Belgian car salesman becomes prince after royal parentage confirmed
Clément Vandenkerckhove was quietly brought into Prince Laurent's family at a town hall ceremony.
In a recent legal recognition, Belgium's Prince Laurent has officially acknowledged 26-year-old former car salesman Clément Vandenkerckhove as his son and heir. This revelation emerged after a quiet ceremony at the town hall six months ago, details of which have only recently come to light. Despite his newfound status as a prince, Clément will not be entitled to a royal allowance.
The young man has had ample time to acclimate to his royal lineage, expressing his preference to retain his family name, Vandenkerckhove, rather than adopting his father's Saxe-Coburg. He stated his pride in his mother's name and his reluctance to potentially betray it. Clément will not be a part of Belgium's royal succession line, nor will he engage in public royal activities.
He is already a well-known figure in Belgium, having been the subject of a Flemish TV documentary last September where he shared his journey of discovering his father. Prince Laurent had previously had a relationship with Wendy Van Wanten, now known as Iris Vandenkerckhove, before marrying Princess Claire in 2003. Clément first encountered his father unexpectedly at a shopping center in 2013, only learning his identity when he was 16.
Four years later, he contacted his father, who in turn suggested a DNA test. Both received a 99.5% DNA match, confirming Clément as Prince Laurent's son.
Written by urgent.news from BBC World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
