A 26-year-old former car salesman has officially become a Belgian prince after a DNA test confirmed his royal parentage.
Clément Vandenkerckhove was legally recognised as the son of Prince Laurent, the younger brother of Belgium’s King Philippe.
The recognition took place during a private ceremony at a town hall around six months ago. Details of the event only recently became public.
Clément was born in 2000 to Belgian singer and former model Wendy Van Wanten, whose real name is Iris Vandenkerckhove.
She reportedly had a relationship with Prince Laurent during the 1990s, before he married Princess Claire in 2003.
Clément said his mother revealed the identity of his father when he was 16.
Four years later, he contacted Prince Laurent. They eventually agreed to undergo DNA testing, which reportedly showed a 99.5 percent match.
Prince Laurent later publicly confirmed that Clément was his biological son. The legal recognition gave Clément the title of prince.
He now has the same right to inherit Prince Laurent’s private property as the prince’s three other children.
However, Clément will not receive a royal allowance, perform official royal duties or enter the line of succession to Belgium’s throne.
He can adopt his father’s royal surname, Saxe-Coburg, but he remains unsure about giving up his mother’s surname.
“If I were to sacrifice that family name, it would be a betrayal of everything my mother has done for me.”
Before receiving his title, Clément worked as a car salesman at an Opel dealership in Deinze. He also studied graphic design and shares his father’s interest in cars.
The case is similar to that of Princess Delphine, whom former Belgian King Albert II legally recognised as his daughter in 2020 following a long paternity dispute.
Clément’s recognition adds another previously unknown child to Belgium’s royal family, but it does not give him any claim to the throne.
