Belgium’s royal household has gained a brand new prince after Prince Laurent, the youthful brother of King Philippe, formally and legally recognised 26-year-old Clement Vandenkerckhove as his son. Vandenkerckhove, a former automobile salesman, is the son of Prince Laurent and Belgian singer and former mannequin Iris Vandenkerckhove, higher identified by her stage title Wendy Van Wanten. The authorized recognition reportedly passed off throughout a discreet civil ceremony a number of months in the past, however particulars solely emerged publicly this week.
BBC News reported that Vandenkerckhove had been legally recognised by Prince Laurent as his son and inheritor. The report highlights the bizarre journey of a 26-year-old former automobile salesman who found that his organic father was a member of Belgium’s royal household.
The formal recognition follows Laurent’s public acknowledgement in September 2025 that he was Clement’s organic father. That announcement ended years of hypothesis surrounding Vandenkerckhove’s parentage. A DNA take a look at reportedly confirmed a 99.5 per cent match between the 2.
The Independent reported that Vandenkerckhove was quietly introduced into Prince Laurent’s household at a ceremony roughly six months in the past. The newspaper famous that Laurent had publicly acknowledged Clement the earlier 12 months, after an extended interval wherein his paternity had remained a carefully guarded household secret.
The popularity provides Clement authorized standing as Prince Laurent’s son and makes him eligible to inherit from his father’s non-public property alongside Laurent’s three different kids, Princess Louise and twins Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric. Nevertheless, his new standing doesn’t put him in line for the Belgian throne.
The New York Times, as cited in up to date reporting on the event, reported that Vandenkerckhove shouldn’t be anticipated to undertake official royal duties. He may even not obtain a state allowance or occupy a place within the succession to the Belgian throne.
That distinction is vital. Changing into a prince doesn’t robotically make Clement a future king of Belgium. His recognition primarily establishes his authorized relationship with Prince Laurent and his place throughout the household for inheritance functions. Belgian guidelines governing public funding for members of the royal household additionally imply that the newly recognised prince won’t obtain a royal allowance.
A secret that lasted greater than twenty years
Clement was born in August 2000, earlier than Prince Laurent married Claire Coombs in 2003. His mom, Wendy Van Wanten, had been romantically concerned with Laurent within the Nineteen Nineties. For years, hypothesis surrounded the identification of Clement’s father. The story resurfaced publicly in 2025 when Clement appeared in a Flemish tv documentary and spoke about his household historical past. Laurent subsequently confirmed his paternity, saying that he and Clement had mentioned the matter privately and brazenly in recent times.
The DNA take a look at that helped set up the connection reportedly produced a 99.5 per cent match. Clement has since begun creating a relationship together with his father, talking publicly about their conferences and their shared curiosity in automobiles.
A prince with out royal duties
In line with BBC, though the authorized recognition provides Clement the title of Prince of Belgium, it comes with vital limitations. He won’t obtain a public royal allowance, won’t carry out formal royal duties and won’t enter the road of succession to the Belgian throne. His principal new authorized proper is as an inheritor to Prince Laurent’s non-public property, alongside his half-siblings.
Picture Credit score: Instagram.com/clement_vandenkerckhove/
Clement additionally seems unsure about whether or not he’ll undertake the Saxe-Coburg household title. He has expressed delight within the Vandenkerckhove surname, which connects him to his mom and his upbringing.
The story is subsequently much less a couple of sudden path to the Belgian throne than it’s in regards to the formal closing of a exceptional household chapter. After 26 years of uncertainty, Clement Vandenkerckhove now has legally recognised royal parentage – and a spot inside Belgium’s royal household, even when he isn’t destined to develop into king.
