Delphine Boël, daughter of King Albert II

[SLV]

Is it known why Jaques Boël suddenly decided to disinherit her?

Yes, I was wondering about that too.

 

[xenobia]

I searched the net, and might have found part of the answer here: Delphine Boël : qui est la fille cachée du roi des Belges ? - Terrafemina

A translated quote from the article: The legal father of Delphine, Jacques Boel, is also cited to appear today. Heir of a family of industrialists, he chose to disinherit Delphine since she claims her descent from the royal family.

If her legal father has taken steps to disinherit her, and also doesn't recognize her as his daughter anymore, that might explain why she now - after so many years - has taken the step to ask for DNA confirmation that she really is Alberts daughter. Legally, it seems like she's fatherless these days.

 

[Marengo]

I don't know all the ins & outs of the story of course, but I believe that until far in her teenage years Albert spend more time with her and her mother than with his own family. So he was very much the father figure for her and the contact with Jacques Boël was limited - he divorced her mother in 1978. I recently read a book (biography of Philippe I think) where it was said that just before the reconsiliation of Albert & Paola, king Baudouin was very close to finally allowing a divorce. Sybille de Selys Longchamps, Delphine and Albert were supposed to move to England. But in the end the royal couple reconsiled due to their new-found religious values (in which princess Astrid apparently played a role).I do think that Delphine is for a large part driven by revenge and anger. Though in the interviews on tv that I saw with her she always seemed a very nice, clever woman. The relationship with his other children also is disturbed, esp. with Philippe and Laurent.

It is only recently been public knowledge that Delphine was disinherited by Jacques Boël. But that doesn't mean that he did so recenlty. Delphine told the story to the press in January after Le Soir wrote an article naming her the heir of the Boël 760 million euros. She wanted to correct that and said that her adoptive father took all the steps he could to disinherit her. She suspected that the reason was that he found her cry for attention and the constant association of the name of his family with such a scandal around the monarchy. When this happened is unclear, but possibly at a much earlier date, she started her media tour after the publication of Danneels' biography on Queen Paola.

According to legal experts in various Belgian newspapers, Jacques Boël may have put his money in special constructions, donations etc. but still legally nobody can disinherit their children, so Delphine can still go to court and ask for 50% of his fortune after his death.

Kathy Pauwels, VTM royalty expert also suspects that she wants tro safeguard her future and thinks that Boël also want to point out that Laurent is not Albert's biological son by not asking him for his DNA. I believe that the earliest marriage troubles between Albert and Paola date from after Laurent's birth though and not before that, though there have always been rumours about it.

As much as I disliked prince Bernhard of The Netherlands, at least he did spend some time with his extra marital children and let them have their share of his fortune after he died.

 

[maria-olivia]

Yesterday Evening : Final Violin Concert for the 3 Winners. The King was there but I saw it was difficult for him to stand up.
To days first page of Newspapers this morning in Belgium , first news on Radios and everybody agrees for one thing : THE KING MAY ABSOLUTELY NOT ABDICATE !

 

[xenobia]

I don't think the king needs to abdicate. I just think he needs to do the right thing and recognize Delphine as his daughter. Just get it over with and move on. If he had recognized her 15 years ago (when this first became public knowledge), I think that lots of sadness and anger on both sides could have been avoided.

 

[Zonk]

This reminds me of a post, I saw on another website about Father's Day. It says:

Sending lots of love and light to those of you whose Dads are no longer with you, and those of you who never had the Dad you deserved.


-----------------------

As always I am amazed by the people who thing she should get over it. You get over getting a speeding ticket not getting into your choice of college or not getting into the job you wanted.

This is her alleged father, who refuses to acknowledge her. I don't think its easy to get over that. You don't get over the abandonment issues.

Yes, she was lucky enough to have a father figure in her life. That should have been enough but for many its not. We don't even know what type of relationship she had with the man.

I don't necessarily agree with her recent actions, but again when you are frustrated I think you do things our normally wouldn't do.

 

[maria-olivia]

General Question in Belgium :
Why did Delphine this now as the Abdication of the King was planned in a few months and if she had waited until then the ex King was vulnerable.

I agree totally with Xenobia's thread. Sad Story ...

