Daughter (L) and Father (R). PHOTO: AFP/Via BBC A Belgian artist has won her long legal battle to be confirmed as a princess and the offi...
A Belgian artist has won her long legal battle to be confirmed as a princess and the official daughter of former king Albert II, her lawyer said Thursday.
Delphine Boel, 52, becomes Delphine Saxe-Cobourg after the Brussels appeal court endorsed the results of a DNA test, lawyer Marc Uyttendaele told AFP.
“The court affirms that King Albert II is her father,” the lawyer said, a claim confirmed by a judicial source.
“She will henceforth bear the patronym of Saxe-Cobourg. Her other requests that she be treated on the same footing as her brothers and sister were also granted,” he said.
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Albert II, King of the Belgians, reigned between 1993 and 2013 before abdicating in favour of his legitimate son Philippe, the country’s current monarch.
Boel, a sculptor, had been reported to be Albert’s illegitimate daughter since 1997, but it was only last year that a court obliged him to submit a DNA sample.
“She is delighted with this court decision, which puts an end to a lengthy procedure that was particularly painful for her and her family,” the lawyer said.
“A judicial victory will never replace a father’s love, but it does offer a sense of justice, which is further strengthened by the fact that many more children who have gone through similar ordeals may be able to find the strength to face them.”
[AFP]
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