Prince Laurent of Belgium has legally recognized 26-year-old Clément Vandenkerckhove as his son. The recognition was completed at a civil ceremony in February 2026, but only became public this week.
Vandenkerckhove now holds the title Prince of Belgium after Laurent formally acknowledged his paternity, DR reports. The act was carried out discreetly at a town hall in February, and the news emerged only now.
The 26-year-old is the son of Prince Laurent and Iris Vandenkerckhove, a Belgian model, singer, and actress known by the stage name Wendy Van Wanten. Laurent, born on October 19, 1963, is the youngest son of former King Albert II and Queen Paola. He is the younger brother of King Philippe, who took the throne after Albert II abdicated in 2013.
According to The New York Times, the legal ties were established before a civil registrar in February 2026. The newspaper adds that Belgium’s Royal Palace has confirmed the acknowledgment of paternity, while declining further comment and describing the matter as private.
The BBC reports that Vandenkerckhove, a former car salesman, was recognized as Laurent’s son and heir at the town hall ceremony six months ago. Despite the title, he will not receive a royal allowance, take part in royal duties, or enter the line of succession. That follows a royal decree from 2015, under which only people born in a marriage approved by government decree can join the order of succession.
The Brussels Times describes Vandenkerckhove as a full heir of Prince Laurent following the civil registry act. The Belgian outlet Eventail notes that the recognition allows him to use the family surname van Saksen-Coburg. Eventail and Town & Country both stress that his inheritance rights are on equal footing with his three half-siblings, but do not extend to royal succession or official duties.
Vandenkerckhove has said he learned at the age of 16 who his father was. He later contacted Prince Laurent, and the two took a DNA test that showed a 99.5 percent match. Laurent married Princess Claire of Belgium in 2003, three years after Vandenkerckhove was born, and they have three children together.
He has not hidden the relationship. In an Instagram post marking Father’s Day in June, he published photographs of himself with Prince Laurent and with Frans Vancoppenolle, his mother’s longtime partner, writing that he was celebrating two fathers.
Why the story surfaced now
The February act was first revealed publicly on August 19, 2026, by the Belgian weekly Soir Mag, as reported by Eventail and The New York Times. Coverage frames it as the conclusion of a process that began in September 2025, when Laurent issued a statement through the Belga news agency. As noted by The Brussels Times, that statement was the first time he publicly confirmed being Vandenkerckhove’s biological father, after years of rumors about a secret child.
