Belgium’s former king’s love child wins legal battle to call herself a princess

Court grants Delphine Boel title of ‘Princess of Belgium’ after paternity test proves King Albert II is her biological father

Belgian artist Delphine Boel leaves Justice Palace after a last hearing in Brussels, Belgium (EPA)

A Belgian woman has won a seven-year legal battle to prove that Belgium’s former King Albert II is her father, and can officially call herself a princess.

Delphine Boel was granted the title “Princess of Belgium” by the country’s appeals court on Thursday after the former monarch’s DNA test proved he was her father.

Her lawyers said in a statement that the newly crowned princess was “fully satisfied” with the ruling.

Albert II, who abdicated the throne in 2013 citing poor health, had long contested Ms Boel’s claim but submitted to a court-ordered paternity test in January after the courts threatened to fine him £4,370 for every day he refused.

Ms Boel, an artist, will change her surname to her father’s, Saxe-Cobourg, and will be set on the same footing as her royal brothers and sisters.

Her two children, Josephine and Oscar, will also receive royal titles and the right to be referred to as his or her royal highness.

“A legal victory will never replace the love of a father, but it does offer a sense of justice, further reinforced by the fact that many children who have gone through the same ordeal will find strength to face them here,” said her lawyers.

Ms Boel was born after Albert II had an extramarital affair with Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps.

Her mother spoke publicly about their affair for the first time during a TV interview on the day Albert II stepped down from the throne.

The Baroness said: “I thought I could not have children because I had had an infection. We had not taken any precautions.

“It was a beautiful period. Delphine was a love child. Albert was not the father figure but he was very sweet to her.”