View source for Prince Laurent of Belgium

{{Short description|Belgian prince (born 1963)}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Prince Laurent
| full name    = Laurent Benoît Baudouin Marie de Saxe-Cobourg{{efn|For almost a hundred years, official documents of the Belgian royal family members indicate "de Belgique/van België" as their surname. In January 2023, ''[[La Libre Belgique]]'' reported that members of the Belgian royal family were asked to go to the municipal administration to change their identity papers and write "de Saxe-Cobourg/van Saksen-Coburg" as their surname instead of the name "de Belgique/van België".<ref name="lalibre">{{cite web|url=https://www.lalibre.be/lifestyle/people/2023/01/06/les-membres-de-la-famille-royale-belge-pries-de-changer-de-nom-de-famille-sur-leurs-documents-officiels-4T5GYUL24JEYHEXJ56SGGGF2EM/|title=Les membres de la famille royale belge priés de changer de nom de famille sur leurs documents officiels|trans-title=Belgian royals asked to change surnames on official documents|newspaper=[[La Libre Belgique]]|date=6 January 2023|access-date=30 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240730102533/https://www.lalibre.be/lifestyle/people/2023/01/06/les-membres-de-la-famille-royale-belge-pries-de-changer-de-nom-de-famille-sur-leurs-documents-officiels/|archive-date=30 July 2024|url-status=live|language=French|quote=Le prince Laurent par exemple est lui aussi désormais identifié comme Laurent Van Saksen-Coburg sur les documents officiels, ou "Laurent de Saxe-Cobourg, prince de Belgique" sur certains papiers. Son titre - de prince de Belgique - n'est donc plus utilisé comme nom de famille. Il en va de même pour les autres membres de la famille royale qui faisaient usage du patronyme "de Belgique" jusqu'à présent.|trans-quote=Prince Laurent, for example, is now also identified as Laurent Van Saksen-Coburg on official documents, or "Laurent de Saxe-Cobourg, prince de Belgique" on some papers. His title - Prince of Belgium - is therefore no longer used as a surname. The same applies to the other members of the royal family who used the surname "de Belgique" until now.}}</ref> He uses the Dutch version of his surname in his official papers as a resident of [[Tervuren]], a Flemish municipality.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hln.be/royalty/prins-laurent-en-zijn-gezin-hebben-nieuwe-achternaam-en-daar-is-hij-niet-zo-blij-mee~a70721cd/|title=Prins Laurent en zijn gezin hebben nieuwe achternaam, en daar is hij niet zo blij mee|trans-title=Prince Laurent and his family have a new last name, and he is not very happy about it|language=Dutch|website=HLN|date=7 January 2023|access-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230601100405/https://www.hln.be/royalty/prins-laurent-en-zijn-gezin-hebben-nieuwe-achternaam-en-daar-is-hij-niet-zo-blij-mee~a70721cd/|archive-date=1 June 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> He uses the French version of his surname on some papers.<ref name="lalibre"/>}}<ref name="SenateBio">{{cite web|url=http://www.senate.be/doc/books/Senat_Complet_2009.pdf|title=Biographies of Members of the Belgian Senate|publisher=Belgian Senate|access-date=20 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628053513/http://www.senate.be/doc/books/Senat_Complet_2009.pdf|archive-date=28 June 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>
| image        = Laurent of Belgium (2021).jpg
| caption      = Prince Laurent in 2021
| birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|1963|10|19|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Belvédère Château]], [[Laeken]], [[Brussels]], Belgium
| house        = [[House of Belgium|Belgium]]
| father       = [[Albert II of Belgium]]
| mother       = [[Paola Ruffo di Calabria]]
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Claire Coombs]]|12 April 2003}}
| issue        = {{Plainlist}}
* Clément Vandenkerckhove<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=NWS |first=VRT |date=2025-09-09 |title=Prins Laurent erkent Clement Vandenkerckhove, zoon van Wendy Van Wanten, als zijn zoon {{!}} VRT NWS: nieuws |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/09/09/prins-laurent-erkent-clement-zoon-wendy-van-wanten/ |access-date=2025-09-09 |website=VRTNWS |language=nl}}</ref>
* Princess Louise
* Prince Nicolas
* Prince Aymeric
{{Endplainlist}}
}}
{{Belgian Royal Family}}
<!--A discussion on Wikipedia produced an overwhelming consensus to end the 'style wars' by replacing styles at the start by a style infobox later in the text. It is now installed below.-->
'''Prince Laurent of Belgium''' (Laurent Benoît Baudouin Marie de Saxe-Cobourg; born 19 October 1963) is the second son and youngest child of [[Albert II of Belgium|King Albert II]] and [[Queen Paola]], and younger brother of [[Philippe of Belgium|King Philippe]]. Currently, he is 15th in the [[line of succession to the Belgian throne|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 of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este|Princess Astrid]], and her descendants.

