech at a Turkish rally held in July in Belgium.
The Turkish rally was a commemoration of the failed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan one year ago.
Given Belgium’s critical stance on the crackdown by Erdogan on democracy, the rule of law and his opponents since the failed coup, it would have been a major diplomatic embarrassment for Belgium and a major win for Turkish diplomacy if Laurent had turned up.
Prince Laurent reportedly did not ask for permission to speak at the event, but PM Michel found out about it and stopped it with just moments to spare.
Not only are politicians increasingly worried by the maverick prince’s behaviour, but King Philippe himself is worried that Prince Laurent’s actions have tarnished the reputation of the royal family, reports said.
The Prince’s outspokenness on various issues has earned him the nickname ‘Belgium’s Prince Phillip’
Prince Laurent had his stipend slashed after embarking on an ill-advised venture with the son of Libya’s dictator Muammar Gadaffi without government approval in 2011.
He was banished from court for six months after a business trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a former Belgian colony, and forced to sign a promise to not travel abroad without government permission.
In 2014, he was forced to pay back £14,500 after invoicing the state for supermarket bills, skiing holidays and his children’s school fees.
Last year he decided that Prince Laurent’s children were not allowed to carry the name ‘of Belgium’.
Prince Laurent’s involvement in animal welfare and environmental issues, as well as him ignoring protocol, have earned Laurent the nickname of ‘ecolo-gaffeur’ (‘the eco-blunderer’).
The prince was also named in a corruption scandal and is known for his love of speed, having racked up several speeding tickets.
Prince Laurent is married to British-born Princess Claire, who was born in Bath as Claire Coombs and who worked as a land surveyor.
His reputation for outspokenness that has earned him the nickname ‘Belgium’s Prince Phillip’.