Prince Lorenz of Belgium

Early life

Prince Lorenz was born in Belvedere Clinic, Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France, as the second child of Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este and his wife, Archduchess Margaret (née Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta).

Education and career

After finishing school, Archduke Lorenz did his military service in the regiment of Gebirgsjäger ("Alpine Hunters") of the Federal Austrian Army, and he was promoted to Reserve Leutnant (Second Lieutenant) in 1980.[1]

Lorenz studied economics at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and the University of Innsbruck in Austria. He then worked at various banks in London, Paris, and Rome. In 1983, he joined the Gutzwiller private bank in Basel, where he eventually became a Managing Partner. In 1993, he spent one year as a consultant to SWIFT, a company which provides services to the financial industry. In 1995, he became Advisor to the Board of Directors of BNP Paribas bank in Paris. He was formerly a director of UCB, Sita (a worldwide waste management company located in France) and Ondeo Nalco (a water management company in the United States).

Marriage

On 22 September 1984 in Brussels, Lorenz married Princess Astrid of Belgium, the only daughter of the then-Prince and Princess of Liège, later King Albert II and Queen Paola. The couple have five children:

  • Prince Amedeo (born 21 February 1986)
  • Princess Maria Laura (born 26 August 1988)
  • Prince Joachim (born 9 December 1991)
  • Princess Luisa Maria (born 11 October 1995)
  • Princess Laetitia Maria (born 23 April 2003)

Prince Lorenz is a godfather to Prince Carl-Johan of Nassau, youngest child of Prince Jean of Luxembourg and Count Costantino Secco di Aragona, oldest son of his cousin Archduchess Catharina-Maria of Austria.

Patronages

Since 2004, Lorenz has been the honorary president of the Council of the Koninklijke Vereniging der Historische Woonsteden van België/Association Royale des Demeures Historiques de Belgique.[2] Since 2005, he has been the Patron of Europae Thesauri, an association of European cathedral and church treasuries.[3]

Lorenz has also served as deputy chairman of the Société des Amis of the Almanach de Gotha.[4]

He is named member of the Royal Crown Council of Romania in 2015.[5]

Title

The title "Prince of Belgium" was granted to him by Royal Decree of 10 November 1995 by his father-in-law, King Albert II of Belgium.[6] He is also referred to as Archduke of Austria-Este by the Belgian monarchy.[7]

Honours

National

Foreign
Coat of Arms as Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit.

Military ranks

Notes

    References
    1. Blog article (French) about Prince Lorenz
    2. Association Royale des Demeures Historiques de Belgique: Conseil d'Administration Archived 15 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
    3. Goosse, Georges. "Membres - Europae Thesauri". www.europaethesauri.eu.
    4. Almanach de Gotha, Société des Amis de l'Almanach de Gotha
    5. "EXCLUSIV: Personaj CHEIE, dat afară din Casa Regală a României - Flux24.ro". 2 March 2016.
    6. Velde, François. Heraldica.org. Titres Royaux en Belgique, section 2.3 (French) accessdate = 31 July 2011.
    7. "Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz". Official website of the Belgian Monarchy. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
    8. "Photo" (JPG). c7.alamy.com.
    9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    11. "Photo". www.gettyimages.com.
    12. "Photo". www.gettyimages.com.
    13. "Photo". www.corbisimages.com.
    14. Belga Pictures, State visit of President Herzog in Belgium (1998), Group Photo Archived 2 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine
    15. "Photo". members2.boardhost.com.
    16. "Photo". www.gettyimages.co.uk.
    17. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    18. "Photo" (JPG). www.monarchie.be.
    19. "Photo". www.ordens.presidencia.pt.
    20. "Photo". dre.pt.
    21. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    22. "Photo". modenaducale.altervista.org. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
    23. "Vizită regală belgiană în România - Familia Regală a României / Royal Family of Romania". www.romaniaregala.ro.
    24. "Seară la Castelul Regal Peleș, 12 septembrie 2015 - Familia Regală a României / Royal Family of Romania". www.romaniaregala.ro.
    25. "Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF).
    26. "Belga Image". www.belgaimage.be.
    27. "Stock Photography, Royalty-Free Photos & The Latest News Pictures - Getty Images". www.corbisimages.com.
    Prince Lorenz of Belgium
    House of Austria-Este
    Born: 16 December 1955
    Titles in pretence
    Preceded by
    Archduke Robert    		 Archduke of Austria-Este
    1996 – present    		 Incumbent
    Heir:
    Archduke Amedeo
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