Laurent's involvement with [[animal welfare]] and the [[natural environment|environment]], together with his eccentric personality and relative lack of interest in [[protocol (diplomacy)|protocol]], has caused him to be dubbed by elements of the popular Belgian press as {{lang|fr|écolo-gaffeur}} (the ''eco-blunderer'').

==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 (Belgium)|Royal Military Academy]].

==Marriage and children==
Prince Laurent and [[Princess Claire of Belgium|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 sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth 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)

Prince Laurent also had a child out of wedlock with actress and singer Iris Vandenkerckhove (born 6 February 1960), better known as Wendy Van Wanten, whom he publicly recognised on 9 September 2025:<ref name=":0" /> 
*Clément Vandenkerckhove (born 16 August 2000)<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=NWS |first=VRT |date=2025-09-10 |title="Ik was verliefd en verslaafd": 5 opvallende momenten uit het eerste deel van de documentaire 'Clement, zoon van' {{!}} VRT NWS: nieuws |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/09/09/documentaire-clement-zoon-van-prins-laurent/ |access-date=2025-09-09 |website=VRTNWS |language=nl}}</ref>

The family live in ''Villa Clémentine'', in [[Tervuren]].

Prince Laurent is also a godfather to [[Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (born 2003)|Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]], the daughter of [[Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro]], a current pretender to the former throne of [[Kingdom of Two Sicilies|Two Sicilies]] and his wife, [[Princess Camilla, Duchess of Castro]].

==Alleged corruption scandal==
In December 2006, Prince Laurent's name surfaced in a corruption scandal in which funds of the [[Belgian Navy]] were spent on his residence ([[Royal Trust (Belgium)|Villa Clémentine]]) in [[Tervuren]]. Although the investigating magistrates denied that Laurent was personally implicated, some of the accused have implicated the prince in the press.

On 5 January 2007, it became known that King [[Albert II of Belgium|Albert II]] had signed a royal decree, making it possible for Laurent to be called up as a witness in the corruption trial which was to start 8 January. One of the defendants immediately used this to subpoena the prince.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} During the evening of 8 January, Prince Laurent was interrogated by federal police, appearing in court the following day where he testified at the trial that he had no reason to believe the funding of his renovations could be illegal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/01/09/belgium.royalscandal.ap/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070112103809/http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/01/09/belgium.royalscandal.ap/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 January 2007|title=Belgium turns critical eye to monarchy - CNN.com|website=[[CNN]] |date=12 January 2007}}</ref>

Media reports in March 2007 suggested that Laurent was no longer welcome at the Royal Palace, possibly due to his role in the corruption scandal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flandersnews.be/News/070327_lolo_and_bert |title=No longer welcome |publisher=flandersnews.be |date=2007-03-27 |access-date=2007-03-28}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

In March 2011, the prince visited the former Belgian colony of the Congo without receiving the required permission; the reported purpose of the visit was to promote awareness of deforestation. As a result, on 9 April he accepted conditions laid down by Belgian Prime Minister [[Yves Leterme]] regarding his future activities; had he not done so, the matter of his annual [[appanage]] would have been in question.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

==Finances==
In 2025, Prince Laurent filed a petition asking that he be allowed to avail of social security benefits apart from his royal stipend, saying that he is self-employed as a royal and citing his work running an animal welfare charity. The petition was denied by a court in Brussels on 7 April 2025, which ruled that he cannot be considered as either self-employed or an employee.<ref>{{cite news |title=Belgian prince loses bid for benefits on top of £300k royal allowance |date=8 April 2025 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g703x0l14o |website=BBC |access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>

