BELGIUM: A 26-year-old former car salesman has officially joined Belgium’s royal family after Prince Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe, legally recognized him as his son and heir following a DNA test confirming his lineage.
According to American broadcaster CNN, Clement Vandenkirkhoeve was formally acknowledged as Prince Laurent’s child in a simple ceremony approximately six months ago, though details of the development have only recently come to light. The prince has since registered Clement’s paternity in the Belgian civil registry.
Clement’s mother and Prince Laurent shared a brief relationship in the 1990s, having met during a fashion show in Paris. The romance did not endure, and Laurent later married Princess Claire in 2003. Clement has revealed that he first learned the truth about his biological father at the age of 16, when his mother told him that Prince Laurent of Belgium was his parent. In an interview with a Belgian television network last September, Clement stated that four years after his mother’s revelation—at age 20—he reached out to his father, who promptly suggested a DNA test, which ultimately confirmed his paternity.
While Clement has legally acquired the title of prince, he will not receive a royal stipend nor participate in official or public activities on behalf of the monarchy. However, he will hold equal inheritance rights to his father’s private property alongside his half-siblings—Princess Louise, Prince Nicolas, and Prince Emerick.
This is not the first paternity scandal to rock the Belgian royal family. Prince Laurent’s own father, former King Albert II, abdicated in 2013 amid similar allegations and eventually legally acknowledged his out-of-wedlock daughter, Delphine Boyle, in 2020 following a protracted legal battle. The renowned artist subsequently obtained the title of princess and now goes by Delphine de Saxe-Coburg. In contrast, the newly recognized Clement has indicated his desire to retain his current family name rather than adopt the royal moniker.
