Belgium has gained a Prince as Prince Laurent officially recognises his illegitimate son.
Prince Laurent’s son with Iris Vandenkerckhove, Clément Vandenkerckhove, has been officially recognised by his father, meaning he has now become a prince of Belgium. However, he will not be in the line of succession, and he will not receive an endowment. The official recognition took place last February.
The news of Prince Laurent’s son comes just a few years after his father, King Albert, was forced to recognise a daughter he fathered in an extramarital affair. The former monarch consented to a DNA test after a Belgian court ordered that he be fined 5,000 euros a day until he complied. The test proved he was the father of Delphine Boël, and the Brussels Court of Appeal recognised Delphine as a princess and gave her the surname of Saxe-Coburg.
Clément took part in the documentary “Clément, zoon van…” (Clément, son of…) last year. The episodes tell the story of how Clément met his father for the first time by accident and their first phone call. Clément also shares how he and Prince Laurent took a DNA test together at the hospital.
Prince Laurent also has three children with his wife, Princess Claire.
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