The love interest of former King Albert II of Belgium wore a striking outfit earlier this month when she attended her country’s national holiday.
Princess Delphine wore a stunning pink and red suit with the word ‘love’ emblazoned on the back, three years after she was officially named daughter of the former monarch.
The 55-year-old artist, formerly known as Delphine Boël, is said to be the result of an 18-year affair between Albert, now 90, and Belgian aristocrat Sybille de Selys Longchamps, 82, which began in the 1960s.
But Princess Delphine is certainly not the only living royal love child.
As described below, Captain Mark Phillips had a child with a New Zealand art teacher while he was still married to Princess Anne.
And Prince Albert of Monaco had three children before marrying Princess Charlene in 2011.
Princess Delphine of Belgium
Princess Delphine, 55, the love child of former King Albert II of Belgium, wore a striking outfit earlier this month when she attended the national day celebrations
Princess Delphine wore a dazzling pink and red outfit with the word ‘love’ on the back, three years after she was officially named daughter of the former monarch
Former King Albert II of Belgium, who abdicated in 2013 after 20 years on the throne, had regular contact with Delphine throughout her childhood, but began to distance himself from her when she turned 16.
It wasn’t until a year later, at the age of 17, that she discovered he was her father.
The princes previously assumed that her mother’s husband, Jonkheer Jacques Boël, was her father.
Following her successful lawsuit in 2020, Delphine is entitled to bear the royal name de Saxe-Cobourg and is formally recognized as a member of the Belgian royal family.
Since then she has met her half-brothers and -sisters: King Philippe, Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent.
Delphine told Tatler last year that it still hurts that her father rejected her when she was young, admitting that she doesn’t hold it against him or harbor any ill feelings towards him.
She argued that royal life was “isolating” and believed her father had been badly advised at the time, but said: “You don’t just have a child and kick it away.”
The artist, formerly known as Delphine Boël, is depicted (center) with her half-brother (front right) King Philippe of Belgium
Captain Mark Phillips and his daughter
Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips are known for their close bond, but the couple have a half-sibling they’ve reportedly never met.
Princess Anne’s ex-husband, Captain Mark Phillips, has a lesser-known daughter: Felicity Tonkin, 38.
She was reportedly conceived after Phillips had a one-night stand with New Zealand art teacher Heather Tonkin in 1984, while she was still married to the princess.
When she became pregnant, Mark allegedly told her to have an abortion, but Heather kept the baby and was told her father was dead.
Princess Anne’s former husband, Captain Mark Phillips, has another daughter: 38-year-old Felicity Tonkin, pictured
It wasn’t until Felicity was eight and working on a school project about her family history that her mother told her the truth.
She showed her a biography of Phillips, written by newsreader Angela Rippon.
Phillips paid Heather £6,000 a year – described in his accounts as “horse consultancy” – until Felicity reached school age, when the payments reportedly became irregular.
This led Heather to hire lawyers and eventually speak out publicly.
In 1991, DNA testing proved that the former British Army captain was Felicity’s father, with a reported £350,000 settlement.
Felicity, who shares Zara’s love for horses, is now a veterinarian and married to successful polo player Tristan Wade.
Captain Mark Phillips pictured with Princess Anne on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day in 1973
It wasn’t until she finished a school project that Felicity Tonkin discovered her father was Captain Mark Phillips. Above: Felicity on her 18th birthday in 2003
Monaco loves children
Prince Albert of Monaco, together with his wife of 17 years, former Olympic competitor Princess Charlene, have 9-year-old twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques.
But the 66-year-old prince has two other children thanks to his previous affairs, and reportedly only officially acknowledged them after DNA testing was completed.
Alexandre Grimaldi, 20, was born in 2003 from his mother, Nicole Coste,’s relationship with Prince Albert, two years before he started dating Charlene.
The flight attendant turned fashion designer was with Albert for five years and even appeared in public with her royal love.
However, Alexandre was not publicly acknowledged until May 2005 when Nicole revealed in a revealing interview with Paris Match that her son was Albert’s.
She also said that he was actively involved in his son’s life from the beginning.
Prince Albert of Monaco (right) with Nicole Coste (left) and son Alexandre Grimaldi
Alexandre Grimaldi was born in 2003 after his mother, Nicole Coste (left), had a relationship with Prince Albert, two years before he started dating Charlene
The following year, the monarch had another love child: Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, who was born in 1992.
In May 2006, a DNA test confirmed that she is Albert’s daughter. She is the result of a holiday relationship with her American mother, Tamara Rotolo, who is a real estate agent.
Jazmin, 32, didn’t meet her father until she was 11 years old, after her mother took her to California.
Speaking about the first time she met her father, Jazmin said in 2015, “I wanted to experience that moment to connect with my father, to get to know him and for him to get to know me.”
“Because I didn’t have that figure, I missed out on that. It’s great that it happened when it did, and we’ve had a great relationship ever since.”
Albert pictured with his other love child, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi (left) in 2018
The Prince of Monaco pictured with his other two children, Jazmin and Alexandre
A Secret Spanish Daughter
Former Spanish King Juan Carlos, 86, is said to secretly have a daughter named Alejandra.
According to a book by two investigative journalists published last year, she was born in the late 1970s or early 1980s.
She is said to be married with a child and has never publicised her royal credentials despite learning the truth about her real father years ago, the book claims.
Former King Juan Carlos pictured with his son King Felipe VI of Spain, who Juan was reportedly told to prevent from ‘falling in love’ with his secret daughter
Rumors have it that Juan Carlos tried to prevent his eldest child Filipe, the current King of Spain, from ‘falling in love’ with his secret daughter, without knowing they were related when they were younger.
He is said to have told palace officials when the two became adults.
Her existence would be confirmed by an ex-lover of the former king, a close friend and one of her ex-boyfriends.
However, Juan Carlos denies that he is Alejandra’s father.