Belgian prince loses bid for benefits on top of £300k royal allowance

A Belgian prince's attempt to claim social security benefits on top of his six-figure royal allowance has been rejected by a court.

Prince Laurent - the younger brother of King Philippe - received €388,000 (£295,850; $376,000) from state funds last year but said that his work entitles him and his family to social security.

He had argued that he was partly self-employed because of the duties he carries out as a royal, as well as running an animal welfare charity for the past decade.

Laurent, 61, said he was acting out of "principle" rather than for money. The court disagreed.

"When a migrant comes here, he registers, he has a right to [social security]," he told Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

"I may be a migrant too, but one whose family established the state in place."

But on Monday a court in Brussels turned down Laurent's request on the grounds that the prince can be considered neither self-employed nor an employee.

However, according to broadcaster VTM the judge acknowledged that the prince should actually be entitled to a pension - but said gaps in legislation made that impossible and called for the law to be amended.

His lawyer, Olivier Rijckaert, told Belgian newspaper Le Soir that Laurent's request had not been based on a "whim" and insisted on its symbolism, saying that social security is "granted by Belgian law to all residents, from the most deprived to the richest".

Mr Rijckaert also said that most of the prince's allowance is spent on his assistant's salary and various travel expenses.

This means Laurent is left with about €5000 (£4300; $5500) a month but no social security benefits, such as the right to claim back some medical expenses.

The prince – who has three adult children with British-born wife Claire Coombs – has also expressed his concerns over his family's wellbeing since the royal allowance will be cut when he dies.

Laurent took legal action against the Belgian state after his application for social security was refused. A first hearing was held in November 2024.

According to RTBF, the prince and his legal counsel have not yet decided whether to appeal the court's decision.

Laurentm who is the 15th in the Belgian line of succession, is no stranger to controversy and is sometimes termed the prince maudit - the "cursed prince" - in Belgium.

In 2018, the Belgian federal parliament voted to dock his monthly allowance for a year after he attended a Chinese embassy reception without government permission, in full naval uniform.

He has also racked up several speeding fines and has been criticised for attending meetings in Libya when the late Muammar Gaddafi was still in power.