A former car salesman has been formally recognised as a Belgian prince after a DNA test confirmed that he was a descendant of royalty.

Clément Vandenkerckhove, 26, grew up without a father, not knowing that he was the son of Prince Laurent, the brother of the nation’s king.

Now his father has officially recognised him as his son in a ceremony that took place around six months ago, according to Soir Mag in details that have only recently emerged.

His birth was the product of a high-profile relationship between Prince Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe, and Flemish model turned singer Iris Vandenkerckhove, better known by stage name Wendy Van Wanten.

The couple first met at a fashion show in Paris in the 1990s, before Prince Laurent went on to marry Claire Coombs in 2003. Mr Vandenkerckhov was born in August 2000.

The ceremony means that he now has the right to use a royal title, as well as a share of his father’s inheritance, The Times reports, but he will not receive a royal allowance and will not join the line of succession.

Mr Vandenkerckhove was featured in a Flemish TV documentary last September, after he was publicly acknowledged by his father. He was told by his mother at the age of 16 that he was the son of the prince, but was sworn to secrecy.

In that documentary, he spoke about the DNA test that confirmed he was the prince’s son. “We went to the hospital together, and I remember him saying, ‘I’ll go first so you’re feeling at ease,’” he told VTM.

He said there was then a 99.5 per cent DNA match.

In an interview with Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad, Mr Vandenkerckhove said he was not sure if he would take on the royal name of van Saksen-Coburg.

He said: “I am proud of the name Vandenkerck­hove. Sacrificing that surname would be a betrayal to everything my mother did for me.”

Speaking to Nieuwsblad, he mentioned that he felt anxious as a child due to the question about his parentage. He explained: “My whole childhood I struggled with the question, ‘Who is my father?’ When I knew, the secrecy weighed heavily on me. Imagine: you know who your father is, but you aren’t allowed to tell anyone.

“After school, I became a car salesman. I liked that job and did it well. But panic attacks were destroying me.”

Now that he has a relationship with his biological father, he feels less anxious, he said, but is not interested in any financial benefits.

“What matters most to me right now is that I am a son who is allowed to get to know his father,” he said.