There’s a new member of the Belgian royal family.
There have been numerous rumors circulating in the past about Prince Laurent having a love child with actress Wendy van Wanten, whose real name is Iris Vandenkerckhove. Prince Laurent, the brother of King Philippe of Belgium, has been married to Princess Claire since 2003. Together, they have three children: Princess Louise and twin boys, Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric.
Prince Laurent is the youngest son of the Belgian King Albert and Queen Paola.
Prince Laurent of Belgium has recognized the paternity of an adult son
This isn’t the first time that many believed Laurent and Wendy had a child together.
VRT News published the Prince’s statement on September 9. “With this message, I acknowledge that I am the biological father of Clement Vandenkerckhove. We have spoken openly and honestly about this over the past few years. This announcement is based on a sense of understanding and respect for those involved. It is the result of joint consultation,” the statement translates into English.
According to VRT, Wendy and the Prince met at a Paris fashion show in the mid-1990s, while also attending Prince Edward’s wedding in 1999. Following Clement’s birth in 2000, there was widespread speculation that the father was Prince Laurent.
Clement, who is now an adult at 25, was asked about his father’s identity in 2021 on the VRT 1 show Het Huis. His response was rather vague: “It won’t be the answer you expect. It’s a fairy tale that everyone thinks that, but fairy tales are just fairy tales.” He went on to say the story around his father “brings out a lot of emotions.”
In light of this paternity news, royal reporter Rick Evers says that Clement can get a royal title.
“His Royal Highness Clément, Prince of Belgium, Prince of Saxe-Coburg,” said Rick.
“King Filip wanted to limit the granting of titles, but since Clément is a descendant in the male line of King Albert, the Royal Decree of 12 November 2015 applies,” Rick posted on X.
Prince Laurent acknowledged Clement as his son on the same day that the Flemish TV channel VTM announced the airing of a documentary entitled Clément son of…
Laurent’s three children with Princess Claire are 16th, 17th, and 18th in line of succession to the throne, with the eldest, Princess Louise, at the top of that list. Princess Elisabeth is the heiress to the royal throne.
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