 

[Princess Xenia]

I feel sorry for Delphine. It's really sad not to be recognized by your own father. But Delphine must accept the fact that her biological father could not simply recognize her due to various reasons.
I also feel sorry for Paola and Astrid. I think they are very very humiliated.
And it's seems that she is looking for the inheritance. Because there is No way that The king and Delphine will have a father- daughter relationship.

 

[rominet09]

In Belgium you are not allowed to totally desinherit your daughter or son. A part of it is reserved to them.

 

[Princess Xenia]

Why do some think that Laurent is not the king's child? I have found some resemble between them and I don't think that the king and queen problems started right after Astrid's birth.
I think Delphine wanted to some how thank Laurent for not turning his back on her during these years by not summoning him to court. Not because she thought he is not the king's child.

 

[Marchesina]

I feel sorry for Delphine. It's really sad not to be recognized by your own father. But Delphine must accept the fact that her biological father could not simply recognize her due to various reasons.
I also feel sorry for Paola and Astrid. I think they are very very humiliated.
And it's seems that she is looking for the inheritance. Because there is No way that The king and Delphine will have a father- daughter relationship.

she definitely looks like she's looking for money or a title.
I can understand Delphine for wanting to clear up the all thing once and for all, there's still a really noticeable anger for the fact that the King never wanted to establish a proper father/daughter relationship with her.
but at the same time I can understand the position took by the King and his children (apart from Laurent). I mean, if I knew my father had a daughter with another woman I'm not sure I'd run to her and start a brotherly relationship with her, because every time I look at her, I'd remember my father cheated on my mother, no matter my parents reconciled or how old we are now

 

[Al_bina]

I feel sorry for Delphine. It's really sad not to be recognized by your own father. But Delphine must accept the fact that her biological father could not simply recognize her due to various reasons.
I also feel sorry for Paola and Astrid. I think they are very very humiliated.
And it's seems that she is looking for the inheritance. Because there is No way that The king and Delphine will have a father- daughter relationship.

I am not sure what you mean by inheritance, but Ms. Boel has her own funds. As noted by maria olivia,

Mr Boel is one of the richest Man in Belgium . Delphine is not missing money at all.

 

[Princess Xenia]

True. Jacques Boël is a rich man , but he decided to disinherit Delphine and no one can say he did something terribly wrong. While disinheriting in a child completely can't be done in Belgium! Delphine doesn't count herself as her legal father's fortune heiress.
If she is recognized as the king's daughter she will be entitled to 19% of his estate.

 

[Al_bina]

Well, I was unaware of the fact that Ms. Boel was left out the will. Why did Mr. Boel disinherit Ms. Boel? Is she planning to take the King Albert to court and fight to get her share? Could such thing be done? Could King Albert leave her a symbolic sum to get rid of her?

 

[GracieGiraffe]

Delphine might not be a perfect human being, but she is the innocent here. Albert submitting to the DNA test is the right thing to do. Albert and Paola's marriage and life were a mess of their own making. Time for everyone to grow up and agree to sort this out once and for all.

 

[Princess Xenia]

Well, I was unaware of the fact that Ms. Boel was left out the will. Why did Mr. Boel disinherit Ms. Boel? Is she planning to take the King Albert to court and fight to get her share? Could such thing be done? Could King Albert leave her a symbolic sum to get rid of her?

As mentioned above by xenobia, because of her claim to be descended of the royal family.
To answer your second question I don't know. First we have to see if she is going to be recognized and how . Then I think that the king can't deny her , her shares if he recognizes her.

 

[MAfan]

Well, I was unaware of the fact that Ms. Boel was left out the will. Why did Mr. Boel disinherit Ms. Boel?

As far as I have understood, he disinherited Delphine because of her continue claims to be the King's daughter. A sort of "if you think that you aren't my daughter, I won't treat you as my daughter and thus I won't leave you anything". Quite an understandable reaction, IMHO.

 

[Blue_]

I don't know all the ins & outs of the story of course, but I believe that until far in her teenage years Albert spend more time with her and her mother than with his own family. So he was very much the father figure for her and the contact with Jacques Boël was limited - he divorced her mother in 1978. I recently read a book (biography of Philippe I think) where it was said that just before the reconsiliation of Albert & Paola, king Baudouin was very close to finally allowing a divorce. Sybille de Selys Longchamps, Delphine and Albert were supposed to move to England. But in the end the royal couple reconsiled due to their new-found religious values (in which princess Astrid apparently played a role).I do think that Delphine is for a large part driven by revenge and anger. Though in the interviews on tv that I saw with her she always seemed a very nice, clever woman. The relationship with his other children also is disturbed, esp. with Philippe and Laurent.

