The first photos of Prince Laurent of Belgium, with his secret child, Clement Vandenkerckhove, have been disclosed in a new documentary. There has been decades-long speculation among local media about Clement, 25, whom the Belgian royal shares with 80s popstar Wendy Van Wanten.
In the film, Clement identified himself as the son of Prince Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe of Belgium and opened up about his origins. VTM, the network streaming the documentary, shared a picture of the father-son duo for the first time. The family resemblance between the father and son is uncanny, the photo showing them both wearing sunglasses and smiling happily.
According to Belgian royal journalist Wim Dehanschutter, who shared lines from the documentary on X, Laurent and Clement spoke for the first time over the phone. Clement recalled: "I heard a deep voice say, Hello, who am I speaking to? I said, It's Clement. The first thing he said was, And how are you? My heart was pounding. We talked for 40 minutes." After that initial conversation, the pair took a DNA test, which revealed Clement to have a 99.5 per cent match. Prince Laurent himself has confirmed the news in a statement, which read: "With this announcement, I acknowledge that I am the biological father of Clement Vandenkerckhove. We have spoken openly and honestly about this in recent years.
"This announcement is based on a sense of understanding and respect for those involved. It is the result of joint consultation. I kindly request that you receive this information with the discretion that the nature of this intimate matter requires. I will not make any further statements or provide any further explanation on this matter."
Clement was born in 2000, the same year Prince Laurent, 61, is understood to have met his wife of 22 years, Claire Coombs, who was born in Bath to a British father and Belgian mother. The Prince's relationship with Clement's mother, '80s popstar Wendy Van Wanten, was never officially confirmed, but the pair were spotted at events together in the late 1990s - and notably attended Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie's wedding.