June 23 marked an important milestone for Princess Eleonore of Belgium as she donned a tiara for the first time. Eleonore, 18, wore a diamond headpiece that was gifted to her by her parents, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, as she attended a state banquet at Laeken Castle in Brussels. Along with her sparkling tiara, the princess also made a statement in a blush-colored gown—and if the design looks familiar, it’s because Meghan Markle wore the same gown six years ago.

The $1,995 caped style by Safiyaa is crafted from a heavy crepe fabric and features a raised collar with a long train sweeping behind the gown. While Princess Eleonore chose a soft pink version of the dress, the Duchess of Sussex wore a scarlet red iteration while attending the Mountbatten Festival of Music in March 2020.

As for Princess Eleonore’s tiara, X user Benjamin Vaesen noted that it was sold at auction in 2019 and created by Belgian jeweler Coosemans.

Along with Princess Eleonore, the king and queen's other three children also attended the banquet to honor Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan's visit to Beligum. Prince Gabriel, 22, was dapper in a military uniform, while brother Prince Emmanuel, 20, wore white tie.

Heir to the throne Princess Elisabeth recently celebrated her graduation from Harvard University, and she looked stunning in a navy gown paired with the royal family's Brabant Laurel Wreath Tiara.

Meanwhile, Queen Mathilde paid tribute to her Japanese guests with a new bespoke Armani Prive Gown. The blush-hued dress featured an intricate embroidered design in the shape of Japanese fans, and she paired the gown with the dazzling Nine Provinces Tiara.

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Princess Elisabeth marked a major milestone on May 28 as she officially became a graduate of Harvard University. Her parents, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, made the trip from Belgium for the 24-year-old future queen’s celebrations—and Elisabeth borrowed a special accessory from her mom, Queen Mathilde, for an awards ceremony ahead of the graduation.

On May 27, Princess Elisabeth toted a burgundy Lady Dior bag previously carried by her mother as she attended the Harvard Kennedy School's class of 2026 awards event. The classic quilted bag, which was named after Princess Diana, coordinated with Elisabeth's Maje slingback heels and the red flowers in her maxi dress. The royal chose Maje's $690 white silk design, pairing it with red cluster earrings by Bamboleira, with the shade honoring the red of the Belgian flag.

The Queen of the Belgians tried out the butter yellow trend for the awards while also nodding to the Belgian flag, wearing a pastel dress with a ruched waist by one of her favorite designers, Natan Couture.

Queen Mathilde continued to embrace flag dressing at the official graduation ceremony on May 28, wearing an elegant red pencil dress as she posed for a photo in the audience with King Philippe.

Oxford graduate Elisabeth, who is the heir to Belgian throne, has a Bachelor’s degree in history and politics and went on to study public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. She tossed an inflatable globe in the air as she posed for pictures with her fellow Harvard classmates, wearing a drape around her neck with the red, yellow and black of the Belgian flag.

Before she takes on full-time royal duties, Elisabeth has some exciting plans in the works. The princess will be taking a gap year during which she'll embark on a sailing trip across the Atlantic Ocean—and perhaps she can take some tips from Princess Kate, who once worked a yacht deckhand.

Princess Elisabeth, 24, will be heading back to Boston soon as she finishes her two-year master's degree program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. But in the meantime, royal duties await.

Elisabeth, who is the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, joined her father to meet with European Union leaders on Tuesday, January 13. Wearing a long-sleeved navy dress by Giorgio Armani paired with pearl studs, sheer black tights and black pumps, the princess—also known as the Duchess of Brabant—experienced a taste of her future life as queen.

Meeting with Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot as well as European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Princess Elisabeth was able to use her public policy education into real-world practice.

Speaking to Hello!, Belgian journalist Wim Dehandschutter said that Elisabeth's appearance at the meeting "was not only symbolic but also educational."

"The princess closely follows international current affairs for her studies," he added. "The audience was a unique opportunity to combine theory and practice. Today, she was able to put what she learns in the Harvard classrooms to the test in reality."

She'll have another opportunity to practice her diplomacy when she attends a NATO event on January 15, with Dehandschutter adding that Elisabeth is "shifting her preparation" for the throne "into a higher gear, with a more political focus."

