Prince Laurent Acknowledges Son, New Photo Surfaces

A photograph of Prince Laurent of Belgium with his 25-year-old son, Clement Vandenkerckhove, has emerged online following its appearance in a new documentary. The prince, younger brother of King Philippe, recently acknowledged Clement as his son. Clement's mother is Flemish model and singer Wendy van Wanten, with whom Prince Laurent was in a relationship prior to his 2003 marriage to Princess Claire.

Rumors regarding Prince Laurent's relationship with Wendy van Wanten, which began in the 1990s, had circulated for years before this confirmation. Belgian journalist Wim Dehanschutter shared images from the VTM documentary on X, including a selfie of the father and son, highlighting their resemblance.

In the documentary, Clement recounted his first meeting with his father at a shopping mall when he was 13. His mother described the encounter, and Clement added that he first spoke to the prince on the phone in 2020, at the age of 20. Clement also stated that his father suggested a DNA test to confirm their relationship.

Clement explained that they went to the hospital together for the test, and the results showed a 99.5% match. Earlier this week, Prince Laurent, the youngest child of King Albert II, released a statement acknowledging Clement as his biological son. He stated that they had discussed the matter openly and honestly in recent years and requested discretion. The Belgian royal palace has declined to comment on the announcement. Prince Laurent is still married to Princess Claire, with whom he has three other children.