Royal Princess' bold move sparks hope for Meghan Markle and family

A royal Princess's bold decison may encourage Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle's life forever.

Princess Delphine of Belgium has finally forgiven her father, the former King Albert II, with whom she was at loggerheads for over five decades due to his refusal to acknowledge her royal status.

The Duchess of Sussex may take a leaf out of the European Princess's book. Meghan has opportunity to heal the rift with her estranged dad, whose dying wish is to see her and Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet amid a health crisis.

Delphine, 57, was born from Albert's extramarital relationship. The Eurpean royal revealed the trurth in an interview with the country's broadcaster that was filmed half a decade ago but only made public this week.

The Princess, once known as Delphine Boël, secured legal recognition as a member of the Belgian Royal Family in 2020 after years long court battles

Alber, 91, left the throne in 2013 as a constitutional crisis mounted over his continued refusal to submit to DNA testing in his daughter's legal proceedings.

However, after her courtroom triumph, father and daughter met briefly and issued a joint statement describing a "long and rich discussion."

In her interview, Delphine reflected on her journey towards understanding her parents' decisions.

"Has the wound completely disappeared? No. A wound like that never completely disappears and becomes a scar," she responded to the question.

She went on to explain: "I don't think he was surrounded by good people."

Despite duaghter-father's sttlement, tensions with the wider royal family persist as Delphine previously slammed he institution as "cruel" for its decision to bar her from attending the King's Day celebrations at St Michael & St Gudula Cathedral in Brussels.

Who's Princess Delphine's mother?

Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, who is now 84 years old, is Delphine's mother. She was reportedly in relationship with Albert II.

For years, the princess and her mother maintained a close bond with Albert, but this changed dramatically in 1984 when he chose to distance himself from them in order to protect his marriage.

In 1993, Albert became the monarch. His role further complicated any prospect of reconciliation with his daughter from his past affair.

Delphine's pursuit of recognition through the courts spanned decades before finally concluding successfully in 2020, granting her the right to bear the Saxe-Coburg surname and official status within the Belgian royal household.