A 26-year-old Belgian car salesman, Clément Vandenkerckhove, has officially become a prince of Belgium after a paternity test confirmed that his biological father is Prince Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe. The legal recognition took place during a low-key town hall ceremony six months ago, following the DNA test that confirmed Vandenkerckhove as the son and heir of the 63-year-old royal.
How the Royal Paternity Was Revealed
Vandenkerckhove's mother, Belgian singer Wendy Van Wanten (whose real name is Iris Vandenkerckhove), had a relationship with Prince Laurent during the 1990s after meeting at a Paris fashion show. However, she only revealed the identity of his father to him when he turned 16. Vandenkerckhove was born in August 2000, several years before Prince Laurent married Princess Claire in 2003.
In a television documentary, Vandenkerckhove shared that he reconnected with Prince Laurent four years after learning about his lineage, after which both went to a hospital together to complete the DNA test. This led to open and honest conversations between father and son, according to his account in the documentary.
Rights, Duties, and Succession Status
The legal process affords the new prince equal rights to Prince Laurent's private estate alongside his three half-siblings, Princess Louise, Prince Nicolas, and Prince Aymeric. However, Vandenkerckhove will not receive a royal allowance, will not carry out official duties, and holds no place in the line of succession to the Belgian throne.
Although eligible to take his father's house name of Saxe-Coburg, Vandenkerckhove indicated he plans to keep his current last name out of respect for his mother. He stated that sacrificing the family name Vandenkerckhove would feel like a betrayal of everything she had done for him growing up.
Precedent in the Belgian Royal Family
This marks another notable paternity acknowledgment within the Belgian royal family in recent years, following a high-profile legal battle that concluded in 2020 when former King Albert II formally recognized Princess Delphine as his daughter. That case set a precedent for such recognitions, and the current acknowledgment follows a similar pattern of legal and personal resolution.
The new prince's status grants him inheritance rights but keeps him outside the official royal framework, reflecting a balance between personal recognition and institutional boundaries. His decision to retain his mother's surname underscores his personal choice amid the legal changes.
