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Belgian prince apologises for breaking lockdown measures in Spain
Prince Joachim of Belgium has apologised for breaking Spanish confinement rules when he attended a party in Andalucia on 26 May, reports Belga. He subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.
The 28-year-old nephew of King Philippe of Belgium is 10th in line to the throne. In a statement issued via his Spanish lawyer on Sunday, he said he “deeply regretted” his actions and “accepted all the consequences”.
Prince Joachim, the son of Archduke Lorenz and Princess Astrid of Belgium, is rarely in the public spotlight. His positive testing of Covid-19 has been widely reported by international press.
According to Spanish newspaper El Confidencial – which broke the story - the prince flew to Spain on a commercial aircraft on 24 May before taking a train to Andalucia. On 26 May he attended a private party in Córdoba with friends and family.
Spain has relaxed some its security measures during deconfinement, allowing for private gatherings of maximum 15 people. According to El Confidencial, a total of 27 people attended the private party.
The following day Prince Joachim showed symptoms of coronavirus and tested positive on 28May. Other attendees of the party have since gone into quarantine.
The Belgian palace said Prince Joachim travelled to Spain to do an internship in a company and was attending a “family reunion”. His actions have come under heavy criticism in Spain, a country that has suffered a high death toll during the pandemic.
Photo: Prince Joachim voting at Belgian elections on 26 May, 2019 © Benoît Doppagne/BELGA
Comments
Why has the prince to apologise when he did not organise the party and had no control of the number of participants? This information should be added on the article - either that he was responsible, or not.
Aschmitz,
He might not have known at the time what the rules in Spain were, but one can never use that as an excuse to break laws, so he's apologizing. He doesn't HAVE TO apologize, but it shows that he takes responsibility for his actions. That's a noble thing to do.
By the way, you don't have to organize a party with too many people to be at fault. If you're merely attending it, you're breaking the rules. The fact that you don't know this is worrisome.