Delphine Boël, daughter of King Albert II

[Osipi]

From what I've been reading, the issue isn't money or being in the line of succession at all but to get the acknowledgement that she is Albert's daughter genetically.

Legally, she is the daughter of her mother's husband but to me, going through all the legal battles to proclaim another man as her father has to be a huge slap in the face to the man that raised her as his own.

As an adoptee myself, I can't think of anyone else as my father except for the man that raised me since I was three weeks old. Any man can be a sperm donor but not every man has the capability of being a father.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Osipi

[....]

Legally, she is the daughter of her mother's husband but to me, going through all the legal battles to proclaim another man as her father has to be a huge slap in the face to the man that raised her as his own.
[.....]

Jacques Boël seems a gentleman very attached to his privacy. That his name and reputation is publicly discussed by his daughter Delphine must have been disastrous for what was left from their limited parent-child relationship. (Delphine's mother divorced from Jacques Boël in 1978 and remarried a British gentleman, for 18 years Delphine and her mother lived in the United Kingdom).

As undetested daughter to Jonkheer (Écuyer) Jacques Pol Pascal Marie Ghislain Boël, his daughter Delphine Michèle Anne Marie Ghislaine Boël herself belongs to the Belgian aristocracy, with the predicate of Jonkvrouw (Dame). Had she lived a normal, calm life, she would have been one of the most privileged ladies in the whole of Belgium.

[Denville]

Originally Posted by Osipi

From what I've been reading, the issue isn't money or being in the line of succession at all but to get the acknowledgement that she is Albert's daughter genetically.

Le

As an adoptee myself, I can't think of anyone else as my father except for the man that raised me since I was three weeks old. Any man can be a sperm donor but not every man has the capability of being a father.

Well Im sure she's not wanting Albert to take her for ice cream, and what is the point of wanting recongition form someone who clearly doesnt want to be a father to her? If it has to be forced, its not worth much. So IMO its about money.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Denville

Well Im sure she's not wanting Albert to take her for ice cream, and what is the point of wanting recongition form someone who clearly doesnt want to be a father to her? If it has to be forced, its not worth much. So IMO its about money.

Her father Jonkheer Jacques Boël is immensely rich. If it was about money, Delphine better kept a good relationship with her father. Now the relationship has so strained that her father does everything (according Delphine herself) to prevent her inheriting one single cent from his fortune.

So it seems about recognition indeed. The starting point seems good but somewhere in the process a wrong track was taken and it derailed completely. Maybe the alleged father (then the reigning King Albert) was open for a sort of recognition in private but Delphine wanted a public recognition?

It seems especially Queen Paola is so mordicus against Delphine (and her "rivale", Sybille, Delphine's mother) that when her spouse seems to give in, she is the one keeping a stance as hard as granite. Never underestimated the wrath of a cheated Italian wife...

All these are just rumours I learned from Belgian media. No one can look behind the palace walls.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

No one can look behind the palace walls.

Oh really?Oh...for a sec i thought..oh well...

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Denville

Well Im sure she's not wanting Albert to take her for ice cream, and what is the point of wanting recongition form someone who clearly doesnt want to be a father to her? If it has to be forced, its not worth much. So IMO its about money.

Nobody seems to know for sure how much the Belgian Coburgs are really worth, as they appear to be more secretive about their personal finances than other royal families.

King Leopold II was presumably one of the richest men in Europe by virtue of being at the time the personal ruler of the Belgian Congo in central Africa. He spent part of his fortune in public buildings, castles, and parks/real estate all over Belgium and, towards the end of his life, transferred most of it to a public trust, the so-called Donation Royale, with a specific clause though that certain assets should be perpetually at the disposal of his future successors. Many of the Belgian royal residences such as the castles of Ciergnon, Belvédère and Stuyvenberg, as well as the park and greenhouses of the Castle of Laeken are part of the Donation Royale; the Castle of Laeken itself and the Royal Palace of Brussels are directly owned by the State though. In any case, none of those assets count as private property of the Royal Family, which can be sold or inherited. The Belgian royals have also over the years donated lots of personal items like art work, furniture and other decorative objects to the Royal Collection, which is also an independent public trust.

I suppose that, officially, Albert's only personal assets are the estate he owns in France, a yacht he once bought, and some office space in Brussels. I suppose he and/or Paola also own some jewelry they inherited or received as gifts from Albert's parents (e.g. Queen Elisabeth's art deco tiara), but that is pretty much it. In other words, Albert doesn't strike me as being personally a particularly wealthy individual like e.g. Queen Beatrix, Queen Elizabeth II, or even King Carl XVI Gustaf.