After graduation in May, Princess Elisabeth is expected to "take up her active role in the royal family," the Belgian royal expert said. The future queen will also turn 25 this fall, with Dehandschutter noting that it will hail "a symbolic age that marks her new status within the monarchy."

Royal Christmas cards don't always feature festive scenes like the elegant photos of Prince Albert, Princess Charlene and their twins around the Christmas tree each year. Prince William and Princess Kate, who have yet to release their card, often include a photo from their summer holidays, and the Belgian royal family followed the trend with their 2025 greeting.

The snapshot was taken outside the family's official residence in Brussels, the Royal Palace of Laeken, and features King Philippe and Queen Mathilde posing with their children Princess Elisabeth, 24, Prince Gabriel, 22, Prince Emmanuel, 20, and Princess Eléonore, 17, amid lush greenery.

Harvard student Princess Elisabeth, who is the heir to the Belgian throne, wore the same neon green chiffon dress she wore for this summer's National Day festivities as she posed with her family for their annual Christmas card. Elisabeth paired the flowy Natan dress, which features a matching caped top, with what appears to be the same dangling gold earrings she wore on National Day in July.

However, Princess Elisabeth ditched the padded gold headband she wore for the summer event and swapped out her gold sandals for a pair of nude pumps. Meanwhile, Queen Mathilde also chose a Natan dress she's worn previously, sporting a floral-print shirt dress in the photo.

Eléonore kept the repeat shirt dress theme going by wearing a white eyelet midi by Temptation Positano that she wore for the National Day concert in July, while the men of the family wore classic suits and solid color ties.

"✨ Christmas cards have been sent out! What do you think of this year's photo? 📸🎄" the royal family's Instagram account captioned a Reel showing a woman's hand opening an envelope containing this year's card.

As the heir apparent to the Belgian throne, Princess Elisabeth has a huge future ahead of her. On October 25, the Belgian Royal Palace's official Instagram account celebrated Princess Elisabeth's 24th birthday by posting a brand new portrait of the royal.

In a photo taken by photographer Bas Bogaerts, Princess Elisabeth can be seen looking off-camera while wearing a sleek, sleeveless royal blue dress. The princess accessorized her apt outfit with a pair of giant diamond earrings. For makeup, she paired a subtle pink lip with smokey silver eyeshadow.

The caption said, "Today Princess Elisabeth celebrates her birthday! She is blowing out 24 candles. Hip hip..."

Also known as the Duchess of Brabant, Elisabeth's parents are King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. She is the eldest of four siblings—her brothers and sister are Prince Gabriel, 22, Prince Emmanuel, 20, and Princess Eléonore, 17.

Although she will one day accede the throne, Princess Elisabeth is currently enrolled at Harvard University, where she is studying public policy on a two-year master's program. According to the Belgian Royal Family's official website, the princess "is multilingual and fluent in Dutch, French, German, and English."

She previously graduated from Oxford University with a degree in history and politics, and spent a year studying social and military sciences at the Royal Military Academy in Belgium.

When she's not studying or carrying out official royal engagements, Princess Elisabeth is a fan of "skiing, rowing, and sailing," and "also enjoys walking and being in touch with nature."

Alongside her extremely busy schedule, the princess "attaches great importance to her friends with whom she likes to meet up and travel." According to the Belgium Royal Family's official website, "She likes to read, as she finds it an important source of discovery and inspiration."

October 3 marked a big day in the royal world as Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg abdicated the throne in favor of his eldest son, the now-Grand Duke Guillame. Celebrations were held at the Grand Ducal Palace to honor Guillame and his wife, Grand Duchess Stéphanie, taking the throne, and two future European queens were among the glittering guests. Swapping elegant daywear for tiaras and gowns, both Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands and Princess Elisabeth of Belgium wore dresses that were reminiscent of Princess Kate's best evening gowns.

Princess Elisabeth, who is currently studying at Harvard, flew to Luxembourg to join her parents, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, at the historic event. Wearing a sculptural navy dress by her mother's favorite designer, Natan, Elisabeth looked every inch the future queen during the daytime ceremony—but she went into full sparkle mode for the evening gala.

The 23-year-old wore a silver Jenny Packham dress that brought back memories of one of Princess Kate's show-stopping gowns by the British designer. Wearing a silver version of the label's cap-sleeved Ernest gown, Elisabeth dazzled in sequins and the diamond tiara she received for her 18th birthday. Her new dress is similar to the pale pink and silver sequined Jenny Packham design the Princess of Wales has worn on several occasions after debuting it on the red carpet in 2011.

