From car salesman to prince: Belgian royal family gets new member at 26

A Belgian car salesman has unexpectedly entered the country’s royal family at the age of 26 after Prince Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe, formally acknowledged him as his son.

Clment Vandenkerckhove, born in August 2000, was recently added to Belgium’s civil registry as Laurent’s son after a DNA test confirmed his paternity, according to The Telegraph. The recognition took place during a discreet town hall ceremony around six months ago, with details emerging only now.

Vandenkerckhove is the son of Belgian singer Wendy Van Wanten, whose real name is Iris Vandenkerckhove. She reportedly had a relationship with Prince Laurent during the 1990s after the two met at a fashion show in Paris.

For years, Vandenkerckhove did not know the identity of his biological father. His mother told him about Laurent when he was 16.

A decade later, Vandenkerckhove approached the prince and told him what his mother had revealed. Laurent agreed to undergo a DNA test, which confirmed their biological relationship.

Recalling the moment they went to hospital for the test, Vandenkerckhove said Laurent tried to put him at ease by volunteering to go first.

The two have since developed a relationship, with Vandenkerckhove describing their conversations as open and honest.

The legal recognition gives him the same inheritance rights to Prince Laurent’s private wealth as Laurent’s three other children — Princess Louise and Princes Nicolas and Aymeric, whom Laurent has with his wife, Princess Claire.

However, the new royal status comes without the privileges associated with senior members of Belgium’s monarchy. Vandenkerckhove will not receive a state-funded royal allowance, is not expected to perform official royal duties and has no claim to the Belgian throne.

He could also adopt his father’s dynastic surname, Saxe-Coburg, but has indicated that he is unlikely to do so.

“I am proud of the name Vandenkerckhove,” he told daily newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, explaining that giving it up would feel like turning his back on the sacrifices his mother made while raising him.

The story adds another chapter to Belgium’s history of long-hidden royal paternity disputes.

Prince Laurent’s own father, former King Albert II, spent years facing legal pressure over allegations that he had fathered a child outside marriage. In 2020, he finally acknowledged Delphine Bol as his daughter after a prolonged legal battle.

Bol was subsequently granted the title of princess and adopted the name Delphine de Saxe-Cobourg.

Vandenkerckhove’s recognition therefore marks another unusual addition to Belgium’s royal family tree — this time involving the former king’s son and a relationship that began decades ago.