By Katherine Tinsley
9:03pm PDT, Sep 10, 2025
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Prince Laurent of Belgium has confirmed long-standing rumors he's actually a father or four.
King Philippe of Belgium's younger brother recently acknowledged he fathered
Clement Vandenkerckhove, 25, with actress
Wendy van Waten (real name: Iris Vandenkerckhove).
Keep reading for the details…
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Prince Laurent of Belgium — who has three adult children with his wife of more than two decades, Princess Claire of Belgium — told Belgian news outlet Belga that he "publicly recognizes" his oldest child, son Clement Vandenkerckhove.
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"With this message, I acknowledge that I am the biological father of Clement Vandenkerckhove. We have spoken openly and honestly about this over the past few years. This announcement is based on a sense of understanding and respect for those involved. It is the result of joint consultation," Prince Laurent of Belgium said in a statement, according to
VRT News.
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"I ask that you receive this information with the restraint that the nature of this intimate matter requires. I will not make any further statements or provide further explanations about this," Prince Laurent of Belgium's statement continued.
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Clement Vandenkerckhove brushed off discussing his father while co-starring with his mother, Wendy van Waten, on the VRT 1 show Het Huis in 2021. "It won't be the answer you expect. It's a fairy tale that everyone thinks that, but fairy tales are just fairy tales," he said at the time, adding that the story surrounding his parentage "brings out a lot of emotions."
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Clement Vandenkerckhove discusses his father, Prince Laurent of Belgium, in the new documentary Clément, Son of… "My dad didn't do anything wrong, my mom didn't do anything wrong. I want to be able to live a normal life and not have to keep hearing, 'Do you really know who your dad is?' … I want this behind me. I just want to be able to go have a beer with my dad," he says in the doc, according to
Sudinfo.
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According to royal reporter Rick Evers, Clement Vandenkerckhove is entitled to the royal title His Royal Highness Clément, Prince of Belgium, Prince of Saxe-Coburg. Although King Philippe of Belgium "wanted to limit the granting of titles," because Vandenkerckhove is "a descendant in the male line of King Albert, the Royal Decree of 12 November 2015 applies," Evers wrote
on X.
