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Belgian car salesman becomes prince after royal parentage confirmed
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- Clément Vandenkerckhove, son of Prince Laurent and Belgian singer Wendy Van Wanten, was quietly integrated into the royal family six months ago, though details have only recently surfaced.
- Although legally recognized as Prince Laurent's son, Clément will not be in the line of succession or participate in public royal duties, and he is uncertain about adopting the Saxe-Coburg family name.
- Clément discovered his royal paternity at age 16, later confirmed by a DNA test showing a 99.5% match, after initiating contact with Prince Laurent several years after their first meeting.
- This paternity revelation echoes a previous royal scandal involving former King Albert II, who acknowledged an illegitimate daughter after a court battle, leading to his abdication in 2013.
- Unlike Princess Louise and Princes Aymeric and Nicolas, Clément maintains a distinct identity, expressing pride in his maternal family name and honoring his mother's role in his life.
