Delphine Boël, who after a seven-year legal battle was recognized in January by former Belgian King Albert II as his daughter, can now use the title Princess of Belgium and his last name, an appeals court ruled.
After a seven-year legal battle, the love child of former king of Belgium Albert II has finally won the right to be recognised as a princess. According to the court’s recent ruling, the 52-year-old woman and her children can now adopt her father’s official surname, Saxe-Cobourg, the Guardian reported.
Delphine Boël, the daughter of Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, first claimed on record that King Albert was her biological father during an interview in 2005. She alleged that her mother and Albert had an 18-year relationship before he became king. Delphine later launched a legal battle to prove that she was the king’s daughter in June 2013.
However, King Albert denied that she was his biological child until early this year, when the Belgian court forced him to undergo a DNA test. The court said that Albert would have to pay $5,586 per day until he provided a sample for the test.
Last month, Delphine filed a petition before the court to grant her the same royal titles and privileges Albert’s other children have enjoyed all their lives. The court ultimately ruled in her favour on Thursday, officially naming her a princess. Delphine’s lawyers said that she was “delighted” by the court’s decision, BBC reported.
As a result of the ruling, Delphine and her children will also receive a portion of King Albert’s inheritance after his demise. While she will not receive a royal endowment, Albert II has been directed to pay nearly £3.1 million to cover her legal fees, BBC reported.
In 2013, Albert II abdicated the throne citing poor health and was replaced by his son Philippe. He is married to Queen Paola, with whom he has three children.❐
