Belgian Prince Laurent formally recognizes son Clément Vandenkerckhove

Clément Vandenkerckhove, a 26-year-old former car dealer, has officially been acknowledged as a prince by Belgium's Prince Laurent. The news of this formal recognition, which took place six months ago at a town hall ceremony, has only recently come to light.

Vandenkerckhove is the son of Prince Laurent and singer Wendy Van Wanten. Prince Laurent has three other children with his wife, Princess Claire. While Vandenkerckhove now holds the title of prince, he will not receive any financial benefits or engage in public royal duties, unlike his half-siblings Princess Louise, Prince Aymeric, and Prince Nicolas.

He learned of his biological father at age 16 from his mother. After four years of contemplation, Vandenkerckhove contacted Prince Laurent, leading to a meeting. A subsequent DNA test confirmed a 99.5% match. Despite the royal title, Vandenkerckhove expressed pride in his surname, stating, "I might do it, but I am proud of the surname Vandenkerckhove. If I were to sacrifice that family name, it would be a betrayal of everything my mother has done for me."

Vandenkerckhove is already a public figure in Belgium, having appeared in a documentary in September detailing his journey to connect with his father. The BBC reported on these developments.

“

I might do it, but I am proud of the surname Vandenkerckhove. If I were to sacrifice that family name, it would be a betrayal of everything my mother has done for me.