==Health==
In March 2014, Prince Laurent was hospitalised with pneumonia and depression.<ref>{{cite news|title=Le prince Laurent a été placé en coma artificiel [French]|url=http://www.lesoir.be/503590/article/actualite/belgique/2014-03-25/prince-laurent-ete-place-en-coma-artificiel?obref=obinsource|newspaper=Le Soir}}</ref> He was voluntarily placed in a medically-[[induced coma]] on March 25, and was awakened on 27 March.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_le-prince-laurent-a-recu-la-visite-du-pere-gilbert-et-est-reveille?id=8232700|title=Le Prince Laurent a reçu la visite du père Gilbert et est réveillé|date=27 March 2014}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wort.lu/en/view/hospitalised-prince-laurent-of-belgium-improving-says-mother-533eda13e4b012fe7ff65e96|title=News report|website=www.wort.lu|access-date=2014-04-07|archive-date=2014-04-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140423043948/http://www.wort.lu/en/view/hospitalised-prince-laurent-of-belgium-improving-says-mother-533eda13e4b012fe7ff65e96|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Titles, styles and honours==
{{Infobox Royal styles
|image     = [[File:Coat of arms of a Prince of Belgium.svg|50px]]
|royal name= Prince Laurent of Belgium
|dipstyle  = [[HRH|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===
{{see also|List of honours of the Belgian Royal Family by country}}

====National====
* {{flag|Belgium}}:
**[[File:BEL - Order of Leopold - Grand Cordon bar.svg|70px]] Grand Cordon of the [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/netherlands/amsterdam/belgiums-duke-of-york-buffoon-or-man-out-of-control-52fgmtwccxd|title=Belgium's 'Duke of York': buffoon or man out of control?|first=Charles|last=Bremner}}</ref>

====Foreign====
* {{flag|Germany}}:
**[[File:GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 7 Grosskreuz.svg|70px]] Grand Cross 1st Class of the [[Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
* {{flag|Hungary}}:
**[[File:HUN Order of Merit of the Hungarian Rep (civil) 1class BAR.svg|70px]] Grand Cross of the [[Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary]]
* {{flagicon|SMOM}} [[Sovereign Military Order of Malta]]:
**[[File:SMOM-gcs.svg|70px]] Knight Grand Cross of [[Orders, decorations, and medals of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta#Sovereign Military Hospitalier Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta|Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta]]
* {{flag|Luxembourg}}:
**[[File:LUX Ordre de Mérite civil et militaire d'Adolphe de Nassau - Grand-croix BAR.svg|70px]] Grand Cross of the [[Order of Adolphe of Nassau]]
* {{flag|Netherlands}}:
**[[File:NED Kroonorde A1 BAR.png|70px]] Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Crown (Netherlands)|Order of the Crown]]
* {{flag|Norway}}:
**[[File:Den kongelige norske fortjenstorden storkors stripe.svg|70px]] Grand Cross of the [[Royal Norwegian Order of Merit|Order of Merit]]
* {{flag|Portugal}}:
**[[File:PRT Order of Prince Henry - Grand Cross BAR.svg|70px]] Grand Cross of the [[Order of Prince Henry]]
* {{flag|Spain}}:
**[[File:Order of Civil Merit (Spain) GC.svg|70px]] Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of Civil Merit]]<ref>[http://boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2000-8985 Royal Decree 783/2000]. BOE no. 115, 13 May 2000, p. 17722</ref>
* {{flag|Sweden}}:
**[[File:Order of the Polar Star (after 1975) - Commander Grand Cross.svg|70px]] Commander Grand Cross of the [[Royal Order of the Polar Star]]

====Dynastic orders====
* {{flagicon|Two Sicilies}} [[House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies|Two Sicilian Royal Family]]:
**[[File:ESP Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George Justicia BAR.svg|70px]] Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the [[Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George|Two Sicilian Royal Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.constantinian.org.uk/senior-constantinian-knight-hrh-prince-laurent-of-belgium-marries-british-born-claire-coombs/|title=Senior Constantinian knight, HRH Prince Laurent of Belgium, marries British-born Claire Coombs - Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George|date=26 April 2003}}</ref>