[Denville]

No but if Delphine has annoyed her legal father and he has done whatever is possible to cut her off (even if he can't totally disinherit her) she may well be keen on getting something. Being recognised by Albert as his natural daughter will likely help her if she is interested in a media career of some kind. And it may be pride as well, she's embarked on this fight, she has annoyed her legal father in the process and so she does not want to lose.

[Duc_et_Pair]

About the wealth of the Belgian royals: note that King Leopold II disinherited all his daughters, that he did spent gigantic fortunes on megalomane projects and maîtresses and what was left was given to the State of Belgium via the Donation Royale.

And important: the present Belgian royal family are no descendants at all of King Leopold II. After his death the throne went to his nephew Prince Albert. The present royal family descends from him and never any of his descendants seem to have enjoyed a mega-wealth. Leopold III, Charles, Marie-José, Joséphine-Charlotte, Baudouin, Albert, Alexander, Marie-Christine, Marie-Esmeralda... no, wealth is not something I associate with them. I think Delphine will find little as the wealth of Leopold III is completely fragmented under his six children.

[Lee-Z]

Delphine Boël gave an interview to dutch tv show "TV show", i expect the link will only be available for a few days, but in case anyone is interested:
TV Show kijk je op npo.nl
(her interview starts at about 30 min., the voiceover is in dutch, but the interview in english, so i think you'll get the gist quite well)

Not really anything new ("TV show" is a bit of a "nice interview" show, not one for groundbreaking revelations) but she does state her reason for continuing the courtcase to get a dna test of K.Albert is not about money or "being a princess", but about identity i.o.w knowing who her biological father is, for herself, her kids (and maybe later grandkids).
She also mentions that if she hadn't had children, she might not have pursued the issue as it's a very hard proces to go through.

In her artwork you can see that "truth" is an important motive for her at the moment.

[Marengo]

Thank you Lee-Z. I believe they interviewed Delphine a few years ago for this show too. It is the first time I see her husband being interviewed.

[Roslyn]

Lee-Z, thank you very much for linking that interview. I thought it was very interesting and informative, and I enjoyed "meeting" her in that way. I like her personality, and I understand why she's doing it now. I have always believed that she was doing it for the reasons she states, and it was good to hear her say it. I think that it's fairly clear from the messages in her artwork that this issue is not going to go away anytime soon.

[melina premiere]

King Albert II sumoned to court

https://www.rtbf.be/info/belgique/de...nal?id=9439521

[cdm]

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.en...News/1.2802689

Article in English

[maria-olivia]

This never happen in Belgium.
But the King will be represented by his Lawyers.

[melina premiere]

I think it is normal that the king will not be present but represented by his lawyers.
it never happen in Belgium and all may be happen now

[maria-olivia]

For the moment Delphine has no Father at all.
Jacques Boël ADN proving he was not the Father has not been officially confirmed by the Judge . We have to wait.............

[Osipi]

Whatever becomes of this court case, which I think is a total waste of time and money, there will be no changes and things will be as they were before all this started. The court may *prove* without a doubt that Albert fathered Delphine but she will still remain as Albert's illegitimate daughter. The courts cannot force Albert to have a father/daughter relationship with Delphine. This will also drive the final wedge between Mr. Boel who raised Delphine as his own and there will be no road back to what once was.

Win or lose in the courtroom, one thing is obvious to me. In the end, its Dephine that has lost out over what? Recognition that one man was a sperm donor that resulted in her birth.

[AristoCat]

Thing is, Delphine has lost so much already.

Even if she gets money as an inheritance, I am certain that she'll be alienated from Belgian society and her life will no longer be simple and uncomplicated. I am also certain that it won't make her into a legitimate princess or accepted by the RF like being invited to family holidays. She gains nothing from this, that much I am sure of.

Being a king's illegitimate child will not make her special or somehow better and I am sure that Albert fighting against recognizing her should send her a message she should heed. I am sure her legal father has been pained by all of this and I am certain that she's going to end up basically rejected on both sides.

[rominet09]

Originally Posted by AristoCat

Thing is, Delphine has lost so much already.

Even if she gets money as an inheritance, I am certain that she'll be alienated from Belgian society and her life will no longer be simple and uncomplicated. I am also certain that it won't make her into a legitimate princess or accepted by the RF like being invited to family holidays. She gains nothing from this, that much I am sure of.

Being a king's illegitimate child will not make her special or somehow better and I am sure that Albert fighting against recognizing her should send her a message she should heed. I am sure her legal father has been pained by all of this and I am certain that she's going to end up basically rejected on both sides.

How right you are.... all she possibly obtain is money when Al bert passes away......

[Osipi]

There probably will be no inheritance whatsoever when Albert passes. He is under absolutely no obligation to include her in his will even if he is proven to be the sperm donor that resulted in her birth.

For the rest of her life though, Delphine will be the one that alienated the man that raised her and was rejected by the man that fathered her. No matter what happens, Delphine comes out the loser in this.