Belgian prince says move to cut his £264,000 allowance violates his human rights

A scandal-prone Belgian prince has said the government’s proposal to cut his £264,000 allowance is a ‘violation of human rights’.

Prince Laurent, the younger brother to King Philippe, caused a huge diplomatic incident when he made an appearance at a Chinese state celebration of the Red Army’s 90th anniversary earlier this year.

It caused a stir as nobody authorised the prince to visit the celebration on behalf of Belgium.

One of the conditions of Prince Laurent’s state income is that the prince is not allowed to have contact with foreign dignitaries without permission.

The Belgian prime minister Charles Michel and King Philippe now want to cut his allowance by up to £68,000 a year.

It outraged the Belgian royalty and government as he didn’t have permission to attend the event honouring the Red Army (Picture: REX)

But Prince Laurent has fired back at losing part of his income, with local media reporting that his lawyer sent a seven-page letter to the prime minister and the Belgian government.

According to Prince Laurent’s lawyer, the Belgian government is basing the proposal on laws which contradict the country’s constitution and violate human rights.

The letter also reportedly says it will sentence the prince to ‘social isolation’ as the ban on unauthorised contact with foreign dignitaries includes some of his relatives.

It warns that Belgium might even be dragged in front of the European Court of Human Rights.

Prince Laurent has faced criticism before for nearly creating diplomatic incidents.

The Belgian government are considering a £68,000 pay cut to his state income in response to the incident (Picture: REX)

Last summer, the prime minister reportedly stopped Prince Laurent from giving a speech at a Turkish rally held in July in Belgium.

It was commemorating the anniversary of the failed coup against President Erdogan.

Given Belgium’s critical stance on the crackdown by Erdogan on democracy, it would have been a major diplomatic embarrassment for Belgium.

The prince was also named in a corruption scandal and is known for his love of speed, having racked up several speeding tickets.