Royal Profile: Prince Laurent of Belgium

Prince Laurent Benoît Baudouin Marie of Belgium was born 19 October 1963 as the second son and youngest child of King Albert II & Queen Paola of Belgium {Source}. He has two older siblings, a paternal-half sister, as well as three siblings-in-law and several nieces and nephews, a niece-in-law, and a great niece and great nephew:

1. King Philippe of the Belgians (1960)
1. Queen Mathilde of Belgium (1973, m. 1999)
1. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant (2001)
2. Prince Gabriel of Belgium (2003)
3. Prince Emmanuel of Belgium (2005)
4. Princess Eléonore of Belgium (2008)
2. Princess Astrid of Belgium, The Archduchess of Austria-Este (1962)
1. Prince Lorenz of Belgium, The Archduke of Austria-Este
1. Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este (1986)
1. Archduchess Elisabetta 'Lili' Maria of Austria-Este (1987, m. 2014)
1. Archduchess Anna Astrid of Austria-Este (2016)
2. Archduke Maximilian of Austria-Este (2019)
2. Princess Maria Laura of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (1988)
3. Prince Joachim of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este (1991)
4. Princess Luisa Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (1995)
5. Princess Laetitia Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (2003)
3. Princess Delphine of Belgium (1968)
1. James O'Hare (m. 2003)
1. Princess Joséphine of Belgium (2003)
2. Prince Oscar of Belgium (2008)

He attended to his primary education in Belgium, like his elder siblings. For his secondary studies, he studied in both French and Dutch-first in Dutch at Pius X College and secondly in French at the Royal Cadet School{Source}. After completeing his education, he decided to join the Royal Military Academy{Source}. After completing his academic career, he joined the Belgian Navy{Source}.

In September 1985, the young prince was promoted to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant, and he specialized in becoming a diver and a helicopter pilot {Source}. Four years later, in July 1985, his father awarded him with the diver insignia during the naval parade{Source}. Two months later, he was promoted to Lieutenant {Source}. When he completed his helicopter training, his uncle, who was KIng at the time, handed him his helicopter wings {Source}. In November 1994, Prince Laurent was promoted to Commander{Source}. In June 2004, Prince Laurent was promoted to Captain of the Belgian Navy {Source}.

On completion of his military training, the Prince went to the United States for practical training in various branches of private industries as pharmaceuticals, aerospace and leisure, and at the International Monetary Fund, at the World Bank and at the United Nations, in development and environment programmes{Source}..

Upon his return to Belgium, he spent time as a trainee at the European Commission, primarily being active in a Think Tank about the quality of lie and the environment{Source}. While working there, he was awarded with the Emile Noël Prize for his original contribution to the building of Europe{Source}. In 1994, the young prince became chairman of an institute which seeks to promote the conservation of nature and development of clean technologies{Source}. Currently, Prince Laurent is chairman of thePrince Laurent Foundation, and chairman of the European Research Group for Alternative Toxicity Testing{Source}. According to the Belgian Constitution, Prince Laurent also serves as a Senator, since 2000{Source}.


He also serves Belgium in a variety of honorary capacities as well, including as honorary president of the Belgian National Orchestra{Source}

He was married to Claire Coombs on 12 April 2003{Source}. Together, they have three children{Source}:

1. Princess Louise of Belgium (2004)
2. Prince Nicolas Casimir Marie (2005)
3. Prince Aymeric Auguste Marie(2005)