Vandenkerckhove, a former car salesman, is the son of Prince Laurent and Belgian singer and former model Iris Vandenkerckhove, better known by her stage name Wendy Van Wanten. The legal recognition reportedly took place during a discreet civil ceremony several months ago, but details only emerged publicly this week. Belgium’s royal family has gained a new prince after Prince Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe, formally and legally recognised 26-year-old Clement Vandenkerckhove as his son.
Laurent subsequently confirmed his paternity, saying that he and Clement had discussed the matter privately and openly in recent years. His mother, Wendy Van Wanten, had been romantically involved with Laurent in the 1990s. For years, speculation surrounded the identity of Clement’s father.
Clement was born in August 2000, before Prince Laurent married Claire Coombs in 2003. The story resurfaced publicly in 2025 when Clement appeared in a Flemish television documentary and spoke about his family history.
