Belgian Prince Laurent Admits Fathering Son with Singer Wendy Van Wanten

Royal Paternity Revelation Shakes Belgian Monarchy

Prince Laurent of Belgium, the younger brother of King Philippe, has publicly acknowledged paternity of a 25-year-old son born from his relationship with Flemish singer Wendy Van Wanten. The stunning admission comes after decades of speculation and just hours before a documentary revealing the truth was scheduled to air on Belgian television.

In an official statement released through the Belga news agency, the 61-year-old prince declared: 'With this message, I recognize being the biological father of Clément Vandenkerckhove. Over the past years, we have spoken about this openly and honestly.' The announcement was made in consultation with all parties involved, according to the royal statement.

Documentary Forces Disclosure

The timing of the revelation appears directly linked to "Clément, zoon van..." (Clément, Son of...), a documentary airing tonight on Flemish broadcaster VTM. The program features Clément Vandenkerckhove himself telling his story publicly for the first time, alongside his mother Wendy Van Wanten, whose real name is Iris Vandenkerckhove.

Van Wanten, a popular singer in the 1990s, explained her decision to keep the father's identity secret all these years. 'This is the heaviest thing I have ever done,' she revealed in the documentary trailer. 'If it were up to me, I probably would never have spoken about this.'

25 Years of Speculation

Belgian media have speculated about Clément's paternity since his birth in 2000, just before Prince Laurent's engagement to Claire Coombs. The couple married in 2003 and have three children together: Princess Louise (20) and twins Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric (19).

The speculation intensified due to Clément's name, which many believed referenced Villa Clémentine - Prince Laurent's official residence in Brussels. Despite the rumors, Clément denied the connection in a 2021 television interview, stating: 'It's fairy-tale-like that everyone thinks that, but fairy tales are just fairy tales.'

Royal Precedent

This paternity revelation follows another high-profile royal acknowledgment five years earlier. In 2020, former King Albert II admitted that artist Delphine Boël was his daughter from an extramarital affair. Unlike Laurent's relatively amicable disclosure, Albert's recognition followed years of legal battles and DNA testing.

Boël eventually won the right to be called Princess of Belgium, marking a significant moment in the modernization of European monarchy. The parallel cases highlight ongoing challenges facing royal families in maintaining privacy while meeting public expectations of transparency.

The Belgian royal palace has not yet issued an official comment on Prince Laurent's statement, though sources indicate the family has been aware of the situation for some time.