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Prince Laurent Confirms Son, Grants Title Without Succession

8/23/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Prince Laurent recognized 26-year-old Clément Vandenkerckhove as his son, granting him the title Prince of Belgium.
A DNA test showed a 99.5 percent match, confirming Laurent’s paternity.
The quiet town-hall ceremony six months ago gave him the title but no royal allowance or duties.
He is excluded from succession yet receives equal inheritance rights with half-siblings Princess Louise, Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric.

History

Historical Context

The 1991 constitutional amendment and royal decree introduced absolute primogeniture for King Albert II’s descendants and granted the Prince/Princess of Belgium title to all his children, ending Salic succession. A 2015 decree limited new princely titles to the children and grandchildren of the reigning monarch, so Prince Laurent’s 2024 recognition of his son Clément as a Prince of Belgium leaves his other children without the title.

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Story summary

Prince Laurent recognized 26-year-old Clément Vandenkerckhove as his son, granting him the title Prince of Belgium.
A DNA test showed a 99.5 percent match, confirming Laurent’s paternity.
The quiet town-hall ceremony six months ago gave him the title but no royal allowance or duties.
He is excluded from succession yet receives equal inheritance rights with half-siblings Princess Louise, Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric.

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