Delphine Boël, daughter of King Albert II

[Duke of Marmalade]

I was not referring so much to legal right but to moral right. IMO it is a human right to find out who your father is.

[maria-olivia]

Well, Well....
In Belgium we are sad because King Albert II was an unexpected great King . During his reign we were more than 520 days without a Government.
And now former King he is blamed all over the world. (your threads)

Why did he abdicate ?

Since the beginning of his abdication they are troubles between the Houses of King Philippe and King Albert II.
King Albert II 's 80 th birthday at the Belvue Museum was pathetic , people I know were there and were shocked by their public behavior .

This is my last word in this thread because what started yesterday will take months or years.

[AristoCat]

First, Delphine is a fully grown adult and isn't owed anything from her biological father. Second, at this point in her life, what is she going to gain? She's lived a privileged life and is smashing it all with a hammer. As for the "Elvis Effect," I have to agree there. I don't think the RF should be ordered by every freak with a good lawyer to submit a DNA sample.

[princess gertrude]

Originally Posted by AristoCat

First, Delphine is a fully grown adult and isn't owed anything from her biological father. Second, at this point in her life, what is she going to gain? She's lived a privileged life and is smashing it all with a hammer. As for the "Elvis Effect," I have to agree there. I don't think the RF should be ordered by every freak with a good lawyer to submit a DNA sample.

I'm just confused as to why it seems she is drawing all this out in public. If she wants to know, fine, but why all this media circus. I agree with you, what is she really gaining in all of this, except confirmation about what she probably already knows. I doubt she would have any claim to any inheritance if Albert did not specify such in his will.

[Al_bina]

Originally Posted by AristoCat

First, Delphine is a fully grown adult and isn't owed anything from her biological father. Second, at this point in her life, what is she going to gain? She's lived a privileged life and is smashing it all with a hammer. As for the "Elvis Effect," I have to agree there. I don't think the RF should be ordered by every freak with a good lawyer to submit a DNA sample.

Your points are very valid and sensible. The whole situation was poory managed by King Albert II and his advisers. Unfortunately the Belgian Royal family will be forced to mount good defense as King Albert's II past negatively affects the image of the institution. Having said that, I think Ms Boel is entitled to take any action she thinks appropriate. However, she should be ready to weather any negativity aimed at her. Ms Boel's chances to be in succession to the throne are non-existent.

[Lee-Z]

Dutch magazine "prive" reports that Delphine Boel is now moving permanently to London with her husband and kids. Their house in Belgium is apparently up for sale. Rumours that this is because of monetary problems are denied by her husband.
'Bastaarddochter' koning Albert vlucht naar Londen | Prive | Telegraaf.nl

Prive is on the gossipy side of journalism, but often there some source of truth beneath the articles..

I find it still difficult to imagine what she wants to achieve with the courtcase, but imo it is not likely because she wants more contact with the BRF if she's really relocating to London...

[Marengo]

I believe that news was already reported several months ago. It is much more expensive to live in London than in Belgium, so economizing can't be the main reason for this move.

-
Delphine is not just another 'freak' - as somebody so eloquently put it- who wants a DNA sample. How often does that need to be explained?

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Delphine is not just another 'freak' - as somebody so eloquently put it- who wants a DNA sample. How often does that need to be explained?

It probably needs to be reiterated frequently, because some people are a little too overawed by royalties to concede that they are just as responsible for their actions as everyone else.

On that note, thank you for your posts in this thread, Marengo - they are always informative and, I think, of a balanced opinion.

[Cris M]

I refuse to be shocked because a King has an illegitimate daughter - something Kings have done for centuries.

But I just can't feel sorry for Delphine, because she has mounted such a ridiculous circus. I do believe she is just an attention seeker and a bit mentally unstable. Give her the money she wants, but she'll never have a loving father and siblings. Pitiful.

People here just need to learn how to deal with different opinions, the ones who disagree with them aren't idiots who need explanations.

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by princess gertrude

I'm just confused as to why it seems she is drawing all this out in public. If she wants to know, fine, but why all this media circus. I agree with you, what is she really gaining in all of this, except confirmation about what she probably already knows. I doubt she would have any claim to any inheritance if Albert did not specify such in his will.

I believe she will (would) be entitled to inheritance, if only statutuory share.

[Lee-Z]

Originally Posted by Duke of Marmalade

I believe she will (would) be entitled to inheritance, if only statutuory share.

Afaik, that is only for "legal" children, not for "biological" (if you are adopted for instance, you get the share from your adoptive parents, not your biological).
But i think she wants K.Albert to be both biological *and* legally her father and that's why she denounced Mr Jacques Boel as her father?