As for Princess Catharina-Amalia, she attended the abdication ceremony in a striking burgundy coat and coordinating Alex Perry dress. For the gala, she brought out all the stops, changing into an off-the-shoulder forest green ballgown by Monique Lhuillier. The long-sleeved design was covered in tiny sequins and featured a tulle skirt and sheer sleeves, and Amalia paired it with Queen Emma's diamond tiara.

The Princess of Wales once attended a dinner in Jamaica while wearing a similar green tulle ballgown, choosing the Jenny Packham design during her 2022 Caribbean tour with Prince William.

Grand Duchess Stéphanie, 41, showed off her own regal look at the dinner, wearing the same lilac gown with a sparkling bodice and caped detail that she wore earlier in the day. At one point during the abdication celebrations, she changed into a sleek white gown before swapping it out for her lilac look to celebrate at the evening gala.

The new grand duke and grand duchess are parents to Prince Charles, 5, and Prince François, 3, and brought their sons on the palace balcony to wave to the crowds gathered on abdication day. Little Charles is now next in line to the throne, and he showed off his sweet personality while interacting with his family at the palace.

Speaking to Paris Match about his abdication and plans for the future, Grand Duke Henri said he was looking forward to a new chapter with his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. "We are serene and both happy with this change of life," he said.

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium has been making headlines thanks to some dating rumors in recent days, but on Monday, September 29, the Belgian royal palace ignored the noise and released new photos of the princess. Elisabeth is studying for her master's degree in public policy at Harvard University, and it turns out her mom, Queen Mathilde, was able to pay a visit to the campus in Boston last week.

Dressed in a denim-on-denim look, the 23-year-old heir to the Belgian throne posed under a brick archway with Queen Mathilde, who stopped to visit Elisabeth en route to New York. Princess Elisabeth wore a relaxed ba&sh chambray top with a pair of loose jeans, adding chunky-soled black shoes and a pair of sunglasses on top of her head.

"🤩 A little detour through Boston, on the way to the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York...The Queen used her move to New York last week to visit Princess Elizabeth on the @harvard. campus 🤍👋," the palace captioned a carousel of photos.

Meanwhile, Queen Mathilde dressed in a simple beige top with a faded red blazer draped over her shoulders, wearing a pair of matching wide-legged trousers. Elisabeth wrapped one arm around her mom as they walked past a campus building, and in a third pic, they faced away from the camera as they chatted under a lantern.

Over the weekend, a photo of what appeared to be Princess Elisabeth posing with Prince Georg of Liechtenstein went viral on social media. While dating rumors began to spread, the Belgian royal house responded by telling Belgian royal reporter Wim Dehandschutter, "We saw the photo too. We don’t know if it’s real or AI. We aren’t commenting [on private matters]."

However, Liechtenstein's royal family shut down the rumors on September 29, stating, "The picture [with Belgian Crown Princess Elisabeth] does not depict His Royal Highness Prince Georg. It is a fake picture created by AI." But as the new pictures of Princess Elisabeth reveal, she's plenty busy at Harvard—prince or no prince.

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Princess Elisabeth of Belgium is not only the country's future queen, but she's a Harvard student, too. The 23-year-old princess is currently continuing her studies in Boston before she one day takes the throne, but rumors have been swirling that she might have found a love connection in the form of another European royal.

A photo of Elisabeth posing with Prince Georg of Liechtenstein has been making the rounds on social media, showing the princess in a white sundress with her arm around Georg. According to Belgian royal reporter Wim Dehandschutter on X, the Belgian palace told him on September 28, "We saw the photo too. We don’t know if it’s real or AI. We aren’t commenting [on private matters]."

Meanwhile, Elisabeth's brother, Prince Emmanuel, reportedly shared an Instagram post reading, "Respect privacy. Show empathy. It’s not that complicated!" On September 29, Dehandschutter shared a new update, posting that Georg's father's private secretary shared, "The picture [with Belgian Crown Princess Elisabeth] does not depict His Royal Highness Prince Georg. It is a fake picture created by AI."

