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Prince Laurent of Belgium, the youngest son of former King Albert II, has lost a high-profile court case in which he demanded a social security supplement on top of his 388,000 annual royal allowance. This is the first such case in Belgian history in almost 200 years, according to The Guardian and BBC.
The prince, who is 61, argued that his public activities – participating in events as a member of the royal family and running a charity – make him partly a freelancer, and therefore he is entitled to additional social guarantees for himself and his family.
‘It’s not about money, it’s about principle,’ he said. ‘If a migrant has the right to social security, then I, a representative of the family that founded the state, should have it too.’
However, the court in Brussels found the arguments unfounded, pointing out that the prince’s activities are more like a public service, which does not provide for a system of general social security. The lawyer said that the prince receives only about €5,000 a month in net income, with the rest going towards expenses. Laurent is currently considering filing an appeal.
