Prince Laurent joins Princess Esmeralda at Egmont Palace for CARE Belgium's 10th anniversary

As she does every year, Princess Esméralda of Belgium attended the CARE Belgium gala. This charity gala was held on June 12th in the majestic setting of the Egmont Palace in Brussels to mark the 10th anniversary of this charity event. Prince Laurent joined his aunt to show his support for this worthy cause.

Princess Esmeralda with CARE Belgium patrons at Egmont Palace

Over the years, the CARE Gala has become a must-attend charity event, bringing together patrons and supporters who support the fight against extreme poverty around the world. Princess Esmeralda has supported CARE Belgium since its inception and attends the fundraising gala every year. For this 10th edition of the gala, the organization invited its patrons to the Egmont Palace in Brussels on June 12.

Princess Esméralda of Belgium surrounded by the CARE Belgium team: Daniel Thierry, Baroness Odile de Saint-Marcq and Grégoire Tolstoï (Photo: CARE Belgium)CARE supporters and patrons arrive at Egmont Palace to support the charity's fundraising efforts (Photo: Royal Stories)

Founded in 1945 at the end of World War II, the CARE International network's objective at the time was to provide support to a war-torn Europe by sending humanitarian aid packages. The Belgian branch was created in 2014 by a group of people active within the network internationally. CARE Belgium is represented by its president, Daniel Thierry, and its secretary general, Odile de Saint-Marcq.

Prince Charles-Louis of Arenberg, son of the 12th Duke and brother of the 13th Duke of Arenberg, with his wife, Princess Fiammetta (Photo: CARE Belgium)Baroness Odile de Saint-Marcq, Prince Laurent of Belgium, Baroness Aurore van Gysel de Meise and Prince and Princess Alexandre de Windisch-Graetz (Photo: CARE Belgium)

Princess Esmeralda, 68, the sixth and youngest child of King Leopold III, is an environmental and women's rights activist. She is also committed to the fight against poverty and serves as honorary president of CARE Belgium. She now divides her time between London, Brussels, her missions in South America, and China. In 2023, her husband, Salvador Moncada, was appointed Honduran ambassador to China by Honduran President Xiomara Castro.

Baroness Odile de Saint-Marcq, Secretary General of CARE Belgium, surrounded by Count Frédéric d'Aspremont Lynden de Maillen and Prince Charles-Antoine de Ligne-La Trémoille (Photo: CARE Belgium)

Prince Laurent takes action in the fight against extreme poverty

For this 10th edition of the charity gala, Prince Laurent, 61, joined his aunt at Egmont Palace to show his support for the cause. Egmont Palace was rebuilt over the centuries on the foundations of a 16th-century palace built for the Count of Egmont. In the 18th century, the palace became the property of the Arenberg family, until it was sold to the City of Brussels by the 9th Duke of Arenberg in 1918. The City of Brussels resold it to the Belgian State in 1964 to house the state rooms of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Princess Cordelia von Lobkowicz with Gregory Tolstoy, one of the directors of CARE Belgium (Photo: CARE Belgium)The Grand Staircase of Egmont Palace (Photo: Royal Stories)

The Belgian King's brother and aunt were surrounded by provincial governors, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreign ambassadors, and civil society representatives. After the cocktail reception in the former library, patrons sat down to enjoy redfish ceviche and veal picanha. The surprise wedding cake, prepared by Michael Lewis-Anderson, was adorned with outstretched hands, reminiscent of the association's logo.

Princess Esméralda of Belgium with her nephew, Prince Laurent, at the CARE Belgium gala dinner (Photo: CARE Belgium)Michael Lewis-Anderson, Princess Esmeralda, Gregory Tolstoy, Daniel Thierry and Baroness Odile de Saint-Marcq surrounding the CARE wedding cake (Photo: CARE Belgium)

An auction and a raffle raised additional funds. Princess Esmeralda also spoke during the evening. "I think we're all now aware of the climate crisis. Alongside that, there's the biodiversity crisis, which is just as serious. But within all of that, the problem is human rights because it's the people who are suffering ," said the half-sister of King Albert II. "On the front line are women and children, who are the most vulnerable."

Princess Esmeralda delivers a speech during the evening (Photo: Royal Stories)

Princess Esmeralda recalls that she "did not hesitate for a single second"  when she was asked to become the honorary president of CARE "because it is part of my values: the reduction of poverty and inequality. We have conflicts everywhere at the moment, there are people who are suffering. There are abominable situations and this surge of hope [with CARE] is very important. Let us maintain this surge of empathy towards those who are less fortunate than us .