Albert II, the former king of Belgium, is facing a daily fine of $5,600 until he undergoes a paternity test to determine whether he is the father of Delphine Boel, the daughter of Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, with whom he allegedly had an affair in the 1960s, as per a new order issued by a Belgian court on 16 May.
As the newspaper notes, Delphine Boel launched the legal battle to prove that Albert is her father about six years ago, and if she succeeds, “she could take the name Delphine Van België and, by royal decree, the title of princess”, as well as become entitled to one-eighth of the former king’s estate.
While the judge stated that the process could not be delayed, the results of the DNA test won’t be revealed until the Belgian court of cassation makes a decision “regarding the original ruling”, with said decision not being expected “before the end of the year”, the newspaper points out.
The BBC also notes that while the former monarch denies the paternity claim, his lawyer, Guy Hiernaux, said he believes that Albert would "submit to this test, since he has the guarantee that it will remain confidential".
