King Philippe of Belgium met his half-sister, Princess Delphine, for the first time on Friday, 9 October 2020, at the Palace of Laeken.

The Belgian Royal Palace released the following statement on their official social media accounts on Thursday, 15 October.

‘On Friday 9 October, we met each other for the first time at the Palace of Laeken. It was a warm encounter. This long and rich discussion gave us the opportunity to learn to know each other. We talked about our respective lives and areas of shared interest. This bond will further develop within the family setting.’

Delphine Boël, the illegitimate daughter of former King Albert II and Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, was born 22 February 1968, during an 18-year relationship.

On Friday 9 October, we met each other for the first time at the Palace of Laeken. It was a warm encounter. This long and rich discussion gave us the opportunity to learn to know each other. We talked about our respective lives and areas of shared interest. This bond will further develop within the family setting.

King Philippe & Princess Delphine

King Albert had denied paternity but, according to reports, grudgingly admitted he was the father, after a lengthy court battle when DNA tests confirmed he was Delphine’s father.

Delphine and her children were granted the titles of Prince or Princess but they have no claim to the Belgian throne.

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Gezamenlijke boodschap van de Koning en Prinses Delphine: Op vrijdag 9 oktober hebben wij elkaar voor de eerste maal ontmoet in het Kasteel van Laken. Het was een warme ontmoeting. Dit uitgebreid en bijzonder gesprek gaf ons de gelegenheid om elkaar te leren kennen. We hebben gesproken over onze eigen levens en onze gemeenschappelijke interesses. Deze band zal zich verder in familieverband ontwikkelen. Filip & Delphine ————— Message commun du Roi et de la Princesse Delphine : Ce vendredi 9 octobre, nous nous sommes rencontrés pour la première fois au Château de Laeken. Notre rencontre fut chaleureuse. Nous avons eu l’occasion d’apprendre à nous connaître lors d’un long et riche échange qui nous a permis de parler de nos vies respectives et de nos centres d’intérêt communs. Ce lien va désormais se développer dans un cadre familial. Philippe & Delphine ————— Joint communication of the King and Princess Delphine: On Friday 9 October, we met each other for the first time at the Castle of Laken. It was a warm encounter. This long and rich discussion gave us the opportunity to learn to know each other. We talked about our respective lives and areas of shared interest. This bond will further develop within the family setting. Philippe & Delphine 📷 Koninklijk Paleis / Palais Royal

A post shared by Belgian Royal Palace (@belgianroyalpalace) on Oct 15, 2020 at 6:45am PDT

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