Former Belgian King’s Love Child Attends National Day Celebrations

King Albert II of Belgium’s love child made sure everyone was staring at her by donning a stunning pink and red pantsuit. The garment was adorned with a gorgeous butterfly on the front and the word ‘love’ on the back.

At the National Day 2024 festivities at the Royal Palace in Brussels, Belgium, artist Princess Delphine, 53, who was previously known as Delphine Boël, sported the hypnotic candy and fuschia-striped ensemble.

The inauguration of King Leopold I of Belgium in 1831 is commemorated on this yearly day.

Sybille de Selys Longchamps, 82, is a member of the Belgian aristocracy. Her 18-year romance with King Albert II, 89, began in the 1960s and ended in 2013 when he abdicated in favor of his son, King Philippe, 63.

A few months after requesting formal recognition as a princess from her country, she was shown in January wearing a shawl that said “Never Give Up” in an Instagram image.

Uncovering her true identity as the love child of her country’s former ruler has been no picnic for Delphine.

Although she became officially the daughter of King Albert II of Belgium three years ago, reports indicate that in 2023, she formally requested an invitation to official occasions.

Delphine stated that her fight for royal recognition was not for wealth or prestige but instead for the same “respect” as her half-siblings, following a court’s official recognition of her as the love child of Belgium’s last king in October 2020.

The ex-king kept his distance from Princess Delphine and her mother for a long time so he could save his marriage.

When Princess Delphine was born in 1968, the King maintained regular communication with her and her mother. However, the king started to withdraw from Delphine when she was 16 years old.

Princess Delphine began a formal process to be acknowledged as Albert’s daughter in 2013, the same year that King Philippe replaced his father, Albert, who abdicated the throne for health concerns; she was legally recognized in October 2020.

Delphine and her children, Princess Joséphine, 19, and Prince Oscar, 14, whom she shares with her boyfriend, James O’Hare, are now officially recognized as members of the Belgian royal family.

After years of hatred, Delphine claims her relationship with her father has been repaired, and she now attends royal events.

She saw her brother, King Philippe of Belgium—one of twenty Belgian royals to whom she is related—in 2020, and the two of them shared a Facebook photo of their “warm meeting” while maintaining a social distance.

Along with her coronation, Princess Delphine was invited to a formal meeting with her father and his wife, Queen Paola, at Belvédère Castle in Brussels.