Monarchs having illegitimate children is nothing new. Prince Albert II of Monaco has two, possibly three, illegitimate children. And let’s not forget that many kings throughout history have sired kids that do not belong in the line of succession, and that’s us being friendly. So, what happens if a king denounces his secret daughter as “an attention seeker”? Well, Princess Delphine of Belgium had to learn that the hard way.
Born in February 1968, Delphine learned when she was 17 that the then-Prince Albert of Belgium was her father and not her legal father, as she was led to believe. Going over to the royals, it was never really a secret that King Albert had had a longtime mistress, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps. However, the existence of Delphine being the monarch’s child was exposed in a 1999 unauthorised biography by Mario Danneels, a then 18-year-old schoolboy, on Queen Paola, Albert’s wife.
The book caused King Albert to denounce Delphine, claiming she was an attention seeker. However, she stuck to her guns and kept her fight going. In 2013, the king stepped down from the throne, handing the reins over to his son, Philippe. It was reported that Albert was abdicating due to health concerns.
After King Albert Steps Down
However, it came out later that the month before the announcement dropped, Albert and two of his legitimate children had been in court due to the paternity case. This might’ve been why he abdicated, though it will likely never be disclosed.
In the end, Delphine won the court case. The judge told Albert that he would pay thousands of dollars daily if he didn’t provide a DNA sample. Not wanting to do that, he claims her as his daughter, and she is granted the styling of Her Royal Highness and the title of Princess. Her two children are also given titles.
Delphine met with one of her half-brothers, King Philippe and has since gotten involved with family events.
