A prince from Belgium has lost a legal battle to claim social security benefits at the top of his six-stake royal allowances.
Rajkumar Laurent, 61, who is the youngest brother of King Philip, received € 388,000 (£ 295,850) from the state fund last year.
However, without social security coverage he is not able to claim some medical expenses or reimbursement for sick pay if he is unable to work.
He argued that he was partially self-employed, as well as his royal duties, he offers an animal welfare donation and explained that he was working out of “principle”, not for money.
“When a migrant comes here, he registers, he has the right to (social security),” Laurent told Belgium’s Broadcaster RTBF.
“I can also be a migrant, but one whose family founded the kingdom.”
But a Bracelets court on Monday found that their duties were more similar to those in civil service where workers get specific benefits, but there is no security system.
Laurent’s lawyer, Oliver Rescirt, told Belgian newspaper Le Soer that social security is “given to all the residents by Belgium Act, the most deprived from the richest.”
His lawyer said that most of his allowance is spent on his assistant’s salary and travel expenses.
Laurent and his British wife, Claire Combes, have three children who now have their 20s.
However, he says he is concerned about the good of his family as the royal allowance will be completely cut off when he dies.
Laurent took legal action against the Belgian state after denying his application for social security. The first hearing took place in November 2024.
In 2018, after meeting foreign dignitaries as a welcome to a Chinese embassy without the approval of the federal government, their annual state allowances were cut by 15 percent.
He has also been given several fast fines and was criticized for participating in meetings in Libya when the late Muammar Gaddafi was still in power.
