Prince Laurent recognizes 26-year-old son, granting him Belgian royal title

Paternity confirmation and royal title

Belgian civil registry records formalized Prince Laurent of Belgium as the legal father of 26-year-old Clément Vandenkerckhove in February 2026, following years of public speculation and a DNA test. Under Article 2 of the Royal Decree of 12 November 2015, all children and grandchildren of former King Albert II automatically hold the title of Prince or Princess of Belgium upon legal recognition. Christian Behrendt, a constitutional law professor at the University of Liège, explained the mechanism governing the decision:

Once there is recognition of the child, we fall into the application of this Article 2, which says that the children and grandchildren of Albert II bear the title of prince.

The royal household confirmed the recognition while maintaining that the situation remains a private matter. The legal precedent follows the 1 October 2020 Brussels Court of Appeal ruling in favor of Delphine Boël, the daughter of Albert II born outside marriage, who secured the title of Princess Delphine de Saxe-Coburg.

Years of secrecy and contact

Clément Vandenkerckhove was born on 16 August 2000 following a relationship between Prince Laurent and Flemish singer and model Iris Vandenkerckhove, known by her stage name Wendy Van Wanten. The couple originally met at a fashion show in Paris during the 1990s, before Laurent married Princess Claire in 2003. Vandenkerckhove grew up in Aalter near his mother without royal security or titles, later studying graphic design and working at an Opel car dealership in Deinze.

Vandenkerckhove first crossed paths with Prince Laurent at a shopping mall in 2013 without knowing the prince was his father. His mother revealed his parentage when he turned 16, asking him to keep the information confidential. At age 20, amid panic attacks and persistent stress regarding his identity, Vandenkerckhove called Laurent. The two subsequently arranged a meeting and visited a hospital for a DNA test, which registered a 99.5% genetic match. On 9 September 2025, Laurent published a statement acknowledging biological paternity after private discussions.

Succession, endowments, and surname

Despite holding the title of prince, Vandenkerckhove will not enter the line of succession to the Belgian throne. Belgian constitutional law restricts succession rights strictly to descendants from marriages approved by government decree. Furthermore, royal legal reforms adopted in 2013 restrict state endowments to King Philippe, former King Albert II, Princess Astrid, and Prince Laurent, meaning Vandenkerckhove receives no public funding and carries no official representative duties for the monarchy.

As a legally recognized son, Vandenkerckhove gains statutory inheritance rights to Prince Laurent's private estate alongside his half-siblings, Princess Louise and Princes Nicolas and Aymeric. He also holds the legal option to adopt the royal surname de Saxe-Coburg, though he announced plans to keep his maternal family name or adopt a hyphenated surname:

I am proud of the name Vandenkerckhove. Sacrificing that surname would be a betrayal to everything my mother did for me.

Vandenkerckhove, who recently worked in a restaurant kitchen and purchased two rental garages, indicated that he prioritizes his personal relationship with his father over royal status.