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It’s King vs Prince in Belgium’s battle royale

It’s an old story – a father fighting with his son – but this one involves a king and a prince, racy headlines, palace intrigue and the future of the monarchy itself.
Juicy stuff for Belgium’s once-placid royals.
The wrath of King Albert II was provoked when his youngest son, the 47-year-old Prince Laurent visited Congo, Belgium’s former colony, last month against the wishes of both his father and the Belgian government.

The prince inflamed the situation further Tuesday when his adviser told Humo magazine that the palace is giving free rein to ”destructive forces” and playing ”a bizarre role” in disputes surrounding the monarchy – at a time when the need for the monarchy itself is being questioned.
A palace official retorted that the king wouldn’t react to ”delusions” that only obscure the fact that the prince should never have gone to Congo. He spoke on condition of anonymity due to standing rules.
As third child of the king, Laurent has no realistic chance of ever taking the throne. But never have family affairs spilled out into the open like this – and it comes as the kingdom is going through political turmoil between its 6 million Dutch-speaking Flemings and its 4.5 million Francophones.
The monarchy is one of the last symbols of unity in the increasingly divided country.
Still, for some the royal brouhaha has been a welcome respite from Belgium’s tedious political negotiations, which have left the nation without an acting government for almost a year as both sides seek more autonomy.
”War in the Palace,” headlined the usually understated De Standaard newspaper. ”Open warfare in Laken,” added the De Morgen paper, referring to the king’s leafy, secluded palace on the outskirts of Brussels.
There long had been rumors about parental displeasure with youngest son Laurent – dubbed ”enfant terrible” in the media for his long tradition of courting controversy – either for his speedy driving, love of expensive furniture, former romantic connections and, now, unauthorized travel.
Prime Minister Yves Leterme lashed out at the prince in parliament last week, saying he ”disregarded his obligations” by traveling there despite the clear objections of the government and his father. What made matters worse is that Laurent also had a brief meeting with President Joseph Kabila without any diplomatic oversight. Belgium has had fraught relations with Congo after a bloody and discriminatory colonial rule.
Leterme told the prince to either abide by government demands or forsake his annual stipend of around 300,000 ($400,000) in the future – about the same amount that President Barack Obama earns.

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