Belgian car dealer legally recognised as Prince at age 26

BRUSSELS: A Belgian car dealer has been legally recognised as a prince at the age of 26 after being officially acknowledged as the son of Prince Laurent, the younger brother of Belgian King Philippe.

According to reports in foreign media, 26-year-old Clément Vanden Kerckhove has been legally recognised as the biological son of Prince Laurent, giving him a formal connection to Belgium’s royal family.

Clément Vanden Kerckhove was born in August 2000 to Belgian singer Wendy Van Wanten, whose real name is Iris Vandenkerckhove. For many years, his parentage remained undisclosed. According to reports, Vanden Kerckhove’s mother did not tell him the identity of his biological father until he was 16 years old.

After learning about his alleged biological father, Vanden Kerckhove later contacted Prince Laurent. The prince agreed to undergo a DNA test to establish whether he was indeed the young man’s biological father.

The DNA test subsequently confirmed that Prince Laurent was Vanden Kerckhove’s biological father, formally establishing the relationship between the two.

According to source, the two men officially acknowledged their relationship around six months ago during a simple ceremony at a town hall. Following the ceremony, Prince Laurent also registered his paternity in Belgium’s civil registry, giving the relationship formal legal recognition.

The legal recognition has significant implications for Vanden Kerckhove’s status and inheritance rights. Following the registration, he became entitled to the same inheritance rights to Prince Laurent’s private property as his three half-siblings.

Prince Laurent has three children with his wife, Princess Claire. They are 20-year-old Princess Louise and 19-year-old twins Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric. Vanden Kerckhove is therefore now legally recognised as their half-brother.

Despite his newly recognised royal status, Vanden Kerckhove will not receive a royal allowance from the Belgian state or royal household. He will also not be expected to carry out official duties on behalf of the Belgian royal family.

Furthermore, his legal recognition as Prince Laurent’s son does not give him any right to the Belgian throne. His position within the royal family therefore remains largely private and does not place him in the line of succession to the Belgian monarchy.

The development has nevertheless attracted considerable attention because of the unusual circumstances surrounding Vanden Kerckhove’s recognition. His journey from growing up without publicly known information about his biological father to being formally recognised as the son of a member of Belgium’s royal family has generated widespread media interest.

The case also highlights the distinction between legal family recognition and constitutional royal status. Although Vanden Kerckhove now has legally recognised royal parentage and inheritance rights concerning his father’s private assets, he will not receive public funding or perform constitutional duties.

His recognition also does not alter the existing succession arrangements within the Belgian monarchy. The royal family’s official responsibilities and the succession to the throne remain governed by Belgium’s constitutional framework.

For Vanden Kerckhove, however, the legal registration represents a significant personal development, formally confirming a biological relationship that had remained undisclosed for much of his childhood and early adulthood.

The Belgian royal family has not indicated that he will take on any public role. For now, he is expected to continue his private life while enjoying the legal rights associated with his newly recognised relationship with Prince Laurent.

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