A 26-year-old car salesman has experienced something straight out of The Princess Diaries, discovering that his biological father is a member of Belgium's Royal Family and now officially becoming a prince himself.
Clément Vandenkerckhove has been legally recognised as the son of Prince Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe, in a remarkable real-life royal story bearing some resemblance to the 2001 film, in which an ordinary teenager unexpectedly discovers she is descended from royalty.
Unlike Anne Hathaway's fictional Mia Thermopolis, however, Vandenkerckhove had known about his royal parentage for years. His mother, Belgian singer and actress Iris Vandenkerckhove, better known as Wendy Van Wanten, told him when he was 16 that Prince Laurent was his biological father.
Laurent publicly acknowledged Vandenkerckhove as his son last year. Now, the relationship has been made official, giving the 26-year-old a royal title, but no place in the line of succession.
According to Soir Mag, Vandenkerckhove and Prince Laurent appeared before a civil registrar in February to establish their legal relationship, with both signing the documents. Belgium's Royal Palace subsequently confirmed the recognition to The New York Times, describing the matter as private.
A Real-Life 'Princess Diaries' Story
The recognition means Vandenkerckhove is entitled to be called a prince under a 2015 Belgian royal decree.
However, this is where his story differs considerably from Mia Thermopolis's fictional royal transformation. Vandenkerckhove will not suddenly begin carrying out royal engagements, nor does becoming a prince put him in line for Belgium's throne.
Christian Behrendt, a constitutional law professor at the University of Liège, told The New York Times that Vandenkerckhove will not have royal duties and cannot enter the line of succession because he was not born within a marriage approved by government decree.
He will also not receive a royal allowance.
The recognition does, however, give him inheritance rights to Laurent's private estate alongside the prince's three children with Princess Claire: Princess Louise and Princes Nicolas and Aymeric.
Vandenkerckhove could also adopt his father's Saxe-Coburg family name, but he has indicated that he is proud of the surname he already carries.
'If I were to sacrifice that family name, it would be a betrayal of everything my mother has done for me,' he told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
He Learnt the Truth at 16
Vandenkerckhove was born in August 2000 following his mother's relationship with Laurent in the 1990s.
He has said his mother did not tell him Laurent was his biological father until he was 16. Four years later, he contacted Laurent and told him what he had learnt.
In a documentary broadcast by Belgian network VTM, Vandenkerckhove recalled that Laurent agreed to take a DNA test.
'We went to the hospital together and I remember him saying, "I'll go first so you're feeling at ease",' he said.
After the results confirmed their biological relationship, Vandenkerckhove said the two began having 'open and honest conversations'.
Their relationship has since become more public. In June, Vandenkerckhove shared a Father's Day post featuring both Laurent and Frans Vancoppenolle, his mother's long-time partner.
'Today I'm celebrating two fathers who, each in their own way, play an important role in my life,' he wrote. 'Thank you for everything.'
Another Royal Paternity Story
The extraordinary story is not without precedent in Belgium's Royal Family.
Laurent's father, former King Albert II, spent years contesting artist Delphine Boël's claim that she was his biological daughter before acknowledging her in 2020 following DNA testing.
After a lengthy legal battle, she secured the right to use the title Princess Delphine of Belgium.
Now, another previously unacknowledged member of the family has officially become Belgian royalty, although Vandenkerckhove appears determined not to leave his old identity behind.
