Overview

• Prince Laurent confirmed in a statement shared with Belga and VRT that he is the biological father of Clément Vandenkerckhove, 25, asking for discretion and declining further comment.
• The acknowledgement coincided with VTM’s documentary Clément, Son of…, in which Clément speaks publicly about his origins and says he wants to be able to “go have a beer with my dad.”
• Clément was born in August 2000 to Flemish singer and model Wendy van Wanten after her 1990s relationship with Laurent, which predated the prince’s 2003 marriage to Princess Claire.
• Because Clément was born outside marriage, reports say he is not expected to enter the line of succession, though royal reporters and experts note he could be eligible for a princely title under a 2015 royal decree; whether he will seek or receive such recognition remains unclear.
• The Belgian Royal Palace has not responded to requests for comment, and coverage places the development in the context of King Albert II’s 2020 acknowledgment of Princess Delphine, whose title did not confer succession rights.