Could Belgium be about to get a new prince?

 

The Belgian king got the summer off from problems with his family but that was then and this is now. Philippe's far from quiet and retiring younger brother, Prince Laurent, has just given gossip columnists enough to talk about until Christmas with the revelation that he had a son with a previous partner before he married. And as that son, now 25, talks it raises the question of whether Belgium could be about to get a new prince.

Let's do the legal bit first. The young man in question, Clement Vandenkerckhove, is the illegitimate child of Prince Laurent who is the brother of King Philippe and the youngest child of King Albert II. Albert abdicated in favour of Philippe in 2013. However, during his reign, laws were passed that gave the title of HRH and Prince or Princess to all his children and grandchildren, legitimate or illegitimate. Laurent has admitted he is Clement's father but that isn't the end of the story. For the royal status to be claimable, there must be a judicial ruling of paternity and that is yet to happen. If it did. Belgium could get a new prince.

The situation exploded into life on September 9 when Laurent, unexpectedly, told Belga news agency that he was the natural father of the child born to Iris Vandenkerckhove who is also known as Wendy Van Wanten. She's a well known singer in Belgium and rumours that she and Laurent had a relationship have been circulating for years. There were also whispers that he might be the father of the baby boy she gave birth to in 2000 but Laurent had never spoken about it until the brief statement to Belga in which he said he made the confession in a spirit of benevolence.

Just hours later, a TV interview with VTM emerged with Wendy and Clement speaking about the situation. Wendy said she'd been 'naive' to think she could keep the situation private while Clement said he had asked whether that meant that the King of the Belgians was his uncle. The answer to that last question is a resounding yes for Laurent has confirmed that Clement is his son.

The Belgian royal family has made no comment. Laurent married Claire Coombs in 2003 and they have three children - Princess Louise, 21, and twins Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric, both 19. However, there's no doubt that King Philippe and his wife, Queen Mathilde, will handle the situation with diplomacy and dignity as well as a big dose of kindness. When Philippe's father, Albert, finally admitted he had had a daughter during an affair after his marriage to Queen Paola ran into difficulties, the new King and Queen of the Belgians were at the heart of the public welcome for the newest member of their family. Philippe's half sister is now Princess Delphine and is regularly invited to major royal events such as National Day celebrations.

Whether Clement follows the same path remains to be seen. Until the judicial recognition of paternity comes, he cannot claim the royal title that Belgium's rather strange law makes possible. However, he won't ever be in the line of succession and he will have no claim to a royal allowance. In the meantime, he has given Belgium plenty to talk about and has reminded his uncle, King Philippe, that his summer off from family situations is now well and truly over.