Former car salesman becomes Belgian prince after parentage confirmed
A former car salesman has officially been named a Belgian prince after the brother of the nation’s king recognised his secret child formally.
Clément Vandenkerckhove was quietly brought into Prince Laurent’s family at a ceremony six months ago, magazine Soir Mag reports but the details have only recently emerged.
Prince Laurent, younger brother of King Phillipe, last year publicly acknowledged his son – the product of a relationship with Flemish model turned singer Iris Vandenkerckhove, better known by stage name Wendy Van Wanten.
It has given the 26-year-old the right to use a royal title and a share of his father’s inheritance, The Times reports, but he will not receive a royal allowance and will not join the line of succession.
In an interview with Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad, Mr Vandenkerckhove said he was not sure if he would take on the royal name of van Saksen-Coburg.
He said: “I am proud of the name Vandenkerckhove. Sacrificing that surname would be a betrayal to everything my mother did for me.”
Mr Vandenkerckhove was featured in a Flemish TV documentary last September, after he was publicly acknowledged by his father.
In that documentary, he spoke about the DNA test which confirmed he was the prince’s son.
“We went to the hospital together and I remember him saying ‘I’ll go first so you’re feeling at ease’,” he told VTM.
He said there was then a 99.5 per cent DNA match.
Speaking to Nieuwsblad, he mentioned that he felt anxious as a child due to the question about his parentage.
He explained: “My whole childhood I struggled with the question, ‘Who is my father?’ When I knew, the secrecy weighed heavily on me.
“Imagine: you know who your father is, but you aren’t allowed to tell anyone.
“After school, I became a car salesman. I liked that job and did it well. But panic attacks were destroying me.”
