In a low-key ceremony at the city hall that went almost unnoticed, a former car salesman has gained a whole new identity: that of a prince of Belgium.
According to a report by The Times on August 19th, 26-year-old Clément Vandenkerckhove officially obtained royal status during a brief and understated ceremony in February of this year. The media only disclosed this ceremony on August 19th.
His father is Prince Laurent, the 62-year-old brother of the current Belgian King Philippe. This father-son relationship was not recently discovered. In 2025, Laurent publicly acknowledged Clément as his biological son. Clément’s mother is Wendy Van Wanten, a singer from the Flemish region of Belgium, with whom Laurent had a relationship lasting seven years.
The formal legal acknowledgment has given new meaning to this relationship. Clément can now use a royal title and legally inherit a portion of the estate after his father’s passing. However, he will not receive a royal allowance and is not in line for the Belgian throne.
For Clément, this status doesn’t seem as important as one might imagine. In an interview with the Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad, he mentioned that he hasn’t even decided whether he will use his father’s royal surname “van Saksen-Coburg.” He expressed pride in his mother’s surname Vandenkerckhove and said that abandoning it would feel like betraying all that his mother has done for him over the years.
During his childhood, he lived with the secret of his father’s identity. “My whole childhood, I wondered, who is my father?” Clément said. Even after learning the answer, he couldn’t share it with anyone, turning this secret into a heavy psychological burden. Connecting with his father alleviated his anxiety and made him feel much lighter.
Regarding his father’s wealth, Clément is indifferent. “What matters most to me now is that I can finally get to know my father as a son,” he said.
He also mentioned that he and his father share a common interest: cars.