Happily ever after? Belgian king meets secret daughter after decades of refusing to recognise her

Belgium’s newest princess has met the country's retired king for the first time since winning her long-running fight to be recognised as his daughter.

Albert II refused to admit that Delphine Boël was his secret lovechild for 20 years and only after losing a seven-year court battle that forced him to take a DNA test.

On October 1, a court ruled that the 52-year-old artist - who was partly raised in Britain and has an American husband - could take her father's name and call herself a princess.

The palace released a photograph of Princess Delphine de Saxe-Cobourg, sitting smiling alongside Albert II and his wife, Queen Paola, in their Brussels residence of Castle Belvédère on Sunday.

“A new chapter opened, full of emotion, understanding and, also, hope," they said in a joint statement that offered the prospect of a happy ending to the Royal soap opera.

"After the tumult, the wounds and the suffering, comes the time of forgiveness, healing and reconciliation [...] These first steps pave the peaceful course which it is now up to us to pursue."