Princess Delphine & Family, News & Events 1; 2020 - 2023

[Duc_et_Pair]

Who knows if she was meant or now isn't meant to inherit from Boel, can be just another lie from her. anyway she started making money from Albert at least since 2013 with her art, being invited to exhibit...all suddenly when the media was in.

The few euros she eventually earned with her art are totally dwarfed by the enormous fortune of her previous legal father, M Jacques Boël. The Boël fortune dwarfs the fortune of Albert II himself a junior son from a grandfather who was a son to a junior prince as well ( cousin to King Leopold II). Eventual private fortunes have been so watered down with 6 children of Leopold III and now 4 children of King Albert II

 

[iceflower]

Here are some more photos of the press conference:


** rex gallery ** gettyimages gallery **


** dm article: 'I'm not asking to be called Her Royal Highness - I just wanted to be the same as my brother and sister'..**

 

[tommy100]

Any ideas from our Belgian posters, Marengo perhaps, how this is viewed in Belgium? Is there sympathy for Delphine? Indifference? Is Philippe's reign at risk?

Just interesting to see what the people of the country think of it all.

 

[Prinsara]

"I'm not going to be hanging out in the street saying 'please call me "Princess"'." ?

She's funny.

(If the BRF were smart, they would use that...)

 

[Addapalla]

she definitely said its about recognition and then wanted the title and names. And we do not know if Boel gives her money anyway, these are facts.

Achieving equity with her siblings, for Delphine, constitutes legal recognition.

Not sure what your point about Boël money is, but Delphine was clear that, if it was all about money, then she'd have been smarter to forget Albert and remain legally the only child of the fabulously wealthy M. Jacques Boël.

 

[macedonsky]

While that would be the traditional understanding, the court apparently disagrees, as it made Delphine and her children princes.

I suppose the court just applied 1891 and 1991 decrees to Delphine and her children.

 

[JR76]

Speaking of Princess Delphine, was she introduced as such at the press conference? I have been wondering whether the ruling entered into effect immediately, especially since last year's paternity ruling did not.

The attorney who opened the press conference (and then never stopped talking) spoke about her as Dèlphine and spoke to her as Dèlphine. He also, if my rusty French is anything to go by, said something about that she today has a title and that she today has a surname.

 

[Addapalla]

The attorney who opened the press conference (and then never stopped talking)

Haha! I thought the same thing! Not sure if it is an expression everyone will understand: **What a ham he was** !! The quintessential photobomber too - I suspect from his facial expressions that some reporters were signaling for him to move away from her.

 

[Marengo]

Any ideas from our Belgian posters, Marengo perhaps, how this is viewed in Belgium? Is there sympathy for Delphine? Indifference? Is Philippe's reign at risk?

Just interesting to see what the people of the country think of it all.

I live in Belgium but I am not Belgian, so other posters may have an alternative & more correct view. But it seems that most people shrug their shoulders. Although the outcome is new the story itself has been known for a long time. The results of the DNA-test did not surprise anybody as the story was always very credible and the resemblance of Delphine and Queen Astrid was clear. That Delphine comes from the upper class herself added to the credibility of the story, from the start it seemed that neither she nor her mother had much to gain from lying about it.

The interview today is not the main news item. Neither was the verdict last week (as on the same day Belgium finally had a new government). The news outlets mainly give a matter-of-fact overview but the opinion pieces that do appear generally seem to be sympathetic to Delphine's ongoing battle. I have not read any negative articles at least. The negativity is mainly reserved for Albert, whose reputation is in tatters. There may be Belgians with a different view but I have not heard/read anything from them.

 

[cathy50]

Achieving equity with her siblings, for Delphine, constitutes legal recognition.

Not sure what your point about Boël money is, but Delphine was clear that, if it was all about money, then she'd have been smarter to forget Albert and remain legally the only child of the fabulously wealthy M. Jacques Boël.

Boel has no other child(as far as I know) so she could still inherit ;-)
i just wanted to point out that these things are not clear. Bit after she pulled the inside out he might fund something else to give his money to.
and today when asked about the expected inheritance from Albert she left it vague, that is why I commented in an other post that there is more to come from her, nothing is finished for her like she cleverly suggested to the royal family when asked about the court of cassation. she was very well prepared, which is ok when having such a team of advisors.
she is not off the stage, she has only just started , mentioning the possibility of charities approaching her....

