Prince Laurent of Belgium has publicly acknowledged that he is the biological father of 25-year-old Clement Vandenkerckhove, a revelation confirmed in a statement after a Belgian television documentary in which the young man described the moment his mother told him, “Your daddy is a prince.”
In a brief written statement the 61-year-old royal said: "With this announcement, I acknowledge that I am the biological father of Clement Vandenkerckhove. We have spoken openly and honestly about this in recent years. This announcement is based on a sense of understanding and respect for those involved. It is the result of joint consultation. I kindly request that you receive this information with the discretion that the nature of this intimate matter requires. I will not make any further statements or provide any further explanation on this matter." Clement recounted his reaction in the VTM documentary, saying his first thought was: "If he is a prince, what am I? My uncle is the king of Belgium!" He described the moment he dialled his father's number as making his "heart... in my throat."
Clement is the son of 1980s pop singer and television personality Wendy Van Wanten. Van Wanten told the documentary she had been "maybe a little naïve in thinking I could keep [Clement's heritage] quiet." The pair were never publicly confirmed to have had a relationship, but were seen together at events in the late 1990s. Clement was born in 2000, the same year Prince Laurent is understood to have met his future wife, Princess Claire (née Coombs).
Clement told VTM that the question of his parentage had occasionally troubled him and that he wanted to put an end to years of speculation. He said he did not place blame on either parent: "We're all human, right? Neither my father nor my mother did anything wrong," he told the programme. The young man had previously addressed rumours in 2021, appearing on the Flemish series Het Huis to deny the claims and say he wanted the matter to stop overshadowing his life.
Belgian royal expert Mario Danneels told The Brussels Times that the revelation was not a surprise to some observers, noting past hints in Van Wanten's song lyrics and a visible resemblance between Clement and the prince. Danneels said tensions within the royal household had contributed to prolonged silence in the past, adding that the matter had prompted heated arguments among courtiers.
Prince Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe, married Claire Coombs in 2003. The couple have three children: Princess Louise and twins Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric. Palace officials said the announcement was not expected to affect the line of succession. The confirmation comes five years after King Albert II, Prince Laurent's father, publicly acknowledged his own previously undisclosed daughter, Princess Delphine.
The VTM documentary presented the personal dimensions of the disclosure: Clement described the mix of curiosity and longing that had accompanied his search for answers, recalling childhood questions about whether his father was dead and a desire to share ordinary moments such as going for a pint. Prince Laurent's statement asked for discretion, saying he would not offer further comment.
Wendy Van Wanten, who rose to prominence in the 1980s and later hosted television programmes, is married to Frans Vancoppenolle and has another son and a daughter. Media outlets reported that Van Wanten and the prince attended public events together in the late 1990s, and that Clement's given name may reference Villa Clémentine, a residence associated with Prince Laurent in Tervuren.
The Daily Mail and other outlets reported the developments on Thursday; the Mail said it had contacted the Belgian royal household for comment. The disclosure closes a chapter of public speculation that has followed Clement since his birth and joins a series of recent, public acknowledgements of previously private royal family relationships in Belgium.