Clément Vandenkerckhove recognized as son of Prince Laurent

Clément Vandenkerckhove, a 26-year-old former car salesman, has been officially recognized as the son of Prince Laurent, the brother of King Philippe of Belgium. The recognition follows a DNA test that confirmed the biological relationship between Vandenkerckhove and the 63-year-old prince.

Vandenkerckhove was born in August 2000 to Iris Vandenkerckhove, a Belgian singer and actress known as Wendy Van Wanten. The two reportedly had a relationship in the mid-1990s after meeting at a fashion show in Paris. Vandenkerckhove learned of his true parentage when he was 16 years old and later established contact with Prince Laurent.

The formal recognition was registered in the Belgian civil registry during a private ceremony approximately six months ago. This legal status grants Vandenkerckhove equal inheritance rights to Prince Laurent’s private estate, alongside his half-siblings, Princess Louise, Prince Nicolas, and Prince Aymeric.

However, the recognition does not include royal benefits such as a state stipend, nor does it require him to perform official royal duties. Additionally, Vandenkerckhove has no claim to the Belgian throne. Despite the opportunity to adopt the Saxe-Coburg name, he has expressed a desire to keep his mother’s surname, Vandenkerckhove, out of respect for her.