In a story worthy of a spin-off from the Anne Hathaway-led Princess Diaries saga, a 26-year-old car salesman has just become the new Prince of Belgium. Clément Vandenkerckhove has just been legally recognized as the son and heir of the king’s younger brother, Prince Laurent. The event took place six months ago in a discreet ceremony held at the Brussels City Hall, but it has not come to light until now.
It was a DNA test that proved beyond any doubt Clément’s link to the Belgian royal family. Now, this formality grants the new prince the same inheritance rights to Laurent’s private estate as his half-sister, Princess Luisa, aged 20, and his half-brothers, Prince Nicolas, 20, and Prince Aymeric, 19. The three of them are the children the prince has with Princess Claire, whom he married in 2003.
His mother, the Belgian singer and actress Wendy Van Wanten, had a seven-year relationship with Prince Laurent. Now, the young man has broken his silence after his royal kinship became public. «I am still getting used to the relief of no longer having to hide my origins. The warm reactions and the beautiful words of support from so many people who have followed my story have moved me more deeply than I ever could have imagined. To be honest, I don’t quite know how to process all this,» the Belgian youth wrote on Instagram.
The new royal status of Clément Vandenkerckhove does not imply that he will receive a state allowance, nor is it expected that he assume official duties. He also has no succession rights to the Belgian throne. According to amendments introduced to the country’s legislation in 2013, only a few members of the royal family are entitled to public allowances: King Philippe; his father, King Albert II; Prince Laurent himself; and Princess Astrid.
Who is the new Prince Clément
The newest member of the Belgian royal family has had several years to get used to the idea of having a royal father. And he recently stated that he was still not sure whether he would start using his father’s surname, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is a historic German royal family that ruled several European monarchies in the 19th and 20th centuries, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, Portugal and Bulgaria.
Four years later he summoned the courage to call him. After several more calls, they met in person and, eventually, Prince Laurent suggested they undergo a DNA test. “We went to the hospital together, and I remember him telling me: ‘I will go first so you feel more at ease,’” he said on the program. He then received an email from the laboratory informing him of a 99.5% DNA match.
For the young man, who has gone from selling cars to working as a chef, dealing with the stress of keeping the secret caused him to suffer panic attacks and anxiety. Now Clément and Laurent share a mutual passion for cars, and the young man even posted a photo on Instagram with him to celebrate Father’s Day.
The Delphine Case
The DNA test of Prince Laurent that has served to recognize the new prince inevitably recalls his father’s, the former King Albert II. He underwent a similar test after a long paternity battle, after which in 2020 he admitted that he had fathered a daughter during an extramarital affair with Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps and finally acknowledged her as his.
The Princess Delphine, during the last National Day of Belgium.
Delphine Boël, a well-known artist who was then 52, ended up winning her legal battle and obtained the right to the title of princess. She is now known as Delphine of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and has the same rights as her other siblings. Albert II abdicated as king of the Belgians in 2013, when the question of paternity had already become a royal scandal.