 

[Addapalla]

she is not off the stage, she has only just started , mentioning the possibility of charities approaching her....

She said she wants to use her court award to do good. -- Huh! Such a conniving upstart ! (being ironic)

 

[Somebody]

Boel has no other child(as far as I know) so she could still inherit ;-)
i just wanted to point out that these things are not clear. Bit after she pulled the inside out he might fund something else to give his money to.
and today when asked about the expected inheritance from Albert she left it vague, that is why I commented in an other post that there is more to come from her, nothing is finished for her like she cleverly suggested to the royal family when asked about the court of cassation. she was very well prepared, which is ok when having such a team of advisors.
she is not off the stage, she has only just started , mentioning the possibility of charities approaching her....

Delphine is legally no longer Jacques Boel's child, so why would he out of all the billions of people in the world decide to give his money to the one person who publicly made clear that she didn't want to have anything to do with him...

 

[acdc1]

Does this ruling mean that Delphine and her children are now in the line of succession to the throne?

 

[Prinsara]

Does this ruling mean that Delphine and her children are now in the line of succession to the throne?

No, they can't be. That's reserved by decree for legitimate descendants of Leopold I. (Also, someone here or in the media would have said something.)

 

[cathy50]

She said she wants to use her court award to do good. -- Huh! Such a conniving upstart ! (being ironic)

well, listen to what she said, I am sure the world waits for another sudden royal who wants do do good, seems as if the Meghans and Delphine are getting more and more (irony, too) if this is all she wants, the BRF can be happy but

 

[Prinsara]

well, listen to what she said, I am sure the world waits for another sudden royal who wants do do good, seems as if the Meghans and Delphine are getting more and more (irony, too) if this is all she wants, the BRF can be happy but

Sorry, but Delphine never asked to be born or picked out her parents, so that makes her rather different from someone who married into another family in full knowledge as a grown woman. For starters.

Given that she's more charismatic than all of her siblings, it's actually a shame she will never do official "princess duties", though I don't blame her and wouldn't want to give up an independent life, either. (The BRF could probably do far, far worse than letting her cut a ribbon once in a while.)

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Does this ruling mean that Delphine and her children are now in the line of succession to the throne?

No, they can't be. That's reserved by decree for legitimate descendants of Leopold I. (Also, someone here or in the media would have said something.)

Delphine's lawyer contended that she is "a legitimate child like any other" and petitioned the court to grant her the "same privileges, titles, and capacities" as her three half-siblings.

However, I am inclined to think that if the court had agreed to grant her the same capacity to inherit the throne as her three siblings, her lawyers would have announced it in the same way that they announced she and her children had been granted titles.

The succession to the throne is regulated by the Constitution itself.

Well, we both do not know, but she definitely said its about recognition and then wanted the title and names.

Achieving equity with her siblings, for Delphine, constitutes legal recognition.

I believe the reference was to her previous denials that she wanted a title (though she never denied that she wanted to bear her biological father's name).

I suppose the court just applied 1891 and 1991 decrees to Delphine and her children.

Possibly (though they have been repealed and replaced by the 2015 decree), but we can only speculate for the time being.

In all monarchies a successor needs to be born in a consented marriage, usually consent of the Bearer of the Crown.

I doubt that; in some monarchies there is not even a law of succession.

Dutch law does not apply to other EU countries where "legitimacy" for civil law does not correspond to "legitimacy" for nobiliary law.

Benjamin Lascelles, eldest son of the British Earl of Harewood, is indeed legitimate for modern British law, but he remains legally incapable of inheriting the earldom because of his birth out of wedlock.

In Belgium, the standard remainder for nobiliary titles is inheritance in the legitimate male line only.

https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/services/Protocol/nobility_and_honorary_distinctions/nobility/faq

The modernization is because of jurisprudence by the European Court of Human Rights which enforces all EU states to review the law on "illegitimate children". With the Loi du 31 mars 1987 modifiant diverses dispositions légales relatives à la filiation, also in Belgium the notion of "illegitimate children" has been removed. A child is always legal.

