The illegitimate daughter of Belgium's King Emeritus, artist Delphine Saxe-Coburg (formerly surnamed Boël), has protested to Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander de Croo that she does not receive the same treatment as her half-siblings Laurent and Astrid when it comes to being invited to royal family events.
In a letter written by the artist's lawyer, Marc Uyttendaele, and the contents of which were revealed by several Belgian newspapers, Delphine Saxe-Coburg expresses that she would like "to be invited to all royal events", and not only to the national holiday, on June 21, or the tributes to deceased relatives. She explains, for example, that on November 15 she was excluded from the celebration of King's Day.
Belgian courts ruled in 2020, seven years after Delphine's first paternity lawsuit and after a long court battle, that the 53-year-old was the result of an extramarital affair with King Emeritus Albert II of Belgium. The ruling forced the royal family to treat her under the same conditions as the younger brothers of the current king, Philip.
His lawyer clarified on Saturday that the letter - initially sent to King Philip, but redirected to the government over a matter of competence - should not have been leaked. He added that he did not want to "provoke any controversy" but warned that his client was in an "untenable" situation by having to choose between staying silent or telling the truth and damaging the image of the monarchy.
"In a spirit of goodwill and discretion, she considered it necessary to clarify an embarrassing situation in which her sister Astrid and her brother Laurent are treated differently," the lawyer added.
The Belgian press points out that the now princess had been justified for the difference in treatment by the fact that she does not receive - and has never requested - an endowment from the public treasury, but her lawyer considers that "there is no justification for her not to be fully considered as a member of the royal family"
- Belgium