I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD

As the illegitimate daughter of the king, she fought to be recognised as part of Belgium's royal family, but Princess Delphine says she still feels unwelcome

- LAVERN DE VRIES

HER MOTHER took her to her favourite restaurant to tell her the truth about her paternity. Her father wasn't the wealthy businessman who'd raised her - he was, in fact, the king of Belgium and she was the product of an 18-year-long affair.

Delphine Boël was just 17 when she found out her life had been a lie but initially she wasn't that angry when her mother, Baroness Sybille de Selys, spilt the beans. After all, Albert wasn't a stranger. To Delphine he was a familiar face, a cherished family friend who often brought her gifts and flowers.

Knowing going public with the truth would cause a scandal, she kept her true identity to herself. But everything changed when Albert cut contact with her after he abdicated the throne in 2013.

What followed was a lengthy court case where she fought to reclaim her identity and rightful place within the royal family.

In 2020 Delphine was finally granted the right to call herself a princess after a DNA test proved her paternity and Albert admitted she was his daughter.

But the 56-year-old princess says social exclusion still prevents her from being welcomed into the royal fold. She recently expressed her hurt and disappointment over not being invited to celebrate King's Day on 15 November, a day honouring her half-brother, King Philippe.

While her father and her other halfsiblings, Prince Laurent and Princess Astrid, attended the event at a cathedral in Brussels, Delphine was notably absent.

The princess, who isn't considered a working royal, took to social media to voice her feelings. "I was reminded again yesterday why I wasn't invited to celebrate King's Day. I'm not welcome because my parents weren't married to each other, Delphine said.