Belgian King’s half sister to appear on Dancing With The Stars after lengthy paternity battle

This series will mark the third time pro dancer Sander has competed (Picture: Dancing With The Stars)

Princess Delphine of Saxe-Coburg, who recently proved that she is the daughter of the former King of Belgium, is to step into the spotlight by competing on the country’s version of Dancing With The Stars.

Last year, Delphine Boel officially became a princess following a seven-year legal battle, after the former King Albert spent years denying that he was her father.

The former monarch, who abdicated the throne in 2013, eventually decided to undergo a DNA test, following rumours about Albert’s relationship with Delphine’s mother, an aristocratic wife of a rich industrialist.

Delphine, who works as an artist, insisted at the time that she wanted to still be referred to as such, rather than as a royal.

It has now emerged that she is going to compete on Dancing With The Stars, the Belgian version of Strictly Come Dancing.

She has been paired with Dutch professional dancer Sander Bos, who previously competed on the show with Olympic gold medalist Elodie Ouedraogo and actor Ann Pira.

Princess Delphine and Sander’s hold is looking extremely graceful (Picture: Dancing With The Stars)

In promotional pictures released ahead of the new series, Sander and Delphine are captured posing in hold, the celebrity wearing flared jeans and orange heels as she gazes at the camera with Dancing With The Stars banners in the background.

Another photo sees Delphine reacting with surprise to something while Sander smiles at her, possibly as they find out the routines they’re going to be performing.

Delphine finally met her half-brother, King Philippe of Belgium, after the legal battle (Picture: Belgian Monarchy)

Former King Albert II, pictured here with Queen Paola, eventually agreed to take a paternity test (Picture: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

While a member of the British royal family has never participated in Strictly Come Dancing, the Duchess of Cornwall is an avid fan of the show, recording a special message for last year’s series.

In the surprise message, which aired in December last year, Camilla thanked the people who work on the programme for uplifting the nation during the pandemic.

‘I’d like, on behalf of everyone who watches Strictly to say an enormous thank you to everybody, everybody who’s been involved in this production in a particularly difficult year,’ she said.

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‘You have given everybody so much pleasure and you’ve uplifted the nation.’

A source reportedly told The Sun that it has been a ‘dream’ of Camilla’s ‘to appear on the series but royal protocol probably wouldn’t allow it’.

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