== Military ranks ==

{|
|--
|
* [[File:Erm ecusson.jpg|x30px]] [[File:Omega - Ecole Royale Militaire (Belgique) - Promotion toutes armes.svg|30px]] '''1983–1986 : [[Royal Military Academy (Belgium)|Royal Military Academy]]''', 123rd promotion TAW ("All Weapons" Faculty)
* {{Flagicon|Belgium|naval}} '''September 1985 {{spaced ndash}} September 1989''' : [[Belgian Navy]], [[Ensign (rank)|ensign]] 2nd class<br/>(''Enseigne de vaisseau de 2ème classe''/ Vaandrig-ter-zee 2de klasse)
** Officer oath on 30 October 1985
** Specialization: combat diver and helicopter pilot
** Combat diver badge: 20 July 1989 in [[Bruges]] handed by his [[Albert II of Belgium|father]], [[divisional admiral]]
* {{Flagicon|Belgium|naval}} '''September 1989 {{spaced ndash}} 15 November 1994'''  : [[Belgian Navy]], [[ship-of-the-line lieutenant]] (''Lieutenant de vaisseau'')
** helicopter pilot badge handed in 1990 by his uncle [[Baudouin of Belgium|King Baudouin]] 
* {{Flagicon|Belgium|naval}} '''15 November 1994{{spaced ndash}} 26 June 2004''' : [[Belgian Navy]], [[frigate captain]] (''Capitaine de frégate'')
* {{Flagicon|Belgium|naval}} '''26 June 2004{{spaced ndash}}''' : [[Belgian Navy]], [[ship-of-the-line captain]] (''Capitaine de vaisseau'')
| width=10% |
{| class="wikitable"
|--
|[[File:Generic-Navy-O1.svg|25px]]
|[[File:Generic-Navy-O3.svg|25px]]
|[[File:Generic-Navy-O6.svg|25px]]
|[[File:Generic-Navy-O7.svg|25px]]
|--
| 1985 || 1989 || 1994 || 2004 
|}
| width=1% |
|}
Source : [https://web.archive.org/web/20120516124110/http://www.monarchie.be/fr/la-famille-royale/le-prince-laurent www.monarchie.be],  Prince Laurent

==Arms==
{{Infobox emblem wide
| image = Coat of arms of a Prince of Belgium.svg 
| notes = As a Prince of Belgium and a descendant of King [[Leopold I of Belgium|Leopold I]], the Prince is entitled to use a [[coat of arms]] which was stipulated in the Royal Decree of King [[Philippe of Belgium|Philippe]] in 2019.<ref>{{Cite journal |author=Philippe, Koning der Belgen |date=12 July 2019 |title=Koninklijk besluit houdende vaststelling van het wapen van het Koninklijk Huis en van zijn leden |url=http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/mopdf/2019/07/19_2.pdf |journal=Belgisch Staatsblad |access-date=24 July 2019}}</ref>
| year_adopted = 12 July 2019
| coronet = Princely crown of Belgium
| escutcheon = [[Sable (heraldry)|Sable]], a [[Lion (heraldry)|lion]] rampant [[Or (heraldry)|or]], armed and langued [[gules]] ([[Coat of arms of Belgium|Belgium]]), on the shoulder an escutcheon barry of ten sable and or, a [[crancelin]] [[Vert (heraldry)|vert]] ([[House of Wettin|Wettin]]), overall a bordure or.
| supporters = Two lions guardant proper
| motto = {{langx|fr|L'union fait la force}}<br>{{langx|nl|Eendracht maakt macht}}<br>{{langx|de|Einigkeit macht stark}}
| other_elements = The whole is placed on a mantle [[purpure]] with ermine lining, fringes and tassels or and ensigned with the [[Crown (heraldry)|Royal crown of Belgium]].}}

== Footnotes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* [https://www.monarchie.be/en/royal-family/prince-laurent Official biography from the Belgian Royal Family website]

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]|19 October|1963}}
|-
{{s-other|line}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Princess Laetitia Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este|Princess Laetitia Maria]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Succession to the Belgian throne]]|years=15th in line}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Princess Louise of Belgium (b. 2004)|Princess Louise]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Belgian royal princes}}
{{Princes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha}}
{{Portal bar|Belgium|Biography|Royalty}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laurent Of Belgium, Prince}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Royal Military Academy (Belgium) alumni]]
[[Category:Members of the Senate (Belgium)]]
[[Category:Belgian people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Belgian people of Sicilian descent]]
[[Category:Belgian people of Calabrian descent]]
[[Category:Belgian people of Danish descent]]
[[Category:Belgian people of Dutch descent]]
[[Category:Belgian people of French descent]]
[[Category:Belgian people of German descent]]
[[Category:Belgian people of Swedish descent]]
[[Category:Belgian Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (military)]]
[[Category:Knights of Malta]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Netherlands)]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Netherlands)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Prince Henry]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Prince Henry]]
[[Category:Order of Civil Merit members]]
[[Category:Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit]]
[[Category:Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star]]
[[Category:House of Belgium]]
[[Category:People from Laeken]]
[[Category:Political controversies in Belgium]]
[[Category:Princes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]
[[Category:Sons of kings]]
[[Category:Royal scandals in Belgium]]