The royal journalist previously told Hello! "King Philippe and certainly Queen Mathilde guard their privacy like lions, and even more so that of their children. And the Liechtensteiners are also legendary secretive. They're an unknown but prestigious royal family and one of the wealthiest."

He continued, "Why would Elisabeth and Georg have any interest in leaking their relationship? And then in such a clumsy way, via a private photo that's never completely private on Instagram?"

Prince Georg, 26, works in business development and is third in line to the throne as the third child of Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein. Even though the photo appears to have been faked, Dehandschutter told Hello! that Elisabeth and Georg would be "a wonderful royal match" if they were to date.

"Their parents are colleagues, friends, in some way family," he said. "Elisabeth and Georg are believed to have known each other since childhood."

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium is back home for the summer break from Harvard, and on Monday, July 21, she joined parents Queen Mathilde and King Philippe and her three siblings to celebrate the country's National Day. Although she kicked off the festivities in a neon green chiffon dress, the future queen of Belgium changed into three more outfits throughout the day—and she saved the most glamorous for last.

The Belgian royal family attended a service at St. Michael & St. Gudula Cathedral to mark the holiday, with Elisabeth choosing a caped dress from her mother's favorite designer, Natan, and an Atelier Anne Stoffels headband. She borrowed Queen Mathilde's clutch and earrings—a theme she carried on throughout the day.

The princess—who is a second lieutenant in the Belgian Army—then changed into her Army uniform for the military and civilian parade following the church ceremony.

But her outfit swaps weren't done just yet. For the National Day "Party in the Park" at Brussels Park, she wore a sleek denim shift dress by one of Princess Kate's favorite labels, Erdem, adding a friendship bracelet that read "Belgie" in the colors of Belgium's flag. Queen Mathilde's accessories once again made an appearance, with Elisabeth borrowing a pair of enamel Giorgio Armani hoop earrings from her mom.

And Elisabeth had one more outfit up her sleeve (or lack of), with the royal changing into a one-shouldered Victoria Beckham gown for a National Day concert.

The white silk dress featured a blue floral pattern and an asymmetric hem, and she paired it with classic pumps and—surprise—one of Queen Mathilde's clutches.

As both a Harvard student and the future queen of Belgium, it's evident that Princess Elisabeth has a lot going for her. But on Monday, July 21, the 23-year-old royal also upped her fashion game in one of her boldest outfits yet. Elisabeth wore a floaty, fluorescent green dress by her mom Queen Mathilde's go-to designer, Natan, as the family celebrated National Day—and the future monarch wasn't the only princess to get the green memo.

Princess Elisabeth wore a green chiffon dress by the Belgian fashion house, which is headed up by Édouard Vermeulen, who designed the queen's wedding dress. Along with the Belgians, royals throughout Sweden, the Netherlands and Luxembourg routinely wear Natan, making it a fitting choice for Elisabeth's National Day outfit.

The ankle-length dress featured a tiered skirt and a coordinating caped top, which flowed behind Princess Elisabeth in the breeze as she entered the Saint Michael and Saint Gudula Cathedral in Brussels on the arm of one of her younger brothers, Prince Emmanuel. She paired the bright dress with strappy gold heels and a coordinating headband by Anne Stoffels.

When it came to the rest of her accessories, Elisabeth borrowed from her mom's wardrobe—per Belgian outlet HLN—wearing a pair of the queen's dangling gold disc earrings by Hervé Van der Straete and a matching CH Carolina Herrera clutch.

As for Queen Mathilde, she also dressed in Natan, wearing a bespoke off-the-shoulder red lace dress and a coordinating hat by Fabienne Delvigne, per HLN. Meanwhile, little sister Princess Eleonore, 17, coordinated with Elisabeth in green, wearing an emerald-hued v-neck dress by Diane von Furstenberg and nude pumps.

Princess Elisabeth is back in Belgium after wrapping up her first year at Harvard, where she's studying for a two-year master's degree. However, a major hearing is taking place on National Day as to whether international students like Elisabeth will be able to attend Harvard on a visa following President Donald Trump's recent ban.

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle aren't the only royal style stars out there, and one up-and-coming princess on the fashion scene is Belgium's 23-year-old future queen, Princess Elisabeth.

The eldest child of Queen Mathilde and King Philippe—who celebrated her birthday on Friday, Oct. 25—has found the perfect mix of casual and formal looks for her busy schedule as she juggles royal events with studying for her master's degree in public policy at Harvard.

