Editing Albert II of Belgium (section)

=== Delphine Boël ===
In 1997, the Belgian satirical magazine ''Père Ubu'' reported that the Belgian sculptor [[Princess Delphine of Belgium|Delphine Boël]] (born 22 February 1968) was King Albert II's extramarital daughter.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Falter |first1=Rolf |title=Pigment over Delphine Boël en Albert II |url=https://www.tijd.be/opinie/commentaar/i-pigment-over-delphine-boel-en-albert-ii-i-voorheen-bekend-als-boel/1735288.html |work=De Tijd |date=19 May 2005}}</ref> It took some years for the Belgian mainstream media to report this news. According to [[Sybille de Selys Longchamps|Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps]], the mother of Delphine, she and Albert shared an 18-year-long relationship<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/20/world/europe/belgium-also-awaiting-possible-news-of-a-new-royal.html|title=Belgium Is Also Awaiting Possible News of a New Royal|last=Higgins|first=Andrew|date=19 July 2013|work=The New York Times|access-date=27 January 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> into which Delphine was born.

In June 2013, Boël summoned the then King and his two older children (the then Duke of Brabant and the Archduchess of Austria-Este) to appear in court. She hoped to use DNA tests to prove that she is the King's daughter. As the King enjoyed complete immunity under the law, Boël decided to summon his elder children as well.<ref name="Stroobants">{{cite news|title=En Belgique, la fille adultérine d'Albert II exige une reconnaissance officielle|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/europe/article/2013/06/17/en-belgique-la-fille-adulterine-d-albert-ii-exige-une-reconnaissance-officielle_3431584_3214.html|last=Stroobants|first=Jean-Pierre|newspaper=Le Monde|date=17 June 2013|access-date=23 June 2013}}</ref><ref name="Bacchi">{{cite web|title=Belgium: King Albert's 'Disowned Natural Daughter' Delphine Boel Seeks Recognition in Court |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/480189/20130618/belgium-king-albert-daughter-delphine-boel-sues.htm|last=Bacchi|first=Umberto|website=International Business Times|date=18 June 2013|access-date=23 June 2013}}</ref> The king abdicated the following month, in July 2013. After the King's abdication, Boël abandoned her first suit to introduce a second one only against the former King as he was no longer protected by immunity and the first claim would have been judged according to the situation at the time of the introduction of the claim.<ref>Le Vif, [http://www.levif.be/info/actualite/belgique/chacun-sait-que-le-roi-albert-est-le-pere-biologique-de-delphine-boel/article-4000363047644.htm "Chacun sait que le roi Albert est le père biologique de Delphine Boël"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215055408/http://www.levif.be/info/actualite/belgique/chacun-sait-que-le-roi-albert-est-le-pere-biologique-de-delphine-boel/article-4000363047644.htm |date=15 February 2014 }}</ref>

In March 2017, the Court ruled that her claim was unfounded, and her lawyers said she would take the claim to appeal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20170328_02804662|title=Delphine Boël vangt bot bij rechter: koning Albert II is niet haar wettelijke vader|last=mtm|website=Het Nieuwsblad|date=28 March 2017|access-date=3 August 2017}}</ref> On 25 October 2018, the Court of Appeal decided that Delphine Boël is not a descendant of Jacques Boël, and ordered King Albert to undergo DNA testing. His lawyer announced that he would seek further advice about a possible referral to Belgium's [[Court of Cassation (Belgium)|Cour de Cassation]] / [[Hof van Cassatie]].<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20181105_03907479|title= Advocaat Paleis: 'Niet zeker of koning Albert DNA-test zal ondergaan' |work=[[De Standaard]], datem 5 November 2018}}</ref> In 2019, the King's lawyer confirmed he would not provide a DNA sample in the case.<ref>{{cite news |title=Belgian ex-king Albert II refuses DNA test in love-child case |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47096017 |work=BBC News |date=February 2019 }}</ref>

On 29 May 2019, it was reported by CNN that Albert II had submitted a DNA sample after a Belgian court ruled on 16 May that he would be fined 5,000 euros for each day that he failed to do so, although he would continue to challenge the ruling, according to his attorney, {{ill|Alain Berenboom|fr}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/29/europe/former-belgian-king-submits-dna-in-paternity-case-scli-intl/index.html|title=Former Belgian king submits DNA sample in paternity case|work=CNN|date=29 May 2019|access-date=18 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2019/12/13/analysis-of-king-alberts-dna-may-be-used-as-evidence-in-delphine/|title=Analysis of King Albert's DNA may be used as evidence in Delphine Boël paternity case|date=13 December 2019|website=vrtnws.be|access-date=18 March 2023}}</ref> The results of these DNA samples were released on 27 January 2020 by Alain Berenboom, confirming [[Princess Delphine of Belgium|Delphine Boël]] as Albert II's daughter. Albert II confirmed this on 27 January 2020 in a press release.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2020/01/27/koning-albert-is-biologische-vader-van-delphine-boel/|title=DNA test confirms: King Albert is the biological father of Delphine Boël|date=27 January 2020|website=vrt.be|publisher=vrtnws}}</ref> "The king will treat all his children as equal," Berenboom said, according to VTM News. "King Albert now has four children."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/28/europe/belgian-king-daughter-intl-hnk-scli/index.html|title=DNA test forces former Belgian king to admit fathering a child in extramarital affair|first=Jessie|last=Yeung|date=28 January 2020|website=CNN|access-date=18 March 2023}}</ref>

While it was proven that Boël was his biological daughter, her legal status as a daughter was not recognized<ref>[https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2020/01/27/delphine-is-wel-degelijk-de-dochter-van-albert-ii-wordt-ze-nu-o/ Nu Delphine Boël wel degelijk de dochter van koning Albert II is: wordt ze prinses? En deelt ze in de erfenis?] Article in Dutch</ref><ref>but Albert stated he will not raise any objections about his legal paternity. A court will decide about this matter in the near future.[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/28/world/europe/belgium-king-albert-delphine-boel.html Ex-King of Belgium Acknowledges a Long-Dismissed Daughter]</ref> until a 1 October 2020 ruling of the Brussels Court of Appeal, which also recognized Boël as a princess of Belgium and granted her the new surname of [[Saxe-Coburg]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/01/delphine-boel-belgian-kings-daughter-wins-right-to-call-herself-princess|title=Delphine Boël: Belgian king's daughter wins right to call herself princess|first=Daniel|last=Boffey|date=1 October 2020|accessdate=18 March 2023|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>