The former king of Belgium Albert II has made a public admission about fathering a lovechild Delphine Boël. The king admitted having a daughter out of an affair after scuffling with her in a long legal battle that may have lasted years.

Delphine Boël, 51, has been fighting the case with the former king, 85, for many years in order to prove that he is her biological father. In the wake of this, Albert II was forced to take a DNA test the results of which came out to be positive.

The ex-king's lawyer Alain Berenboom released a statement on Monday evening in which he had admitted putting an end to the lengthy legal battle.

"His Majesty King Albert II has taken note of the results of the DNA test in which he cooperated at the request of the Brussels court of appeal. The scientific conclusions show that he is the biological father of Mrs. Delphine Boël," as quoted by The Guardian.

"Even though there are arguments and legal objections to justify that legal paternity does not necessarily mean biological paternity and that the procedure used seems to him disputable, King Albert has decided not to use those arguments and to end with honour and dignity this painful procedure," the statement continues.

As per the report, following Albert's admission, Boël is now eligible for one-eighth of her father's estate along with her siblings King Philippe Prince Laurent and Princess Astrid of Belgium.

It is said that Boël has been involved in the case for 20 years. Earlier, however, her appeals were rejected. The king reportedly has been a part of her early childhood and even received a nickname Pappilon. The rumours about the king having a lovechild first emerged in public in 1999 through an unauthorised biography about his wife, according to BBC. Meanwhile, Boël made her first alleged on-the-record claim in an interview in 2005.

Belgian royals
Photo-shoot of the Belgian Royal Family's visit to the Belgian Comic Strip Center Laurie Dieffembacq/AFP/Getty Images

It is said that the king had an affair with Boël's mother Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps between 1966 and 1984 when he was still Prince Albert of Liege. In 1993, he was enthroned after the sudden death of his brother. However, he abdicated the throne under mysterious circumstances citing ill-health in 2013.