The future queen of the Belgians has led quite the accomplished life so far, graduating from the University of Cambridge in July and also having completed a yearlong course at the Royal Military Academy in Belgium.

From laid-back outfits like cargo pants and sweater vests to elegant caped gowns, Elisabeth has shown that dressing like a princess means you can rock both camo and couture. Below, we're taking a look at five of her recent best style moments.

Royal wedding glam

The Belgian princess made a bold statement in a caped fuchsia gown by Essentiel Antwerp at the wedding of Jordan's Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah and Princess Rajwa in 2023.

For the occasion, Elisabeth—who was joined by the likes of Princess Kate and Prince William and a number of other European royals—chose a flowing bright pink dress with caped detail, adding matching pumps and a coordinating clutch. She later delivered even more glamour by changing into a stunning blue beaded gown and diamond tiara for the reception.

Keeping it casual

In June 2020, the princess joined her family for a visit to the Bokrijk park and open-air museum in Genk, Belgium, and she showed off a summer ensemble that was both sporty and polished.

Elisabeth went for a high street look for the occasion, wearing olive green skinny cargo pants by H&M with a white scalloped sleeveless crop top by royal go-to Zara. She teamed the outfit with classic white sneakers and gold hoop earrings as she biked through the park with Queen Mathilde, King Philippe and her siblings.

Royal student

Elisabeth showed off some classic American style as she started her two-year program at Harvard in September 2024. The future queen looked like any college student as she posed in front of a campus building (and an American flag for good measure) while wearing wide-legged Tommy Hilfiger jeans with a sleeveless brown top.

The princess, who wore her hair down in casual waves, gave her look an extra touch of casual cool with green suede Adidas sneakers and a gold Maje necklace displaying her astrological sign, Scorpio. While her exact jeans are no longer available, this Tommy Hilfiger pair below will give you a similar look.

Regal in red

Like many royals, Princess Elisabeth showed sartorial diplomacy while choosing her outfit for Belgium's National Day in 2022, wearing a bold red dress that represented one of the colors of her country's flag.

She sported a scarlet-hued Victoria Beckham dress with cold shoulder detail for the occasion, pairing it with a custom red headband by Emily London that would look right at home on Princess Kate's head. She finished off her look with dangling gold statement earrings and nude pumps, borrowing one of her mom's favorite gold clutches for a little touch of queenly glamour.

Birthday energy

For her 23rd birthday, Elisabeth stepped out in a very Missoni-like style by Princess Kate-approved brand Ba&Sh. She rocked the look as she strolled along a leaf-covered Boston street in an Instagram post from the Belgian royal palace that read, "Princess Elisabeth is 23 springs young today! Thanks (from the US) for all the birthday wishes!"

In the photos, she wore a colorful short-sleeve wrap top in shades of sapphire blue, brown, black and white stripes, pairing it with a matching midi skirt with a slit up the front. She finished off her modern princess birthday look with black knee-high boots, gold hoops and a long pendant necklace.

The halls of Harvard University have seen plenty of prominent students, but one particular Harvard woman is poised to make history as the first female monarch of Belgium. Princess Elisabeth—who turned 23 on Friday, Oct. 25—started a two-year master's program in public policy in September, and although she's not particularly well-known in the United States, this is one royal to keep your eye on.

Elisabeth, known as the Duchess of Brabant, was born in 2001 and is the first child of Queen Mathilde and King Philippe, making her the heir to the throne. She's the eldest of four siblings including Prince Gabriel, 21, Prince Emmanuel, 19, and Princess Eléonore, 16.

Interestingly, the Belgian law of succession was changed just 10 years before she was born, per the palace's website, so if the princess had been alive prior to 1991, younger brother Gabriel would have become the heir to the throne.

Elisabeth is just as comfortable in camo as she is in a ballgown, having completed a year at the Royal Military Academy. She took part in hands-on training, learning to fire weapons and navigate challenging obstacle courses alongside her fellow cadets. Prince Gabriel has also joined his sister during the academy's summer camps.

Per the Belgian royal family's website, the sporty princess "enjoys, among other things, skiing, rowing and sailing" and is a fan of "walking and being in touch with nature." She also plays the piano and loves to read, considering books "an important source of discovery and inspiration."

