Prince Laurent of Belgium has legally recognized 26-year-old Clément Vandenkerckhove as his son and heir. The confirmation of royal parentage was finalized approximately six months ago during a town hall ceremony.
Vandenkerckhove, whose mother is Belgian singer Wendy Van Wanten, will formally become a prince but will not receive a royal allowance. He will also not be part of Belgium's royal line of succession, unlike his half-siblings Princess Louise, Prince Aymeric, and Prince Nicolas, nor will he participate in public royal duties.
Vandenkerckhove expressed that he is proud of his current surname, Vandenkerckhove, and is uncertain if he will adopt his father's name, Saxe-Coburg. He stated that sacrificing his family name would feel like a betrayal of his mother's efforts.
He first met his father unexpectedly in a shopping center in 2013, not realizing his identity at the time. His mother revealed Prince Laurent's identity when Vandenkerckhove was 16. Four years later, he contacted his father, leading to several meetings and a subsequent DNA test suggested by Prince Laurent. The laboratory reported a 99.5% DNA match.
This paternity confirmation echoes that of Prince Laurent's own father, former King Albert II, who admitted to fathering a daughter, Delphine Boël, after a lengthy legal battle. Boël, an artist, eventually won her case in 2020 and gained the right to the title of princess, now using the name Delphine de Saxe-Coburg. Albert II abdicated in 2013 amidst the paternity scandal. Under a 2013 law change in Belgium, only a select few royal family members are entitled to public allowances, including King Philippe, King Albert II, Prince Laurent, and Princess Astrid.