Prince Laurent of Belgium formally registers paternity of Clément Vandenkerckhove

Civil registration and royal lineage

Prince Laurent of Belgium, aged 62, has completed the official registration of paternity for his son, Clément Vandenkerckhove, before a civil registry officer. The administrative act was executed in February, establishing full legal filiation under Belgian law. Clément, who is 26 years old, was born prior to Laurent's marriage to Princess Claire. His mother is 66-year-old Flemish singer Iris Vandenkerckhove, who performs under the stage name Wendy Van Wanten. The legal step formally brings Clément into the royal family structure following years of public discussion in Flanders regarding his parentage. Frans Van Coppenolle, the husband of Iris Vandenkerckhove, confirmed that the formal registration concluded at the civil registry earlier in the year.

Frans Van Coppenolle confirmed the civil registry registration to the media.

That happened months ago.

Public acknowledgment and timeline

The civil status filing follows an initial public acknowledgment made by Prince Laurent in September 2025. At that time, Laurent announced his paternity through a formal statement distributed by the Belga news agency and in a two-part documentary series broadcast on the Flemish television channel VTM. While the television broadcast addressed the relationship publicly, the February recording before a civil status officer established binding legal parenthood under the civil code. The completed administrative recognition and its legal implications became public on 19 August 2026. The registration confirmed that the young man now holds full legal kinship with the prince rather than remaining an outside figure.

Inheritance rights and financial rules

The registration establishes Clément as a full legal heir of Prince Laurent. He will share the prince's estate equally with Laurent's three marital children, Louise, Nicolas, and Aymeric. The legal status does not alter Clément's daily professional or public life, as no protocol duties, official representations, or state missions attach to the kinship. Financial allocations from public funds are also excluded. Under a 2013 Belgian statute reforming the royal dotation system, only the reigning monarch and the heir presumptive are entitled to receive state allowances. Consequently, Clément will receive no public endowment, matching the financial conditions of Laurent's other three children. In addition, Clément does not enter the constitutional line of succession to the Belgian throne.

Surname rights and royal title requirements

Under Belgian civil code rules, the legal recognition grants Clément the right to use his father's dynastic surname, Saxe-Cobourg. Clément previously stated on record that he remains attached to his birth surname, Vandenkerckhove, and may choose to retain it. Regarding the official title of Prince of Belgium, King Philippe must issue and sign a formal royal decree for the title to be borne in official capacities. The monarch previously stated that he was prepared to approve such a decree once civil filiation was completed. The legal process follows the precedent established by Princess Delphine, who secured royal titles and adopted the surname Saxe-Cobourg after legal recognition as the daughter of former King Albert II.