Elisabeth is also accomplished in languages, having delivered her first public speech "in Dutch, French and German to commemorate the First World War" at the ripe old age of 12, per the Belgian palace. As the future monarch, she's been carrying out official royal engagements since she was just 9 years old, when she opened a children's hospital named after her.

As for her education, Princess Elisabeth received her bachelor's degree in history and politics from Oxford University in July 2024 before moving on to Harvard. She's also attended the Yale Young Global Scholars Program, so she's no stranger to attending an elite college.

The future queen is also committed to charity. Per the palace, Elisabeth puts a particular focus on supporting "school dropouts, the elderly, people with disabilities and the homeless."

Princess Elisabeth is part of an increasingly female future for European monarchies; along with Belgium, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway currently all have female heirs to the throne. Bring on the queen era.

Princess Elisabeth, also known as the Duchess of Brabant, recently celebrated her 23rd birthday. The Princess is the heir apparent to the Belgian throne and it seems she may be drawing inspiration from Kate Middleton when it comes to her style choices.

The official Belgian royal palace Instagram account shared a post dedicated to Princess Elisabeth's 23rd birthday. In the photos, the Princess could be seen wearing black suede boots with a coordinated midi skirt and wrap vest set from Parisian brand Ba&sh. She accessorized the outfit with gold hoop earrings, and she wore her hair in loose curls.

The caption read, "Princess Elisabeth celebrates her 23rd spring today! Thank you (from the USA) for the birthday wishes!"

Princess Elisabeth enrolled at Harvard University in Boston in September, where she is studying for a Masters in Public Policy, via Tatler. Prior to moving to the U.S., Elisabeth completed a degree in History and Politics at Lincoln College, Oxford University.

As the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, the 23-year-old Princess Elisabeth is next in line for the throne. She was raised alongside three siblings—Prince Gabriel, 20, Prince Emmanuel, 18, and Princess Eleonore, 15.

In March 2023, Elisabeth gave her first ever interview during an official royal visit to Egypt, as reported by Belga News Agency. Elisabeth commended the work being carried out at the Dayr-al-Barsha by archaeologists from Leuven University, and paid tribute to her family members.

"They are both inspirational figures for me," Elisabeth said of her mother, Queen Mathilde, and her great-great-grandmother, Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, who died in 1965. "I admire Queen Elisabeth very much. She was adventurous and had a passion for Egypt, but also for music. She was also socially committed. Gladly, I might want to be like her in the future."

She continued, "But I also hope to learn from my mom. She is energetic, dynamic, and passionate about listening to people and highlighting their job."

From Princess Madeleine of Sweden in Florida to Prince Joachim of Denmark in Washington, D.C. to the former Princess Mako of Japan (now, after marriage, Mako Komuro) in New York City to Princess Martha Louise of Norway and, perhaps most famously, Prince Harry of the United Kingdom in California—the United States may not have a royal family, but it has hodgepodged together one from royals around the world.

And the U.S. is about to become home to another European royal—and an heir to the throne, to boot. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium is moving stateside to attend Harvard University, where the 22-year-old will enroll in a master’s program this summer, People reports.

“After having recently successfully completed the admission tests, Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, will begin a master’s degree in public policy this summer at Harvard University (Harvard Kennedy School) in Boston,” the Palace said in a statement, per translation. “The two-year course will complete her university education following her bachelor’s degree in History and Politics at the University of Oxford (Lincoln College). The Princess was also selected for an Honorary Award from the Fulbright program, the international exchange program in the field of education of the United States Department of State.”

The update from the Palace was shared alongside one of Elisabeth’s glamorous birthday portraits, released on the eve of her 22nd birthday last October. “Like many young modern heirs, Princess Elisabeth has focused on her education and occasionally dipped her toes into official duties by shadowing her parents,” People reports. “In March, she joined her dad [King Philippe] at the Castle of Laeken to receive a special guest—former U.S. President Barack Obama.” (Himself a Harvard grad, by the way, specifically Harvard Law School.) Attending school in the U.S. is a chip off the old block, as Philippe too pursued his master’s degree in the U.S.—he studied for two years at Stanford, where he earned a master’s in political science.

Elisabeth also holds an International Baccalaureate from the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales—a popular choice for teens from several royal families—and trained at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels, where she took an officer’s oath last September. 

