Belgian Prince Laurent formally recognizes 26-year-old son

Belgium’s Prince Laurent has formally recognized Clement Vandenkerckhove as his son, making the 26-year-old a prince of Belgium and a legal heir, local media reported Wednesday.

The acknowledgment of paternity was formally registered before a civil registrar, according to Belgian magazine Soir Mag.

Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe, publicly revealed in September 2025 that he was Vandenkerckhove’s father. Vandenkerckhove was born before Laurent’s marriage to Princess Claire in 2003.

Following the formal recognition, Vandenkerckhove becomes a prince by right, although the title carries no official role or representational duties.

He will also not receive public funding. Under a 2013 law, allowances are limited to the monarch and the direct heir to the throne.

Like Laurent’s other children — Princess Louise and Princes Nicolas and Aymeric — Vandenkerckhove will therefore continue to support himself through his own employment.

The recognition also makes him a full legal heir to his father, entitling him to an equal share of Laurent’s estate alongside his three half-siblings.

Vandenkerckhove may apply to adopt his father’s family name, Saxe-Coburg, as Princess Delphine did after former King Albert II acknowledged her as his daughter.

However, he has reportedly said he remains strongly attached to his current surname and has not indicated any plans to change it.