rominet09
Heir Apparent
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2006
- Messages
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- LIEGE
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- Belgium
Always happy to see them.
A four-part docu series about the Prince has been made. It will air on April 19 at 21:20h on Canvas and VRT MAX.
https://www.vrt.be/nl/over-de-vrt/nieuws/2023/03/31/nieuw-op-canvas-laurent-prins-op-overschot/
Thank goodness he has "backup parents" somewhere.
His parents literally just washed their hands off him since he was really young, didn't they?
Like these are his "foster" parents, I know he stayed with the Solvay family for a while, he also stayed at boarding schools like his brother...
It's an actual miracle he's not worse than he is tbh, I think marrying an amazing woman like Claire was the thing that changed his life for the better.
That is not really fair. Philippe and Astrid come from the same rocky marriage. Both have been in boarding schools in- and outside Belgium. But both have always been conscientious and well-thought persons while Laurent was, from the very beginning, an extremely difficult child.
When the blame would lie with the parents, then see the other two "products" of the same parents. In the first part of the documentary was to see how Princess Paola went lenghts to find a solution for her youngest son, which now would maybe labelled with ADD, ADHD, whatever but back then was seen as a weak character whom needed to be mould.
King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola soon saw that Laurent was "impossible" and it became clear the King only wanted to have him far away. So he went to Steubenville in Ohio (disastrous) and he went to learning practices at USA companies (disastrous), he went into the military (disastrous). In the end Laurent, with no secondary school diploma, ended to be a Senator (back then children of Kings could be appointed Senator) and was saved with Belgian taxpayers' money because which company would ever employ anyone with such a curriculum?
In the vrt documentary, the couple of "foster parents" Laurent stayed with during his teenage years (during the school week) actually speak rather well of Paola as a mother, who saw that her son was having problems and was involved. Also Mario Danneels says that Paola was the only one in the family who tried to make efforts for Laurent, also later, when she was the one who introduced him to Père Guy Gilbert, a clearly very important figure in Laurent's life.His parents literally just washed their hands off him since he was really young, didn't they?
Like these are his "foster" parents, I know he stayed with the Solvay family for a while, he also stayed at boarding schools like his brother...
It's an actual miracle he's not worse than he is tbh, I think marrying an amazing woman like Claire was the thing that changed his life for the better.
In the vrt documentary, the couple of "foster parents" Laurent stayed with during his teenage years (during the school week) actually speak rather well of Paola as a mother, who saw that her son was having problems and was involved. Also Mario Danneels says that Paola was the only one in the family who tried to make efforts for Laurent, also later, when she was the one who introduced him to Père Guy Gilbert, a clearly very important figure in Laurent's life.
Baudouin and Fabiola were much more hands-on with Philippe and Astrid than they were with Laurent, so since he was a "difficult" child then everyone had the right to wash their hands off him? Including his own parents? Is it okay to (by all intents and purposes) abandon a child because he's not "perfect" and is "difficult"?
In the vrt documentary, the couple of "foster parents" Laurent stayed with during his teenage years (during the school week) actually speak rather well of Paola as a mother, who saw that her son was having problems and was involved. Also Mario Danneels says that Paola was the only one in the family who tried to make efforts for Laurent, also later, when she was the one who introduced him to Père Guy Gilbert, a clearly very important figure in Laurent's life.
I feel terribly sorry for young Laurent. I work with children, and a traumatized, hyperactive, difficult child deserves tons and tons of patience, it takes a village. Everyone is quick to point fingers at Tino&Lita, rightly so, but far worse was Fabiola. Imagine growing up seeing how dysfunctional your parent's marriage is, and to top it all, your uncle's wife, who lives for and loves your elder siblings, has you exorcised. It is something so outrageously horrible and disgusting to do to anyone, let alone a depressed teenager who was most likely starving for love and understanding.
And some people moan because "Oh how evil of Laurent to call her the Spanish Witch". Ohhh, don't get me started! Poor poor poor Laurent.
No wonder he loves animals, he knows they don't judge (unless they're cats). Thank goodness Claire arrived in his life.
He doesn't seem to bear the same kind of anger for her that he does for Albert. From my very loose observation.
Laurent is a mess and he can't be blamed for what happened as a child, so that does rest with his parents and to some extent with his uncle and aunt. There is a strong strain of "something" in the family, and it goes beyond Charles (whom I'm not sure was any finer a human being, competent Regency aside) and Marie-José, back to Carlota and Leopold. Philippe and Mathilde seem to have done their tremendous utmost to make all their kids feel loved and secure.
