For the first time the Belgian former king Albert has made himself heard about his illegitimate daughter Delphine. He said he and Queen Paola are “delighted” that their son, King Philippe, has met his half-sister.
“My wife and I myself are delighted with the King’s initiative,” Albert says. “The start of better times for all of us and Delphine in particular.”
Not enough
Yesterday it was announced that on October 9, King Philippe had a meeting with his half-sister Delphine for the first time, who can now call herself ‘princess of Belgium’. For years, King Albert maintained that he is not Delphine’s biological father. After he was forced by the judge to give up DNA, he said in January that he would no longer dispute that he is her father.
But that recognition was not enough for Delphine. She filed a lawsuit demanding that she be treated like the other children of the king. The Brussels court agreed and ruled at the beginning of this month that she can call herself princess of Belgium. Her children, Oscar and Josephine, also received the titles prince and princess of Belgium.
‘Clear steps forward’
The meeting between Filip and Delphine was not expected and was big news in Belgium. Royalty watcher Marlène de Wouters thinks there is also a meeting between father and daughter to come. According to her, the announcement of King Albert shows that he accepts the situation and that Queen Paola also seems to have accepted it.
“It is not all roses and moonlight, but they are clear steps forward”, she said on the Belgian channel Radio 1.
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