Laurent of Belgium ( Laurent Benoit Baudouin Marie of Belgium) , born the October 19th 1963 with the Castle of the View-point, is a Belgian prince , third child of the king Albert II of Belgium.

Biography

Childhood

Third in the order of succession with the throne with its birth, the prince of Belgium was born the October 19th 1963 with the Château from the View-point. Like his Philippe brother, Laurent carries out his primary French studies with the College Saint-Michel of Etterbeek, where he will be a turbulent pupil. Then, it remains two years in boarding school at the abbey school of Loppem in Flanders-Western where its insufficient knowledge of Dutch poses problems to him. Moreover, it was not liked and made a running away it before being found by the police force on the Autoroute E40.

Studies

In September 1977, the prince enters to the Black and white College X of Antwerp. At 14 years, it starts again there for the third time its first secondary year. During the week, it places in a from Antwerp family of reception and turns over the weekend to the castle of the View-point. At the end of three years difficult, Laurent obtains finally his diploma of secondary education lower in 1980 than a few months of his 17 years.

The prince spends then the school year 1980-1981 to the royal École of the Juniors to Laeken, but its level in mathematics was too low to remain in this establishment. His/her father prince Albert then decides to make him follow during two years of the deprived courses to the castle of the View-point with professor Rudy Bogaerts. This personalized teaching bears its fruits: it obtains its diploma of secondary education in front of the central jury in June 1983.

In September 1983, prince Laurent between with the military royal School in the 123e promotion all weapons. There remains one year there. At that time, following an argument with his parents, it leaves the View-point and settles with the Château of Laeken with the king Baudouin and the queen Fabiola. After the military royal School, Laurent starts with the Catholic Université of Leuwen-the-New of the studies of Vétérinaire which it gives up then. This love of the animals had already pushed it to require of his/her mother a training course in a veterinary surgeon like gift for its eighteenth birthday.

Military career

Like his great-uncle prince Charles and his father prince Albert, Laurent chooses to enter the Naval force. In September 1985, it is named Enseigne of second class, i.e. officer in formation. It lends oath as an officer the October 30th according to.

From April at June 1988, it begins a specialization to become pilot of Hélicoptère with 40h of flight to its credit. It also starts a formation of plunger. At the time of the Day of the Navy with Bruges, prince Albert gives the July 20th 1989 the badge of plunger to his son junior. In 1989-1990, it carries out 90h flight additional. King Baudouin pins to him his wings of pilot of helicopter the March 20th 1990.

In 1991, the Room and the Sénat vote a bill abolishing the Salic law in the order of succession. Prince Laurent finds last list, behind his sister the princess Astrid, his nephews and nieces, situation which causes him bitterness and disappointment.

Working life

With beginning of the year 90, prince Laurent leaves Laeken to move in some time at the family Solvay with Hulpe. He finishes his formation by several training courses abroad: in the American company Battelle Memorial Institute, at the university California nne of Berkeley, with the the World Bank, the Funds international currency, etc This series of training courses is enclosed in 1993 with Brussels with the European commission.

Following the accession with the throne of Albert II in 1993, prince Laurent leaves the shade, because he is now the son of the King. Besides the prince receives the Grand Cord about Léopold the August 6th 1993, seven days after the death of king Baudouin.

At the time of its 30 years, in October 1993, Laurent is the first child of the new royal couple to answer interviews for the Belgian press. It settles with its dogs with the Villa Clementine, a house built for him by the royal Donation with Tervuren.

The July 11th 1994, the prince becomes the president of the very new Royal Institute for the Durable Management of the Natural resources and the Promotion of the Clean technologies (IRGT). Subsidized by the three Belgian areas, the IRGT aims at the dialog between the political authorities, managements and labor and economic, associations of environmental protection on various files (the durable management of the forests, the problem of the risings, etc). Many are those which think whereas while fulfilling a true role, the institute is especially used to ensure an income the young prince, who at the time does not receive an equipment of the civil list. The managing director of the institute will believe necessary to specify that the prince works indeed, whereas the scandal of the embezzlements in the Navy is with its roof (see low).

Near to the princely family of Bourbon-Siciles, prince Laurent was made in 1994 with Rome knight of the Order constantinien of Saint-Georges. He is also the godfather of the princess Maria Carolina, girl of prince Charles of Bourbon-Siciles, duke of Calabria, and Camilla Crociani.

