Lovechild of Belgian king wins legal battle for title of princess

A ROYAL lovechild who endured a two decades-long battle to be recognised by the former king of Belgium will finally be awarded the title of Princess of Belgium.

Delphine Boël’s lawyers said that the aristocrat and sculptor would take King Albert II’S name and be known as Delphine Saxe-cobourg after the Brussels appeal court endorsed the results of a DNA test yesterday.

Ms Boël had been reported to be Albert’s illegitimate daughter since 1997. She will now be addressed as “her royal highness” and her two children, Joséphine and Oscar, will also have the title princess and prince.

“The court affirms that King Albert II is her father,” lawyer Marc Uyttendaele said, which was confirmed by a judicial source, “her other requests that she be treated on the same footing as her brothers and sister were also granted.”

He added: “A judicial victory will never replace a father’s love, but it does offer a sense of justice.”

She will be entitled to a share of the former monarch’s estate when he dies but will not get an endowment from the Belgian state as Albert’s other children do. Albert must pay £8,520 court costs.

Ms Boël, 52, first asked the then-monarch to recognise her 20 years ago. After Albert, 86, abdicated, Ms Boël began what would be a seven-year court battle with him. Albert only agreed to a DNA test after the court threatened to fine him £4,370 for every day he refused and after a string of failed appeals.