Prince Laurent of Belgium facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prince Laurent |
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Prince Laurent in 2021
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| Born | 19 October 1963 Belvédère Château, Laeken, Brussels, Belgium |
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| Spouse |
Claire Coombs
(m. 2003) |
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| House | Belgium | ||||
| Father | Albert II of Belgium | ||||
| Mother | Paola Ruffo di Calabria | ||||
Prince Laurent of Belgium (Laurent Benoît Baudouin Marie de Saxe-Cobourg; born 19 October 1963) is the second son and youngest child of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and younger brother of King Philippe. Currently, he is 14th in the Belgian line of succession. He had been as high as third in line, but the constitution was amended in 1991 to extend an equal right of succession to women, putting him behind his sister, Princess Astrid, and her descendants.
Laurent's involvement with animal welfare and the environment, together with his eccentric personality and relative lack of interest in protocol, has caused him to be dubbed by elements of the popular Belgian press as écolo-gaffeur (the eco-blunderer).
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Early life and education
Prince Laurent was born on 19 October 1963 at the Belvédère Château in Laeken, northern Brussels. He was educated at the Royal Cadet High School and at the Royal Military Academy.
Marriage and children
Prince Laurent and Claire Louise Coombs were married in Brussels on 12 April 2003. Coombs was also given the title of Princess of Belgium upon her marriage. The couple have three children, who are fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth in the line of succession to the throne respectively:
- Princess Louise (born 6 February 2004)
- Prince Nicolas (born 13 December 2005, twin with Aymeric)
- Prince Aymeric (born 13 December 2005, twin with Nicolas)
The family live in Villa Clementine, in Tervuren.
Prince Laurent is also a godfather to Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, the daughter of Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, a current pretender to the former throne of Two Sicilies and his wife, Princess Camilla, Duchess of Castro.
Health
In March 2014, Prince Laurent was hospitalised with pneumonia and depression. He was voluntarily placed in a medically-induced coma on March 25, and was awakened on 27 March. On 4 April, Queen Paola stated in a letter that Laurent's condition was improving, and that she felt he was 'the most vulnerable' of her three children.
Titles, styles and honours
| Styles of Prince Laurent of Belgium |
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| Reference style | His Royal Highness |
- His Royal Highness Prince Laurent of Belgium
Prince Laurent does not hold a personal title as younger princes were previously accustomed to receive in the past (such as Count of Flanders or Prince of Liège).
Honours
National
Belgium:
Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold
Foreign
Germany:
Grand Cross 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Hungary:
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary
Sovereign Military Order of Malta:
Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Luxembourg:
Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau
Netherlands:
Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown
Norway:
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit
Portugal:
Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry
Spain:
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit
Sweden:
Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star
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Dynastic orders
Two Sicilian Royal Family:
Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Two Sicilian Royal Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
Military ranks
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Source : www.monarchie.be, Prince Laurent
Arms
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See also
In Spanish: Lorenzo de Bélgica para niños
