Belgium's Prince Laurent has legally recognised Clément Vandenkerckhove, 26, as his son and heir. The former car salesman was quietly brought into Prince Laurent's family at a town hall ceremony six months ago, with details emerging recently.
While Vandenkerckhove formally becomes a prince, he will not receive a royal allowance. He will also not be part of Belgium's royal line of succession, unlike his half-sister Princess Louise and half-brothers Prince Aymeric and Prince Nicolas. He will not take part in public royal activities.
Vandenkerckhove, whose mother is Belgian singer Wendy Van Wanten, has said he is not yet sure if he will use his father's name Saxe-Coburg. He told Het Nieuwsblad, "I might want to do that, but I am proud of the name Vandenkerckhove."
A Flemish TV documentary last September focused on Vandenkerckhove, where he described getting to know his father. He met Prince Laurent unexpectedly in 2013 and learned his father's identity when he was 16. After several calls and meetings, Prince Laurent suggested a DNA test, which showed a 99.5% match.