Interesting, but Belgian and British nobiliary law remain as they are. Or is it your interpretation that Benjamin Lascelles is the heir to the earldom of Harewood?

 

[nascarlucy]

Interesting story.

I've kind of kept up with this story and it's a sad story as there are no real winners in this situation. The sad thing about this story is that it is only thru legal action that she became HRH. It would be a little different if this had been done voluntarily by the King or he had recognized her as his daughter.

She probably will never be totally accepted into royal circles. Maybe this wouldn't bother her. It would me but that's me.

If I were her, I would want to be recognized as the King's daughter, but perhaps not legally force the issue.

 

[cdm]

VRT had an interview in English with Delphine.
Delphine van Saksen-Coburg nu ze p...VRT NWS: nieuws https://vrtnws.be/p.RaN641Z1X

It starts at 1:28 in the clip in this article.

 

[cathy50]

Sorry, but Delphine never asked to be born or picked out her parents, so that makes her rather different from someone who married into another family in full knowledge as a grown woman. For starters.

Given that she's more charismatic than all of her siblings, it's actually a shame she will never do official "princess duties", though I don't blame her and wouldn't want to give up an independent life, either. (The BRF could probably do far, far worse than letting her cut a ribbon once in a while.)

you quoted but missed the context of my post and it was meant to answer ironically (see:irony) to sbelse's reply.
I prefer to stay with the given information instead of claim things which are not yet proofed to be right . your posts often contain undecided statements, on the one hand you say "it's a shame .... " (who knows if this will come true?) and in the same sentence you say, if you were her "you wouldnt't want to give up an independant life "( she has yet not been asked to do so) so what? should delphine go for official duties or stay with her business in your opinion-nteresting question, but not yet fact so anything can only be speculation.
I cannot imagine she and her family would completely catch up with a life as working royals, seems rather strange but who knows? maybe I just don't have your qualities to dream ;-)sorry for this.



It's ok if you defend her whatever seems to make sense to you, but please do not mix and confuse your phantasies with the given facts and expect others to do so, too. we all have our opinions and that's the idea if a platform like this, I guess.

 

[cathy50]

I've kind of kept up with this story and it's a sad story as there are no real winners in this situation. The sad thing about this story is that it is only thru legal action that she became HRH. It would be a little different if this had been done voluntarily by the King or he had recognized her as his daughter.

She probably will never be totally accepted into royal circles. Maybe this wouldn't bother her. It would me but that's me.

If I were her, I would want to be recognized as the King's daughter, but perhaps not legally force the issue.

I think so , too. I wonder if it bothers her but then I think she must have a huge ability to hide unpopular facts psychologically the way she went through all this, not showing any understanding of the responsibilities her mother had in this whole thing, but as this could have weakened the image as being a victim she was surely advices not to point that out or mention it in public and that's her right of course.
but if she really has this ability it might help her through if confrontations like being rejected are ahead.
I think it depends on how and if she will be seeking more attention and recognition in the future. At least her mother was known for her behaviour and not shunned but things are certainly different now after having dipped so many "important" people in the cacao (does everybody know this expression?).
I think it is very understandable (from a psychologically point of view )that people will not trust her fearing what might be next and that she feels no limits,
no matter what happend behind closed doors or that is was her right to do so....)

As long as things are under the carpet most people don't care and don't get involved because it's not their business , fearing confrontation with a person/situation ir like here consequences from a power above this person's horizon (the RF) will change people's behaviour.
Let's hope the new royals cope with that or simply stay with the lifestyle they had before granted a title by a lawsuit only.

 

[Addapalla]

but please do not mix and confuse your phantasies with the given facts

That is exactly what you have done in your postings above - even drawing Meghan (?!!) into your negative assumptions about Delphine's future behavior.

Suggesting how a person thinks or how they will behave in the future - things you cannot know - is the polar opposite of sticking to facts.

 

[Nice Nofret]

Royal duties, a live as a working royal is allways on behalf of the monarch; so without said monarch giving you any duties, there is NO life as senior royal.

 

[Bonastre]

y

I agree with you. Every son or daughter of the same father (or mother) should have identical rights. That's how things are in my country. It is disgusting to watch Albert denying the existence of her daughter till the end. And it would be great to see King Philippe receiving his sister in the family as any brother should do.

