A 26-year-old Belgian car salesman has officially become a prince after a DNA test confirmed that he is the son of Prince Laurent, the younger brother of Belgium’s King Philippe.
Clément Vandenkerckhove was legally recognised as Prince Laurent’s son during a private town hall ceremony held about six months ago, bringing an end to years of uncertainty over his royal parentage.
Vandenkerckhove’s mother, Belgian singer Wendy Van Wanten, whose real name is Iris Vandenkerckhove, had a relationship with Prince Laurent in the 1990s.
However, she did not reveal his identity to her son until he was 16.
According to reports, Vandenkerckhove later contacted Prince Laurent after learning the truth.
Laurent agreed to undergo a DNA test, which confirmed the biological relationship.
“We went to the hospital together and I remember him saying, ‘I’ll go first so you’re feeling at ease,’” Vandenkerckhove said, recalling the moment they underwent the test.
Following the confirmation, Vandenkerckhove said he and his father began having “open and honest conversations.”
Prince Laurent, 63, has since registered his paternity with Belgium’s civil registry, giving Vandenkerckhove the same inheritance rights to his private estate as his half-siblings, Princess Louise and twins Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric.
However, his new status comes with limitations.
Vandenkerckhove will not receive a royal allowance, will not be required to perform official royal duties and has no claim to the Belgian throne.
He could also adopt his father’s family name, Saxe-Coburg, but has indicated that he would prefer to retain his mother’s surname.
“I am proud of the name Vandenkerckhove,” he told Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
“If I were to sacrifice that family name, it would be a betrayal of everything my mother has done for me.”
Vandenkerckhove was born in August 2000.
His mother and Prince Laurent reportedly met at a fashion show in Paris before beginning their relationship.
His recognition also echoes another paternity case involving Belgium’s royal family.
Prince Laurent’s father, former King Albert II, spent years fighting a paternity claim before acknowledging in 2020 that he had fathered Delphine Boël during an affair.
Boël later won her legal battle and was granted the title of princess, adopting the name Delphine de Saxe-Coburg.
