A majority of Belgians (52.6%) consider that Prince Laurent's fit of anger last Tuesday has dented the image of the Belgian Royal Family as a whole. This is per a survey carried out with 1,000 people, on behalf of the TV channel RTL-TVI. Nearly one in two respondents (49.8%) condemn the Prince's behavior.
It is worth noting that the Flemish are taking a far harder line than French speakers.
The statistics show that 61.1% of Dutch-speakers do not come out in support of Prince Laurent, compared to 33.9% in the south of the country.
More than 50% of respondents (Flemish 62.1%, French-speakers 38%), moreover, consider that the Prince cannot remain as part of the current order of succession to the throne.
In respect of the allowance for the King's younger brother, a majority of Belgians argue in favour of Government action aiming to limit either partially (20.8%) or totally (36.7%) such allowance.
Simply removing the allowance altogether has Flemish support (46.7%, compared to 22.4% for French-speakers).
On Tuesday after a Senate meeting, the Prince had appeared to overstep the mark, when questioned by a journalist in the presence of a television camera about his environmental initiatives.
Without beating about the bush, he requested that the media leave him alone to get on with his work.
He said, “This has bugged me for several years and prevents me from working. It is not necessary to take matters too far. It bugs me that I am not simply able to run my foundations,” he had stated before expressing his weariness when faced both with the public approach to his particular policies and his family's privacy.
On Thursday, Charles Michel announced that he would meet with the Prince after his controversial comments.
The Brussels Times
