Prince Laurent of Belgium formally recognized Clément Vandenkerckhove as his son and made him a prince in a legal ceremony held around February 2026 before a civil registrar [1, 2]. Clément, 26, is the biological son of Prince Laurent and Belgian singer Wendy Van Wanten, from a relationship preceding Laurent’s 2003 marriage to Princess Claire [1, 3, 2].
The paternity was confirmed by a DNA test showing a 99.5% match after Clément contacted Laurent several years following the revelation of his father’s identity at age 16 [1, 3]. Clément recalled meeting Laurent unexpectedly at a shopping centre at age 13, unaware of his royal parentage [1].
Despite the formal recognition and elevation to prince status, Clément will not enter the line of succession or undertake official royal duties, nor will he receive any public funding or allowance tied to his royal title, consistent with a 2013 Belgian law that restricts such benefits to the monarch and direct heirs [1, 3, 2].
Clément is a full legal heir to Prince Laurent, entitled to share equally in his estate alongside his half-siblings [2]. However, he expressed hesitation about adopting the royal family name Saxe-Coburg, saying, "I might want to do that, but I am proud of the name Vandenkerckhove. If I were to sacrifice that family name, it would be a betrayal of everything my mother has done for me" [1].
The situation echoes the case of former King Albert II, who acknowledged an illegitimate daughter, Delphine Boël, following legal battles and granted her princess status and the family name in 2020 [1, 3].
Prince Laurent publicly revealed his fatherhood of Clément in September 2025, several months before the formal recognition ceremony [2]. Clément shared a personal memory of Laurent accompanying him to the hospital saying, "I'll go first so you're feeling at ease" [1].
