Another European prince – the brother of a king, no less – is taking a step back from royal life, but don’t try to compare Prince Laurent of Belgium to Britain’s Prince Harry.
“I don’t compare myself to Prince Harry. I have always been an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur,” the Belgian royal, who is King Philippe of Belgium’s younger brother, told Het Laatste Nieuws recently.
“But it is true that I would like to start a new life.”
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Laurent, 60, announced this month that he wants to be “less involved” in public royal activities and suggested he’s grown weary of all the rules and red tape that come with being a senior royal.
As the current King’s brother and the second child of former King Albert II and Queen Paola, he enjoys incredible privilege that comes with equally unbelievable restrictions.
Laurent told reporters that he ask the government for permission to visit relatives that live abroad, including Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and his mother’s family in Switzerland.
“I think I can do more for society and make myself more useful if I can live that new life,” he told the Belgian news outlet.
“I’m not proclaiming this because I’m angry, I want to provoke a reaction, I’m looking for sensation, right? No. I also want to be able to work with people who respect me.”
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The prince revealed that he plans to step back from his royal duties and instead focus on clean energy projects, a personal passion of his.
He’s already signed a deal with Istanbul University in Turkey to set up green and renewable energy projects in the hopes of helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Though Laurent won’t be moving to Turkey any time soon, he has shared that he hopes to live abroad in Italy in the years ahead.
It’s expected that he would take his wife, Princess Claire, and their three children Princess Louise, Prince Aymeric and Prince Nicolas if he relocated to Italy.
Though many royal watchers have drawn comparisons between Laurent and Prince Harry, the similarities between their situations are limited.
Both are high-ranking princes, younger brothers to a king or future-king, and have opted to take a step back from their respective monarchies to pursue more private lives.
However, while Harry’s royal exit was rife with tension and questions, Laurent has made it clear that there is no ill-will between him and King Philippe, and that he has very clear plans for his future.
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