The love interest of King Albert II of Belgium made sure all eyes were on her by wearing a stunning pink and red pantsuit with a striking butterfly on the front and the word ‘love’ on the back.

Artist Princess Delphine, 53, formerly known as Delphine Boël, wore the enchanting candy and fuchsia striped outfit during the 2024 National Day celebrations at the Royal Palace in Brussels, Belgium.

This annual day commemorates the installation of Leopold I as the first King of the Belgians in 1831.

Delphine, 55, who teamed her tailored suit with a sleek matching wide-brimmed hat, a white clutch and chunky ivory platform heels, believes her blue-blood genes give her a strong claim to attending such parties.

It is believed to be the result of an 18-year affair between former monarch King Albert II, 89, who abdicated in 2013 in favour of his son King Philippe, 63, and Belgian aristocrat Sybille de Selys Longchamps, 82, which began in the 1960s.

It’s not the first time that Delphine has worn a – literally – statement outfit.

In January, she was spotted on Instagram wearing a scarf that read “Never Give Up,” just months after her government asked her to officially become part of the royal family.

The artist also posted a photo of herself holding up a €495 graffiti scarf with the words ‘when the system is corrupt’, ‘when the future looks f*****’ and ‘when the going gets tough’.

Delphine has had a difficult road to being recognized as the love child of her country’s former monarch.

Three years ago, she was officially named daughter of King Albert II of Belgium, but in 2023 she reportedly wrote a legal letter to the government asking to be invited to official events, like her half-siblings. Princess Astrid, 61, and Prince Laurent, 60.

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Delphine said her fight to be recognised as a member of the royal family was not about money or status, but to be treated with the same “respect” as her half-siblings, after the court officially recognised her as the love child of the former king of Belgium in October 2020.

For decades, the former king distanced himself from Princess Delphine and her mother to save his marriage.

After Princess Delphine was born in 1968, the king initially maintained frequent contact with his child and her mother. But when Delphine turned 16, the king began to distance himself.

In 2013, the same year that King Albert abdicated for health reasons and was succeeded by his son King Philippe, Princess Delphine made a legal attempt to be officially recognized as Albert’s daughter. She won this candidacy in October 2020.

Delphine is now entitled to bear the royal name de Saxe-Cobourg and is formally recognised as a member of the Belgian royal family, as are her two children, Princess Joséphine of Belgium, 19, and Prince Oscar of Belgium, 14, whom she shares with her partner James O’Hare.

The princess, who is an artist, told Tatler last year that it still hurts that her father rejected her when she was young, but she also said that she doesn’t hold anything against him and has no bad feelings towards him.

She argued that royal life was “isolating” and believed her father had been given bad advice at the time, but said: “You don’t just have a child and kick it away.”

Delphine has since attended royal duties and says her relationship with her father has been restored after years of bitterness.

In 2020, she met her brother, King Philippe of Belgium, one of the twenty Belgian royals to whom she is related. They posted a photo on Facebook, keeping their distance. They described it as a “warm meeting.”

When Princess Delphine received her royal title, she was also invited to the Belvédère Castle in Brussels, where she had an official meeting with her father and his wife Queen Paola.