Prince Laurent of Belgium has officially acknowledged paternity of his illegitimate son, Clement Vandenkerckhove, 26, who has now been granted the title of Prince. The acknowledgment was reportedly made in February, according to town hall records. Despite the royal title, Vandenkerckhove will not receive a royal allowance or be included in the line of succession.
Vandenkerckhove, a former car salesman, publicly confirmed his parentage in a documentary last year, ending years of media speculation. He described the moment his mother, 1980s pop singer Wendy Van Wanten, revealed the truth about his father. In a statement, Prince Laurent confirmed he is the biological father and stated the acknowledgment was the result of open discussions and mutual respect.
Clement Vandenkerckhove was born in 2000, the same year Prince Laurent, 62, reportedly met his wife, Claire Coombs. Van Wanten and Prince Laurent were seen together at events in the late 1990s, including the wedding of Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie.
Earlier this summer, Vandenkerckhove shared a Father's Day post on social media, honoring both Prince Laurent and his mother's husband, Frans Vancoppenolle. "Today I celebrate two fathers who, each in their own way, play an important role in my life," he wrote.
Prince Laurent and Princess Claire, who married in 2003, have three children: Princess Louise and twins Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric. The Belgian Royal Family has stated that the line of succession will not be affected by this announcement. This development follows a similar situation five years ago when Prince Laurent's father, King Albert II, acknowledged his own illegitimate daughter, Princess Delphine.
Prince Laurent has previously been described as an "enfant terrible" due to past business ventures and public missteps. His wife, Princess Claire, born in Bath to a British father and Belgian mother, is known for her reserved nature and occasional support of Laurent's environmental and animal charity work. Clement's mother, Wendy Van Wanten, a former host of a Flemish TV show offering sex advice, has since remarried and has other children.