The beloved child of Belgium’s King Albert II has hit back at critics who say her “art is merely decorative” by posting a bizarre self-portrait sculpture without underwear on Instagram.
Artist Princess Delphine (formerly Delphine Boel) also revealed in a post this week that being in the spotlight makes her feel “weak” and claimed she has been “used to stir up political trouble in Belgium”.
Delphine, 55, has been in a relationship for 18 years with the former king, 89, who abdicated in 2013 for his son King Philippe, 63, and Belgian aristocrat Sybil de Celys Longchamp, 82. It is believed to be the result of an affair. 1960s.
She was legally named the daughter of King Albert II of Belgium three years ago, after first claiming to be the Belgian king’s child in 1999.
The princess shared on Instagram a “life-sized self-portrait sculpture” of herself handcuffed to two regional flags, wearing no underwear on her pink body but instead only a colorful striped T-shirt.
She explains that the work, titled Taboo in Chains, was “inspired by a life-changing experience of mine in 1999,” when “the knowledge of my existence became political.” “I quickly realized that it was being used specifically for anti-royalist and internal Belgian political struggles.” . ”
In her post, Delphine wrote, “I enjoyed reading an art critic the other day who claimed that my art was just decorative and had no depth, story, or meaning.” I disagree.
“My art is full of statement, emotion, and humanity. It’s amazing how art critics get paid without knowing anything about the artist. They’re just doing political exploitation. Just there.
“For example, one of my works from 2006 is called “Taboo in Chains.” It was inspired by a life-changing experience that happened in 1999. I was in the press from one day to the next.
“I soon realized that the knowledge of my existence was being used politically, especially in anti-royalist and internal Belgian political struggles.
“I knew it because both sides of the news media in this country were writing different things about me and my situation. And it still happens.
“So I created this life-sized self-portrait sculpture,” she explained. “I am kneeling on a target painted in the colors of the Belgian flag. I have no underwear. This shows how vulnerable I am and how I have felt all these years. It represents.
“I am handcuffed to the flag of Wallonia and Flanders because I felt, and still feel, used to stirring up political troubles in Belgium.” He is wearing a colorful jumper. This represents my art that keeps me strong.
“To this day, I have chosen the theme of love as a way to express my gratitude for the positive evolution in my life and to share through art a message to hold on to hope and never give up.” I am creating artwork that looks like this. Up.
Delphine this week snapped herself holding up a €495 graffiti-style ‘Never Give Up’ scarf with the phrases ‘When the system is broken’, ‘When the future is shit’ and ‘Then’ Also posted. The situation becomes difficult. ”
Last year, she reportedly wrote a legal letter to the government to be invited to official events like her half-brother. Princess Astrid (61 years old) and Prince Laurent (60 years old).
Delphine said her fight to be recognized as a royal was not about money or status, after a court officially recognized her as the beloved child of Belgium’s former king in October 2020.
Her lawyer, Marc Uittendale, then wrote a letter to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, insisting that she be invited to state affairs and treated with the same respect as Astrid and Laurent, the Times reported.
“My client has been concerned for months about her role in official events,” the lawyer wrote, explaining that the princess was only invited to a few occasions.
He added: “But even there she is treated differently than her brother and sister.” It’s simply a matter of respect. ”
The lawyer went on to note that the brothers’ annual allowance exceeds €260,000 and said they were not interested in donations.
However, the prime minister insisted that Delphine was a private citizen and that the royal family had official duties at these events.
“The people who are invited to these events are people who have a public role in our country, and some members of the royal family also have a public role,” he said. Princess Delphine doesn’t have that. ”
For decades, the former king estranged himself from Princess Delphine and her mother in order to save his marriage.
After Princess Delphine was born in 1968, the King initially maintained frequent contact with the child and her mother. However, when Delphine reached her 16th birthday, the king began to distance himself from her.
In 2013, the same year King Albert abdicated the throne for health reasons and was succeeded by his son King Philippe, Princess Delphine launched a legal bid to be officially recognized as King Albert’s daughter. Won in October 2020.
Currently, Delphine has the right to use the royal name de Saxe-Cobourg, and her two children, Princess Josephine of Belgium (19 years old) and Prince Oscar of Belgium (14 years old), are also officially members of the Belgian royal family. is recognized. Her partner is James O’Hare.
Speaking to Mr Tatler last year, the artist revealed that she still hurt from being rejected by her father as a child, but added that she did not blame him or harbor any ill will towards her.
She claimed that royal life was “isolating” and believed her father was receiving bad advice at the time. But she said: She said, “You can’t just give birth to a child and kick it.”
Reflecting on her seven-year legal battle, Delphine said her lawsuit was not about money or status, but about “principles.”
Currently, Delphine attends royal functions and says that her relationship with her father has been repaired after many years of bitterness.
When she filed her lawsuit in 2013, she told Belgian radio show Matin Premiere: “I feel like I have a right to exist. Not to exist in the royal family, but to exist as me.
“My decision to seek help through the law feels today that it was the right thing to do…The justice system said I was right and I have a right to life.”
Since the lawsuit was resolved, Princess Delphine has gradually integrated into the Belgian royal family.
In 2020, she met her brother King Philippe, one of 20 related Belgian royals, and posted a socially distanced photo on Facebook, describing it as a “warm encounter”. described.
When she was given her royal title, Princess Delphine was also invited to Belvedere Castle in Brussels, where she held an official meeting with her father and his wife Queen Paola.