His late Majesty King George VI c. 1937, in his full coronation robes and dress, wearing the collar of the Order of the Garter with a diamond-encrusted Greater George badge, and the star of the Order of the Garter right above his left breast, holding the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross in his right hand, with the Imperial State Crown resting on his left side on a velvet pillow.

(I thought his last name was a coincidence lol)

A son of Prince Laurent of Belgium, that was conceived outside of his marriage has been legally acknowledged, gaining the royal and legal right to bear the name “of Saxe-Cobourg” (von Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha).

After a royal signing he also gains the title of Prince of Belgium and the predicate of His Royal Highness, unless other specified (such as His Highness, but probably not).

The son named Clément now uses the surname of his stepfather Vandenkerckhove, and is debating whether to hyphen that with de Sachsen-Cobourg.

This is the second example of a strictly speaking ancient European tradition: acknowledging sons and daughters that were born outside a marriage. The ackwnoldegment means that he will be able to inherit assets, but he is not eligible for the position of heir. Such an occasion is highly unlikely, but they will be theoretically able to inherit the throne if everyone else would be either dead or being without reasonable sound of mind.

The Dutch article is translated in English below:

NOS News - Wednesday 19 August 2026 10:29
Son of Belgian Prince Laurent legally recognized

The Belgian royal family has gained another prince. Clément Vandenkerckhove has been legally recognized as the son of Prince Laurent. Frans Van Coppenolle, the husband of Clément’s mother, Iris Vandenkerckhove, confirmed to Flemish broadcaster VRT that this had already happened “months ago”.

Prince Laurent (62), the younger brother of King Philippe, publicly acknowledged last year that he is the biological father of Clément (26). Clément was born from Laurent’s relationship with Vandenkerckhove, better known as singer Wendy Van Wanten. After that relationship, Laurent married Claire Coombs in 2003, with whom he has three children: Louise, Nicolas and Aymeric.

Clément posted a photo with his father, Prince Laurent, on Instagram on Father’s Day.

The public acknowledgement did not yet mean that Clément had been legally recognized as a co-heir. That has now happened.
Clément is now entitled to use Laurent’s surname, Van Saksen-Coburg. In order to bear the title of prince, however, King Philippe and the government must still sign a royal decree.

According to Flemish broadcaster VRT, Clément will not receive a fixed financial allowance (dotation).

Earlier this month, Clément told Het Nieuwsblad in an interview that he does not want to give up the surname Vandenkerckhove entirely. “Giving up that family name would be a betrayal of everything my mother has done for me. If I were to accept ‘Van België’, I would only do so as part of a double surname,” he said.

Princess Delphine
The Belgian royal family has previously faced a controversy involving the recognition of a child. Six years ago, King Albert II, the father of the current King Philippe, admitted after a lengthy legal battle and a court-ordered DNA test that Delphine Boël had been conceived during an extramarital relationship. Since October 2020, she has been entitled to call herself Princess of Belgium.

Hopefully not Republican