Clément Vandenkerckhove recognized as Prince of Belgium

Clément Vandenkerckhove has been officially recognized as a prince of Belgium following DNA confirmation of his paternity by Prince Laurent, the brother of King Philippe. Vandenkerckhove was born in August 2000 to Flemish model Wendy van Wanten, following a relationship between Van Wanten and Prince Laurent in the 1990s.

While the recognition grants him the title of prince and equal inheritance rights to Prince Laurent’s private estate alongside his half-siblings, it does not include official royal duties or a royal allowance. Furthermore, Vandenkerckhove holds no rights to the Belgian throne. He has expressed a desire to retain his mother’s surname, Vandenkerckhove, rather than adopting the dynastic name Saxe-Coburg.