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King Albert didn’t recognize his daughter, Princess Delphine, until 2020 after a court-ordered DNA test proved their relationship
NEED TO KNOW
- Princess Delphine of Belgium, the one-time secret daughter of former King Albert II, joined the National Day celebrations
- She wore a short pink dress for the occasion, standing out for the outfit choice
- King Albert did not recognize his daughter until 2020, and she legally won the right to call herself a princess
Princess Delphine of Belgium made a style statement at the National Day celebrations.
On July 21, Belgium’s royal family gathered in Brussels for the holiday, which marks the historic investiture of King Leopold I in 1831. Princess Delphine, 58, was among those to attend the parade in front of the Royal Palace, taking a spot on the dais.
Her bold fashion choices are often talked about, and this year’s style was no different. For the event, Princess Delphine sported a pink dress with a short skirt and dramatic shoulders, paired with platform heels and white elbow-length gloves. Royal reporter Wim Dehandschutter said on social media that the neckline was intended to create a heart shape and the outfit had a “love” theme.
Princess Claire, the wife of Prince Laurent and sister-in-law of King Philippe, also popped in a pink outfit. Meanwhile, other members of the family opted for military uniforms, suits or midi-length dresses paired with hats or headbands.
Delphine attended the event alongside her husband, American businessman James O’Hare.
She has been attending the event since 2021, a year after a DNA test confirmed she is the child of Belgium’s King Albert II and the former monarch recognized his daughter, who was born outside of his marriage to Queen Paola, with whom he shares King Philippe, Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent.
Following a seven-year legal battle, a DNA test taken in January 2020 confirmed that Delphine is the daughter of King Albert. Delphine’s mother, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, was not married to the former monarch, but a court in Brussels ruled that Delphine has the same legal rights as his other children, including a royal title as princess.
Princess Delphine has attended royal events since and opened up about her relationship with her half-siblings. Delphine said on the It’s Reigning Men podcast last year that she thinks “it’s difficult for them to accept the situation, adding, “They don’t dislike me at all, but I think it’s hard for them.”
“You know, they have their lives. I have mine,” she said. “It is always very nice for me to feel like I have brothers and sisters. I always dreamt of that.”
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Rumors about the birth of a Belgian royal love child circulated for decades before becoming public with the publication of a 1999 biography of Albert’s Italian-born wife, Queen Paola.
Delphine, who was born in 1968, first came forward in 2005, claiming to have been born from a long affair between Albert and her mother. She claimed the monarch had acknowledged her in private and had been very supportive. However, Delphine says things changed in 1993 when Albert’s older brother King Baudouin died suddenly of a heart attack. Childless at the time of his death, the throne moved to Albert and his side of the family, and the new King Albert II reportedly called Delphine in 1993 once before cutting all ties.
Albert denied her claims since she first went public in 2005. He also opposed her legal action, which began in 2013, shortly after he abdicated the throne in favor of his eldest son.
In 2020, Albert conceded to fathering Delphine and dropped his opposition to being recognized as her father following a court-imposed DNA test and televised claims of royal indiscretion by his former mistress, Delphine’s mother Baroness Sybille Selys de Longchamps.
He later declared his desire “to put an end in honor and dignity to this painful procedure.”
Read the original article on People
