Belgium's Prince Laurent, King Philippe's younger brother, revealed Tuesday that he fathered a son during a love affair with a Flemish model-turned-singer — before marrying in 2003.
Rumours have swirled since the 1990s of a liaison between Laurent and the singer Wendy Van Wanten, whose real name is Iris Vandenkerckhove. Her son Clement Vandenkerckhove, now aged 25, was once invited to appear on television by her side, and quizzed about his paternity — questions he gently dodged.
On Tuesday the 61-year-old prince disclosed in a statement that he indeed had a son from the affair.
"I acknowledge being the biological father of Clement Vandenkerckhove," Laurent wrote. "In recent years we have had open and honest conversations about this," he added. Laurent described his public announcement as the result of a "path taken together" with his son. It also coincides with the broadcast Tuesday of a documentary on Flemish television channel VTM in which mother and son publicly identify Clement Vandenkerckhove's father.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