The half-sister of King Philippe of Belgium is to appear on the country’s version of Strictly Come Dancing – a year after she was finally recognised as former king Albert II’s daughter following a lengthy legal battle.
Princess Delphine de Saxe-Cobourg Gotha, 52, formerly known as Delphine Boël, is thought to be the result of an 18-year affair between the former monarch, 86, and Belgian aristocrat Sybille de Selys Longchamps, 79, that began in the 1960s.
After being officially recognized by a court as her love child, the former Belgian king’s heir on October last year, Delphine stated that her struggle to be recognised in her role as a Royal was not about status or money.
However it has now been revealed she has signed up for Belgium’s Dancing with the Stars – with her appearance fee going to the charity, Make-a-Wish.
After a long legal battle, Princess Delphine de Saxe – Cobourg Gotha (52), was finally recognized as the former king Albert II daughter.
RoyalCentral informed the Belgian Palace of the latest news on Monday.
However officials described it as a ‘private’ initiative which they wouldn’t be commenting on it.
Delphine is set to be paired with Dutch professional dancer, Sander Bas.
She said that she only did a handful of dance moves at weddings, so it’s not certain if she’ll be lifting the silver trophy.
The dancing program will see Delphine paired up with Sander Bas, a professional Dutch dancer (pictured together).
Delphine first met King Philippe of Belgium last October. The pair had a warm meeting at Castle of Laeken.
While Delphine might be the first contestant, many other royals love the show.
The Duchess of Cornwall made a video cameo on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing finale, as she praised the show for ‘uplifting the nation’ during the Covid pandemic.
Camilla claims to be a huge fan of the show, and she even votes every week for her favorite dancing pair.
And in 2018, Sophie Wessex and Lady Louise were in the Strictly audience as a treat for the teenager’s 15th birthday, host Tess Daly has revealed.
Louise and Sophie are said to also be big fans of the program.
After a long legal battle, Delphine was finally recognized as the daughter of former King Albert II. (pictured).
RoyalCentral informed the Belgian Palace of the new information on Monday.
Delphine met her half-brother, King Philippe of Belgium for the first time last October, with the pair having a ‘warm meeting’ which took place at the Castle of Laeken.
It came after Delphine was recognised as former king Albert II’s daughter following a lengthy legal battle last year.
She explained to her that her father, a wealthy industrialist, and aristocrat Jacques Boel was’much wealther than the royals’.
Delphine revealed that she won’t be using the prefix ‘Her Royal Hness’, and said: “I just wanted the same thing as my brother or my sister.”
Matin Premiere in Belgium said she believed that it was her right to exist. It is not to exist with the royal family.
“My choice to seek legal help was the right decision. I believe today it was. The court system agreed with me and gave me the right of existence.
Delphine, speaking at that time, said she had last spoken to Albert 2001 and “expects no more”.
Tess Daly revealed the shocking truth that the three-year-old Strictly audiences were attended by Lady Louise and The Countess Of Wessex. It was a special treat to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Lady Louise’s birth.
Camilla, meanwhile, is a big fan of the program (pictured with Brendan Cole, a former Strictly professional at a charity tea dancing)
She stated that she tried for many years to resolve the issue behind the walls but was forced to speak out because of Albert’s denials.
According to her, her life was described as “a black sheep” before she went through the court process. She also said that her existence was “unpleasant but unlivable”.
Elle stated that she wants to return to her art and move on from her scandalous birth.
It isn’t [the child’s]They aren’t asking to be born because of fault,” she stated. “The child born from an affair other than marriage shouldn’t be treated differently.”
Delphine (pictured last year at a Brussels press conference, after her legal battle to become a princess) said it wasn’t about money and status that she was fighting to be recognized by the Royal Family.
The alleged affair between Albert II and Sybille de Selys Longchamps is believed to have begun in 1966 when Albert was not yet king but was married to Italian aristocrat and later queen Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria, whom he wed in 1959.
The couple split up for much of their first marriage. Rumours abound that she hated being in Belgium and found it too rainy.
Delphine was born 1968. The affair seems to have ended around 1984.
Albert’s children, Philippe who took the throne following Albert’s death, Princess Astrid, Prince Laurent, and Prince Laurent were all born between 1960 and 1962, respectively.
After the death of King Baudouin in heart failure, Albert took the throne.
Albert (left) confirmed in January 2020 that he was no longer contesting Delphine’s claim of paternity, after taking a DNA test (pictured right, her mother Sybille de Selys Longchamps)
Delphine, an aristocrat and artist in her own right, first stated in 1999 that Albert is her child.
This statement was shortly after an unofficial biography on Queen Paola published. It alluded at an affair between the King and Queen Paola that produced a baby.
Albert admitted that there were problems in their marriage during his Christmas speech. He referred to the ‘crisis” which almost ended his 30 year-old marriage, but said that he and his wife had ‘overcome those difficulties to reach a deep understanding of love.
Albert did not address the question of the child. The palace never confirmed or denied reports about the baby, but merely stated that this was a private matter.
Delphine, left, and her mother, 2000. This was Delphine’s first claim to being Albert’s loverchild. It happened after an informal biography of Queen Elizabeth claimed that Albert had an affair with a woman and had a child out of wedlock.
Ms Boel tried to lobby Albert for years, but was unsuccessful in getting him to recognize her real identity.
Delphine claimed that she stopped Delphine from opening bank accounts because of her identity. She had been asking Delphine for years about her identity. In 2013, Delphine went to court to establish her biological father, Albert.
Albert abdicated from ‘health reasons’ in the same year that the legal proceedings began. He passed the throne on to Philippe, Delphine’s half-brother.
After several setbacks early, Ms Boel made a breakthrough when in November 2013 a court ordered that Albert provide a DNA sample to be tested.
Failure to comply would result in a €5,000 fine for each day the sample was missing.
Albert was thought to have taken the DNA test soon after, which confirmed that he was the father.
Delphine Boel is now 52 and was photographed in Paris in 1999. She has been identified as Albert II’s unborn lovechild after a seven-year legal battle
His January 2020 statement confirmed that he no longer disputes paternity.
Delphine was recognized by the court as a member of the royal family. She became the 15th daughter to inherit Albert’s estate and is now on the line for the throne.
Last year, Delphine de Saxe Cobourg released a statement stating that she had taken notice of the judgement…which gives her complete satisfaction.
“Her other demands for the treatment to be done on the same level as her siblings and brothers have been also fulfilled.”
She is happy with the Court’s decision, as it ends an extremely painful process for her and her loved ones.
Although a legal win will not replace the father’s love, it will give you a sense of justice. This is reinforced by the knowledge that other children have been through similar experiences and will be able to overcome them.