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A 26-year-old former car salesman in Belgium has officially become a prince after, Prince Laurent of Belgium formally recognised him as his biological son
The young man, Clement Vandenkerckhove, was born of a relationship between Prince Laurent and the well-known Belgian singer and actress Wendy Van Wanten, before the prince married his wife, Princess Claire.
The official paternity recognition took place during a brief town hall ceremony in February, where both father and son signed official documentation confirming their legal relationship, according to Sky News.
The single stroke of a pen instantly created a new Prince of Belgium. However, Vandenkerckhove will not hold any formal royal duties, receive a state allowance, or enter the line of royal succession.
Under Belgian law, the newly recognised prince is entitled to a share of his father's estate alongside his three half-siblings, Princess Louise, Prince Nicolas, and Prince Aymeric
Although he now possesses the right to adopt his father's historic royal surname, Saxe-Coburg, Vandenkerckhove has chosen to retain his mother's family name.
He explained that changing his name would feel like betraying the sacrifices his mother made for him while raising him.
Clement Vandenkerckhove (left) with his father.
Image via @clement_vandenkerckhove (Instagram)Vandenkerckhove revealed that he only discovered his royal lineage at the age of 16, a secret that caused him significant emotional distress, including anxiety and panic attacks
After keeping the information private for four years, he took the initiative to contact Prince Laurent when he turned 20.
By the age of 25, he decided to publicly reveal his parentage with the full support of both his mother and father. Today, the father and son share a close relationship rooted in a mutual passion for motor vehicles.
The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha historically ruled several European monarchies, including the UK, Belgium, Portugal, and Bulgaria
The dynasty established ties with the British royal family when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840; however, King George V changed the British family name to Windsor during the First World War to distance the monarchy from its German roots.
For Vandenkerckhove, who now works in a restaurant kitchen, the legal title remains secondary to building a real connection with his father. He noted that what matters most is simply having the opportunity to get to know his father better every day.