[AristoCat]

Albert is no longer king, he is an ex-king; I do think that Delphine had Albert more than his heirs did at an earlier age and living the life of a daughter and heiress of a billionaire is no small thing, no hardship. As it is, the Belgian RF is one of the few stable monarchies and I do wonder what on holy mother earth is motivating Delphine to do this. Inserting herself into the succession, making a position for herself among that family, after mouthing off all the time? I mean, IF pigs fly and Delphine does get a place in the succession, there would be fifteen ahead of her, or if she gets placed after his legitimate heirs, that would cause plenty of chaos either way and put the RF on alert towards her all the time from then on out.

She's no small kid and at the same time, even if she were, she would run the risk of losing everything, just as she has now. She already had a regal lifestyle, so what is the point? As for the defense of the Belgian RF, it will be intriguing to find out how they are somehow responsible for Delphine's welfare in any way, no one can argue she hasn't lived a good life. Delphine can't claim she was neglected by the roadside and forced to work as a wage slave in a Third World factory and left to shift for herself. So what moral grounds can she claim that Albert has a responsibility that he has neglected, to take care of her?

She led a privileged life and like a lot of spoiled brats, didn't even need to get a practical education to make a real living for herself. I wouldn't call creating sliced coke cans art, much less a way of life that would provide a living to someone who needs it. From what I can tell, she's been living the life of a trust fund 'artiste' and indulging in various hobbies and now all of a sudden, she's determined to suddenly make the former King of Belgium officially recognize her in some kind of fairytale delusion.

She's well past the age where he has an obligation to take care of her needs and wants, plus there is no way Albert is in a position to give her a title or standing, Philippe is the King, not Albert.

[Princess Xenia]

IF she is recognized as Albert's child, she will be entitled to 19% of his estate.

[AristoCat]

Well, she had more than enough coming if she had not so blatantly repudiated her legal father Mr. Boel.

[Duc_et_Pair]

All children, marital and extramarital, are "reservatory heirs", which means they have the right on a "child portion". In 1987 the Belgian Law was amended: the difference between "legal" and "illegal" descendants has been scrapped concerning inheritances from the natural father. Of course it must be clear that the deceased from which a heritance is claimed, is the natural father indeed. So in case Delphine Boël is recognized as a natural daughter of King Albert, she will be the fifth heir to his fortune after his surviving spouse (whom has the right on at least half of the inheritance) and the three marital children.

[crm2317]

Does anybody even take the time to consider that this isn't about money for her? She has a right to be recognised by her biological father. Yes she has made it a bit of a circus but at the end of the day she strikes me as someone who has been deeply affected by the actions of her parents.


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[scooter]

^ I agree. It must be a real slap in the face to be repudiated by one's father as a young girl. I imagine it colored a lot of her life choices.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Princess Xenia

IF she is recognized as Albert's child, she will be entitled to 19% of his estate.

No, not 19%. Queen Paola has the right on the usufruct of the whole estate of her late husband. The legal reserves are: half for the surviving spouse and half for the children. Belgian Law says that when there are three or more children, at least 3/4 of the other half has to be divided by the children. The legal share for the spouse can be considerably higher, for an example when in the nuptial agreement special provisions have been made for a surviving spouse. These provisions made at the start of the communal life have precedence in the distribution of the inheritance. But okay, let us keep that out of our eyeview, then we have the standard situation:

50% for the surviving spouse
37,5% legal reserve in case of three or more children
12,5% free distribution by Testament

More in detail:

50% Paola
9,375% Philippe (in reserve - Paola holds the usufruct)
9,375% Astrid (in reserve - Paola holds the usufruct)
9,375% Laurent (in reserve - Paola holds the usufruct)
9,375% Delphine (in reserve - Paola holds the usufruct)
12,5% free for eventual distribution by Testament (in reserve - Paola holds the usufruct)

The person holding the usufruct can agree to free the reserve. This means Paola can say: "I want to keep the use of the Château de Bélvedère and everything in that house, I want to keep the use of the holiday estate in Italy, I want to enjoy the rents on the investment portfolio, the rest is free for distribution". Then a notary will make exact notice what has been already been "consumed" from the legal parts hold in reserve. It is very complicated. In theory Queen Paola can order the notary to free 9,375% of her late husband's inheritance, which is Delphine's reserve, by not claiming usufruct on it, so that she is "free" from that "annoying person" hanging above her like a dark cloud.

When Queen Paola dies, the usufruct ends and the reserves falls free for the heirs, Delphine then has the right on 9,375% of King Albert's estate (unless she has already "consumed" it before). Delphine is no child of Queen Paola, so in principle her three half-siblings will inherit the other half of their father's inheritance via their mother. Delphine will then get little or nothing as she is no descendant of Paola.

[Princess Xenia]

Originally Posted by crm2317

Does anybody even take the time to consider that this isn't about money for her? She has a right to be recognised by her biological father. Yes she has made it a bit of a circus but at the end of the day she strikes me as someone who has been deeply affected by the actions of her parents.

Of course she has that right, I thought since many posters here are mentioning that maybe one of the Delphine's motivations is money we better know how much she can inherit and what is the least requirement.

[smartgirl262]

I also agree