ROYAL NEWS
Prince says he would like to ‘start a new life’
“I don’t compare myself to Prince Harry,” the royal said
Prince Laurentof Belgium wants to be less involved in public activities. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, King Philippe of Belgium’s younger brother has signed an agreement with Istanbul University to set up green and renewable energy projects.
“I would like... (pauses) to change my current position,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws (translated to English) in a recent interview. “I want to be less involved in public activities. I would rather focus on clean energy. By 2030, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by more than half. And I have the technology to make that happen.”
Although he isn’t making plans to move to Turkey, the Prince admitted that one day he would like to live abroad in Italy. Laurent noted that he doesn’t “compare” himself to the Duke of Sussex, who stepped back as a working member of the royal family in 2020 and now lives in California. The Belgian Prince said, “I don’t compare myself to Prince Harry. I have always been an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur. But it is true that I would like to start a new life.”
The King’s brother is convinced that he will “be able to develop better in that new life than in the life” he is “experiencing now.” Asked how he feels hindered today, Laurent replied, “I have a cousin who is head of state (Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, ed.) . If I want to see him, I have to ask the government for permission. To make it even more concrete: my godmother - my father’s family - lives in Switzerland. I can’t just visit her. Come on, say. Submit that to the European Court of Human Rights and they will laugh at you. Isn’t it illegal to ban human contact?”
The Prince confessed that for years he’s thought “deeply” about what he should do with his life. “I have drawn my conclusions. I think I can do more for society and make myself more useful if I can live that new life,” he said. “I’m not proclaiming this because I’m angry, I want to provoke a reaction, I’m looking for sensation, right? No. I also want to be able to work with people who respect me.”
Prince Laurent is the second son and youngest child of King Albert II and Queen Paola. His older brother Philippe became the King of Belgium in 2013. Laurent is married to Princess Claire. The couple, who wed in 2003, share three kids: Princess Louise, Prince Aymeric and Prince Nicolas.