That's all told by Sybille and Delphine, there's no proof that those stories are correct. I believe there's a part a of truth, but you cannot be sure.

Why is Delhine asking for a test NOW? Why not years before? Because she wants money (while claiming for recognition she's claiming for 1/4 of King Alberts fortune)? Because she needs attention from the press (if she wasn't the presumed daughter of the king she wouldn't be famous, let's be honest)?
It must be horrible to have a biological father that won't recognize you but yet she has/had a legal father and she humiliates him all the time. It's painful, it's sad, but is this the answer to the problems? Bringing people down? Is that mature? And then again why Philippe and Astrid and not Laurent? Because of the rumors saying Laurent is not Albert's child? I'm maybe really naïve and I suppose it's because they're acquaintances, but if it is to humiliate Albert even more, then she's the one to blame for her maturity.

 

[Al_bina]

As far as I have understood, he disinherited Delphine because of her continue claims to be the King's daughter. A sort of "if you think that you aren't my daughter, I won't treat you as my daughter and thus I won't leave you anything". Quite an understandable reaction, IMHO.

The situation is ugly for all the parties involved. I wonder what Ms. Boel is going to do once the parentage saga is concluded. Crown Prince Phillipe and Princess Astrid are unlikely to maintain any relationship with her. Hopefully everything will be settled without grave consequences for the Crown Princely family.

 

[rominet09]

Hopefully everything will be settled with grave consequences for the Crown Princely family. What do you mean ? "Hopefully" ? Haven't you forgotten one word ?
__________________

 

[maria-olivia]

Al bina , the situation is ugly since the beginning. The baby was announced and Baron Boel personal friend of Albert then Prince de Liege accepted to marry Baroness Sybille and gave his name to the Child to come. Baroness Sybille divorced of course and went to England and nobody knew that Delphine Boel was in fact Prince Albert's daughter.
If King Baudouin did not passed away so early , Prince Albert should have perhaps divorced Paola ?
and if if..
For the Belgian Law a Father or a Mother may not disinherited their Child.
Delphine went to Court for love or for money this is the question now.
Personally I don't think Delphine will have what she wanted but what a story and again this eternal question is Prince Laurent the King's Son ? To me yes .
But although I may not judge my King , He should have recognized Delphine as his natural Child from the beginning the story was known (1999 Prince Philippe's engagement).

 

[kimlan]

Have she requested for DNA test?

 

[Al_bina]

Hopefully everything will be settled with grave consequences for the Crown Princely family. What do you mean ? "Hopefully" ? Haven't you forgotten one word ?

Thanks for catching my mistake!
I have rectified the mistake and added out to the word "with".

 

[COUNTESS]

DNA all around will end the nasty speculation. It is a pity things in the past come back to haunt. Albert should be a man to say, yes, possibly. He and Paola have made a good marriage, subsequently and so who are we to judge. And poor Laurent. It is an ugly story, but not new.

 

[Al_bina]

Have she requested for DNA test?

Yes, Ms. Boel requested DNA test and Crown Prince Phillipe and Princess Astrid got their court summons. As far as I have understood, Ms. Boel can not summon King Albert to get a DNA sample.

 

[COUNTESS]

That won't matter, if she matches her siblings. If they are her siblings. It is cruel on both sides. A terrible time for the king a long time ago. A young woman who cannot claim her heritage. It is very sad.

 

[NGalitzine]

It would be funny if the test was done (although how can you compel a person to prove they are a sibling) and it turned out Albert II was not her biological father. She would have lots of questions for mother dear then.

 

[MissByrd]

I wonder if a person can be compelled to provide a DNA sample in a civil matter.

 

[COUNTESS]

Good question. In the U.S. in a paternity suit, I believe, and I could be wrong, they can demand it.

 

[leidi]

As far as I have understood, he disinherited Delphine because of her continue claims to be the King's daughter. A sort of "if you think that you aren't my daughter, I won't treat you as my daughter and thus I won't leave you anything". Quite an understandable reaction, IMHO.

I agree with this.

Still, what a complete mess and Delphine's timing is very wrong. How long has DNA test been available? more than 10 years, right? so she could have done it at any time but chose to do it when she was left out of her legal father's will