Forcing your way into a family through the courts is maybe not the best way to ensure you a warm welcome.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

No, they can't be. That's reserved by decree for legitimate descendants of Leopold I. (Also, someone here or in the media would have said something.)

To be more precize: descendants of Leopold I whom are legal successors.

The three youngest children of Leopold III are his legal children but are no legal successors to the throne.

The youngest child of Albert II is his legal child but is no legal successor to the throne.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

[...]





Interesting, but Belgian and British nobiliary law remain as they are. Or is it your interpretation that Benjamin Lascelles is the heir to the earldom of Harewood?

There is a difference in being legal child and being a legal successor. The point was that in most (if not all) EU countries the notion of "illegitimate children" does not exist.

Benjamin Lasceslles is a legal child according to this Convention, which has been ratoified by the UK in 1981 and by Ireland in 1988. Countries which ratified it must ensure that children born outside marriage are provided with legal rights as stipulated in the text of this convention:
https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/085

But that Benjamin Lascelles is a legal child of the Earl of Harewood does not make him a legal successor to the Earldom.

That Delphine de Saxe-Cobourg is a legal child of King Albert II does not make her a legal successor to the throne.

 

[Prinsara]

To be more precize: descendants of Leopold I whom are legal successors.


The half-siblings of Albert II are legitimate children of his father Leopold III but are no successors.

That's correct with the modern interpretation, but the document does say "legitime", doesn't it? Were Albert's younger siblings the first time "strictly legal" was considered?

 

[alterego]

She did not have a title as the Boël's are AFAIK part of the untitled nobility.

Her stepfather did not raise her at all. He may have paid some bills but Delphine barely saw Jacques Boël. After Delphine's birth Sybille, Delphine and often Albert lived as a family in a villa in Knokke for nearly a decade. Without Jacques Boël. After that Sybille divorced mr Boël, she the moved to the UK and married another man. The memories that Delphine do not seem to be very positive, I believe her mother said that mr. Boël was in her eyes a cruel man.

Delphine did have a stepfather, who was Michael Anthony Rathborne Cayzer, the second husband of her mother (they were married when Delphine was 14). Jacques Boël was never her stepfather but her legal father till perhaps around 2013, as her mother was legally married to J Boël when Delphine was conceived till she was 10....

Another quote from Delphine, when asked if money was an issue on her mind in this case: "If I had done it for the money, it would have been rather silly from me to go that way.”. She describes Jacques Boël as "a very, very, very wealthy man, from a very wealthy family".

https://twitter.com/x/status/1313103575795609601

Well, indeed the Boël family is extremely weathy, but also according to Delphine herself, Jacques Boël is trying his best to prevent her getting anything from the Boël money~ It's just not clear that this happened before or after this 'battle'~ Should Boël remain being her legal father, it is indeed not possible for him to disinherit her completely according to the law of Belgium. However, it is not that difficult for him to transfer his wealth legally so that there is not much for her to inherit (if not nothing at all...)

 

[Prinsara]

Well, indeed the Boël family is extremely weathy, but also according to Delphine herself, Jacques Boël is trying his best to prevent her getting anything from the Boël money~ It's just not clear that this happened before or after this 'battle'~ Should Boël remain being her legal father, it is indeed not possible for him to disinherit her completely according to the law of Belgium. However, it is not that difficult for him to transfer his wealth legally so that there is not much for her to inherit (if not nothing at all...)

Delphine is Albert's legal child, so Jacques Boël no longer has an obligation to give her a centime. It's Albert we now speculate about moving money around to avoid her.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Boel has no other child(as far as I know) so she could still inherit ;-)

[...]

Delphine did request the Court of Justice to end the legal paternity of Jacques Boël. With the end of this paternity, Delphine is no longer a daughter of Boël and of course Boël is no longer a father of Delphine.

Already for years the relationship between Delphine and her legal father was strained. Delphine herself acknowledged that her legal father, Jacques Boël, "has done everything possible to ensure that she would receive nothing". (That is almost impossible as in Belgium, like most European countries, it is very difficult to disinherit children. Delphine would always have received something).

But with her request to the Court of Justice to end the legal paternity of Jacques Boël, Delphine effectively disinherited herself from the enormous Boël fortune.