Laurent is doing the best he can with his own family and seems more settled than he used to be. Isn't that about all you can ask?
I feel terribly sorry for young Laurent. I work with children, and a traumatized, hyperactive, difficult child deserves tons and tons of patience, it takes a village. Everyone is quick to point fingers at Tino&Lita, rightly so, but far worse was Fabiola. Imagine growing up seeing how dysfunctional your parent's marriage is, and to top it all, your uncle's wife, who lives for and loves your elder siblings, has you exorcised. It is something so outrageously horrible and disgusting to do to anyone, let alone a depressed teenager who was most likely starving for love and understanding.
And some people moan because "Oh how evil of Laurent to call her the Spanish Witch". Ohhh, don't get me started! Poor poor poor Laurent.
No wonder he loves animals, he knows they don't judge (unless they're cats). Thank goodness Claire arrived in his life.
Laurent and Claire met around 2000 at a dinner through common friends, and they apparently sympathised while washing the dishes together afterwards, that's what they told the press.It was terrible but people just love to point out how "saintly" and "perfect" Baudouin and Fabiola were, they were also at fault here, if they weren't going to help him, they should have at least have the decency to not further his trauma.
I think Guy Gilbert is probably the one reason why Laurent didn't leave the Church as soon as he was an adult after that.
Claire was a blessing in all fronts, I don't really know how she came to his life but I think Paola probably prays every day in thanks that she did, a good, sensible woman who seems to love him very much in spite of his many faults.
Laurent ADORES her and his children are a solace as well.
There were quite a few bad apples in the family, specially in the male side, and with all the neglect and bad blood, it's a miracle that Philippe, Astrid and Laurent actually managed to marry good people and raise loving families, they were probably hellbent on breaking the cycle in their generation, after seeing the pieces of work that their parents/grandparents (I include Lilian here since none of them ever met Queen Astrid) were.
When it is "poor Laurent": why not "poor Philippe" or "poor Astrid"?
Actually Prince Laurent and Prince Philippe were relatively hostile towards each other.
Exactly the three different siblings from the very same family show it has to do with the own nature, the own character, the own adaptation to the world. Laurent was clearly limited in that skill, compared to his siblings. No less, no more.
You've answered yourself here.
The King and The Princess qualities have already been discussed by me and others already. They came from the same broken home, but had a different character and the support and love from their uncles. Why would I feel sorry for them? My opinion stands: Poor young Laurent.
Also worth remembering that King Filip has stuck around his younger brother for years and years despite his antics.
Well, with King Philippe you mean: the Belgian taxpayer.
It is always easy to look "supportive" as long you are not the one to open the portefeuille.
No, I mean what I mean. King Filip, just like his sister, seems to have the gift of patience. Claire and the children are also an important factor.
Also, you'd be surprised at how popular Laurent actually is amongst the Belgian taxpayers.
Certainly Laurent didn't have any support from his uncle and aunt, as it was said in the docu only his mother, in the family, tried to make efforts for him when he was young. What you say about Baudouin and Fabiola is particularly true regarding Philippe, I think, who was basically groomed by his uncle since he was very young and saw in Baudouin a role model and an inspiration. Astrid certainly loved very much her aunt and uncle and that was reciprocated, but she clearly was (and is) also the closest to her parents among the sibilings, she has publicly said that as a young girl, despite the difficulties, she had an "enormous love" for her parents and the fact itself that she helped them to reconcile (and, 40 years later, we can say that it was a success for them as a couple) is significant in that respect. Sorry if I went too far OT, I found quite interesting this discussion about family dynamicsYou've answered yourself here.
The King and The Princess qualities have already been discussed by me and others. They came from the same broken home, but had a different character and the support and love from their uncles. Why would I feel sorry for them? My opinion stands: Poor young Laurent.
Also worth remembering that King Filip has stuck around his younger brother for years and years despite his antics.
As a Belgian, I can confirm, Laurent is really loved here.No, I mean what I mean. King Filip, just like his sister, seems to have the gift of patience. Claire and the children are also an important reason to stick around.
Also, you'd be surprised by how popular Laurent actually is amongst the Belgian taxpayers.
As a Belgian, I can confirm, Laurent is really loved here.