In company of Doctor Jean Bastien (the veterinary surgeon at which it had made a training course for its 18 years), it announces in 1995 the creation of the Foundation Prince Laurent for the wellbeing of the wild and domestic animals. Its most known activity is the management of its four dispensaries for animals, located in the district of the Maroilles cheeses (Brussels), with Seraing, Antwerp and Boussu. In exchange of an annual contribution of 5 euros, the underprivileged people can make there look after their animal free. The second pillar of the Foundation is the Belgian platform of the alternative methods to the animal experimentation. Lastly, the Foundation carries out also campaigns publicity for the wellbeing of the horses, the ponies and the asses and offers purses at defense associations of the animals.

In 1996, prince Laurent leaves one entitled book Suivez the dog in art and the city , fruit of several years of research and walks. In the cultural field, it accepts the presidency of honor of the National orchestra of Belgium (since 1996) and the presidency of honor of the Euphonia Foundation which aims at the promotion of the young talented musicians, the musical creation and the meeting of the public music lover.

May 31st, 2000, it joined his brother and his sister on the benches of the Sénat. After having lent oath as senator of right, he pronounces a plea in favor of the environment. The IRGT launches in 2000 its first project abroad: to plant a hundred hectares of hedges in Mauritania in order to fight against the projection of sands of the desert around Nouakchott, the capital. Laurent went there in 2000 and 2003 to note the evolution of this project.

Belgian Association for the Contract of Water requires in 2001 the assistance of the prince. This one had written a proclamation against the marketing of water so that each one (rich or poor) has access to drinking water. Objective of association: to collect 100.000 signatures of its petition before the Summit of the United Nations on Sustainable development with Johannesbourg in 2002. During one year, Laurent will defend proclamation in front of regional Parliaments, town councils, students, business men, journalists and ordinary citizens.

Thanks to the determination of the Foundation Prince Laurent since 2002, the Charter of the wellbeing of the animals of farm is born on September 20th, 2006 at the time of an official ceremony of signature in the royal greenhouses of Laeken.

In 2006, it creates a new private foundation, of which he is administrator and chairman of the board: Total Renewable Energy and Conservation Trust. Its seat is at the House of Renewable energies of Brussels (inaugurated in 2006), which is a window of all the most pointed technology as regards energy efficiency. Prince Laurent received, in April 2007 in the European Parliament, the " Total national Energy Award" for the creation and the promotion of this private foundation.

Marriage

After having received the agreement of the federal government, the King and the Queen the December 19th 2002 engagement of their son junior and Claire Coombs announced, which had appeared at its sides as a public for one year. The April 12th 2003, Laurent and Claire are civilly plain with the town hall of Brussels by the burgomaster Freddy Thielemans. The church wedding proceeds with the Cathédrale Saint-Michel-and-Gudule and is marked by a meditation of the French priest Guy Gilbert (called " the priest of the loubards") who highlights human qualities of the prince. Laurent and Claire have three children: the Louise princess (born in 2004), princes Nicolas and Aymeric (born in 2005). They live with Tervuren in the Villa Clementine, a property of the royal Donation.

Implication in a business of fraud

With the end of the year 2006, an investigation into diversions carried out by several officers of the Belgian army reveals that this property was partially arranged thanks to money coming from the Navy. Whereas the prince blamed by the investigators forever, certain accused alert the press and a true media storm falls down on prince Laurent. While the question of protections from which Laurent would have profited poses, certain politicians call even in question the principle of the equipment granted Laurent while the languages are untied about the creation of the IRGT.

Following a royal Stopped promulgated by the Government and making it possible to quote it like Pilot, Laurent were, the January 9th 2007, the first member of the Belgian Royal family with being heard during a Procès, with the Magistrates' court of the Law courts of Hasselt. Besides as for the sums used in the Villa Clementine, the King decides repidement to affirm that they must be refunded and decides to refund the 185.000 euros in the place of his son.

Foreign decorations

• Large Cross about the Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1998)
• Large Cross about the Civil and Military Merit of Alponse de Nassau (Luxembourg, 1999)
• Knight of Honor and Devotion about Malta (1999)
• Large Cross about the Civil Merit (Spain, 2000)
• Large Cross of the Royal Order of Pole star (Sweden, 2001)
• Large Cross of the Royal Order of the Merit (Norway, 2003)
• Large Cross about Infant Dom Henrique (Portugal, 2005)

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