Clément Vandenkerckhove recognized as Belgian prince

Clément Vandenkerckhove, a 26-year-old former automobile salesperson, has been officially recognized as a prince of Belgium following a DNA test that confirmed his paternity. He is the biological son of Prince Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe.

Vandenkerckhove was born in 2000 to Belgian singer Wendy Van Wanten (also known as Iris Vandenkerckhove) following a relationship with Prince Laurent in the 1990s. He learned of his biological father's identity at age 16 and subsequently established contact with the prince. After a DNA test confirmed the relationship, Prince Laurent formally registered his paternity in the Belgian civil registry.

While the recognition grants Vandenkerckhove the title of Prince and equal inheritance rights to his father's private assets alongside his half-siblings, he will not hold official royal duties, receive a royal stipend, or have rights to the Belgian throne. Vandenkerckhove has expressed his intention to retain his mother's surname rather than adopting the royal Saxe-Coburg name.