Car salesman becomes Belgian prince after DNA test confirms royal paternity

Dubai: A 26-year-old Belgian car salesman has been formally recognised as the son of Prince Laurent of Belgium, bringing a long-running paternity story into the spotlight of the Belgian royal family.

Prince Laurent legally established his parentage with Clement Vandenkerckhove during a civil ceremony at a town hall about six months ago. Details of the ceremony have only recently emerged.

Belgian weekly Soir Mag first reported the development, saying the legal recognition means Vandenkerckhove is expected to receive an equal share of his father’s estate.

Vandenkerckhove, however, told the publication that the legal details mattered less to him than having the opportunity to know his father.

The 26-year-old is the son of Prince Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe, and Belgian model and singer Wendy Van Wanten, according to ABC News.

Vandenkerckhove was born in 2000 and said he learned that Prince Laurent was his biological father at 16. He later contacted the royal when he was 20.

The question of his paternity had been the subject of speculation for years. His resemblance to Prince Laurent and other reported clues had fuelled public interest in his identity.

Prince Laurent publicly acknowledged him last year, saying they had “spoken openly and honestly” about the matter in recent years.

Speaking to Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad earlier this month, Vandenkerckhove described the emotional impact of growing up without knowing his father.

“My entire childhood, I struggled with the question ‘Who is my father?’” he said, adding that the secrecy had weighed heavily on him.

Despite his new royal connection, Vandenkerckhove said he plans to keep his family name rather than adopt the Saxe-Coburg name.

“Giving up this family name would be a betrayal of everything my mother has done for me,” he said.

Prince Laurent and his wife, Princess Claire, have three other children.

The development echoes the case of Princess Delphine, whom former King Albert II formally recognised in 2020 after a lengthy legal battle over her paternity.

 With inputs from Agencies