Though there are currently no female monarchs globally after the death of Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom in September 2022 and the abdication of Queen Margrethe of Denmark this past January, the lack of women on the throne will one day end—in addition to Belgium, the future is female across many European countries, as future monarchs of Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, and Norway will all be led by a woman.

With Queen Margrethe of Denmark’s shocking announcement on New Year’s Eve that she is abdicating the throne after 52 years on January 14, the world will suddenly be without a queen regnant (a queen born to the throne, not a consort that married into the family). Much like her third cousin Queen Elizabeth, Margrethe was the longest-reigning monarch in her country, and her loss to both Denmark and the global royal stratosphere is profound.

So, yes, royal families around the world may be helmed by a boy’s club right now, but that won’t last. Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway all have heir apparents that are women—so, when it comes to the global royal landscape, the future is very, very female. Long may she reign!

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden

Though Crown Princess Victoria, 46, is the eldest of King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia’s three children, after her brother Prince Carl Philip was born in 1979, she was bumped down behind him in the line of succession because he is male—until Sweden changed its constitution so that birth order determined the line of succession regardless of gender. This change was effective January 1, 1980, once again making Victoria the heir apparent after seven months as No. 2. (Most of the women here will be on the throne thanks to absolute primogeniture, just like what happened in Sweden.) When Victoria takes the throne, she will be Sweden’s fourth queen regnant and its first since 1720. Of these group of future queen regnants, Victoria is so far the only one that is a wife and mother; she married Daniel Westling in 2010, and they have two children.

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium

Princess Elisabeth, 22, is the eldest of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde’s four children and became Duchess of Brabant and heir to the throne in 2013 after her grandfather King Albert abdicated. After taking part in her first royal engagement at just five years old in 2006, she gave her first public speech (in Dutch) in 2011, when she was nine. She undertook military training for her future role as queen, and in August 2020 entered the Royal Military Academy in Brussels, studying social and military sciences. She swore the officers’ oath in September 2023, being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Belgian Army. She reads history and politics at Lincoln College, Oxford, and has rowed crew under the name “Elisabeth de Saxe-Cobourg.” She speaks Dutch, French, German, and English, has taken classes in Mandarin Chinese, and holds children with learning difficulties, the elderly, the homeless, and the disabled as causes close to her heart.

Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands

Princess Catharina-Amalia, 20, became first in line to the throne when her father, King Willem-Alexander, ascended in 2013—when she was just nine years old. The eldest of Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima’s three daughters, Catharina-Amalia is the first Princess of Orange in her own right (Prince or Princess of Orange is the title given to the heir to the throne in the Netherlands). She made headlines in June 2021 when she announced her refusal to accept her €1.6m annual income, as it made her uncomfortable that she hadn’t yet done anything to earn it. (Respect.) She’s currently studying politics, psychology, law, and economics at the University of Amsterdam and, in addition to speaking Dutch, English, and Spanish, has taken classes in Mandarin Chinese.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

After Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s birth in 2004, the already popular Norwegian royal family experienced a surge in popularity, likely because Ingrid, 19, will one day become the country’s second female monarch—and its first since the fifteenth century. Ingrid is the eldest child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the grandchild of King Harald, who is currently on the throne. She has a younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, whom she ranks above in the line of succession thanks to the implementation of absolute primogeniture in Norway in 1990. This year, she is expected to undertake military training for 12 months at the Engineer Battalion in Brigade Nord.

Princess Leonor of Spain

Princess Leonor, 18—the eldest of two daughters born to King Felipe and Queen Letizia—became first in line to the throne following the abdication of her grandfather, King Juan Carlos, in 2014, when she was eight years old. Since then, Leonor has taken part in a bevy of firsts: her first public engagement in 2018, when she was 12; her first public speech on her thirteenth birthday that same year; her first public solo engagement in 2021; and her first international trip without her parents in 2022. This past September, Leonor took the heir’s oath, officially declaring her as next in line to the throne and during which she swore allegiance to the Spanish constitution. Known as the Princess of Asturias, last August Leonor joined the General Military Academy to start her three-year military education and is currently an officer cadet in the General Spanish Military Academy. She is fluent in Spanish and English, has studied Mandarin Chinese, and, when she ascends to the throne, she will be Spain’s first queen regnant since the mid-1800s.