Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant (born 25 October 2001), is the

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

to the Belgian throne. The child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, she was elevated to the

duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

dom after her grandfather Albert II abdicated on 21 July 2013. Should she ascend to the throne as expected, she will be Belgium's first ever

queen regnant A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns ''suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigning ...

Birth

The first child of the then Duke and Duchess of Brabant, Philippe (now

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

) and Mathilde, Elisabeth was delivered by

Caesarean section Caesarean section, also known as C-section, cesarean, or caesarean delivery, is the Surgery, surgical procedure by which one or more babies are Childbirth, delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen. It is often performed because va ...

at 21:58 CET on 25 October 2001 at the Erasmus Hospital, the teaching hospital of the

Université libre de Bruxelles The (French language, French, ; lit. Free University of Brussels; abbreviated ULB) is a French-speaking research university in Brussels, Belgium. It has three campuses: the ''Solbosch'' campus (in the City of Brussels and Ixelles), the ''Plain ...

Anderlecht Anderlecht (; ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, B ...

, Brussels. She was

baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...

on 9 December 2001 in the

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

of Ciergnon Castle in the Belgian Ardennes, by the late Cardinal Danneels, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels. Her godparents are Archduke Amedeo of Austria-Este (paternal cousin), and

Countess Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Hélène d'Udekem d'Acoz (maternal aunt).

Education and military training

Elisabeth initially studied at St John Berchmans College in

Marollen The ( French, ) or ( Dutch, ) is a popular historic neighbourhood of downtown Brussels, Belgium. It is situated between the Palace of Justice to its south-east, the Church of Our Lady of the Chapel to its north and the Halle Gate to its so ...

, Brussels from September 2004 until August 2018. This marked a significant change in Belgian royal tradition, being the first time that a future Belgian monarch's education has begun in Dutch. Elisabeth graduated from primary school in July 2013 with a 95% average on her report card. She contributed to the St John Berchmans College's newspaper under the name "Elisabeth van België". From August 2018, Elisabeth continued her secondary education at UWC Atlantic College in Llantwit Major,

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

under the name "Elisabeth de Brabant", receiving her International Baccalaureate diploma in May 2020. Elisabeth attended the Yale Young Global Scholars Program at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

. She also attended an introductory course at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. In May 2020, the Belgian Royal Court announced that Elisabeth would undertake military training. On 31 August 2020, Elisabeth entered the Royal Military Academy in

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

, studying social and military sciences. Among the 160th promotion, she received her

blue beret A blue beret is a blue-colored beret used by various (usually special) military and other organizations. United Nations Peacekeeping, United Nations peacekeepers are often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue be ...

in September 2020 and completed her one-year military training on 9 July 2021. Whilst attending the military academy, Elisabeth renounced any money that cadets receive and only obtained a certificate that she has completed the first year of training. For the next two years, she attended the Royal Military Academy's annual three-week summer camps and other practical and theoretical military classes. She swore the officers' oath on 26 September 2023 being commissioned as a second lieutenant in three branches of the

Belgian Armed Forces The Belgian Armed Forces (; , ) are the combined national military forces of Belgium. The Monarchy of Belgium, King of the Belgians is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The Belgian Armed Forces was established after Belgium Belgian Rev ...

. Elisabeth had one of the highest grades among her promotion. Elisabeth went on to study history and politics at

Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College (formally, The College of the Blessed Mary and All Saints, Lincoln) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Lincoln was founded in 1427 by Richard Flemin ...

, in October 2021. She obtained her

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree with upper second class honours in July 2024. Elisabeth rowed for Lincoln College Boat Club in Torpids, an

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

race, in February 2023 under the name "Elisabeth de Saxe-Cobourg". In May 2024, the Belgian Royal Court announced that Elisabeth was admitted into

Harvard Kennedy School The John F. Kennedy School of Government, commonly referred to as Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), is the school of public policy of Harvard University, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard Kennedy School offers master's de ...

to study for a two-year master's degree in public policy. She was also selected for an Honorary Award from the

Fulbright program The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...

. Elisabeth began her studies at Harvard in September 2024. As she finished her first year, her ability to continue at Harvard was possibly jeopardised under the Trump administration ban on foreign students. Elisabeth speaks Dutch, French, German and English, and has also taken classes in Mandarin Chinese.

Public appearances and duties

Elisabeth's first public appearance was on 21 July 2006, when she accompanied her parents during the

Te Deum The ( or , ; from its incipit, ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to a date before AD 500, but perhaps with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin ...

for National Day celebrations at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. The following year, on 13 June 2007, Elisabeth and her parents attended the opening of a new Technopolis youth interactive at

Mechelen Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical context. T ...

. In February 2009, Elisabeth gave her name to a Belgian scientific polar research station. She and her father also recorded a video message to support Belgian scientists in Antarctica. In September 2011, Elisabeth gave her first public speech in Dutch at the opening of the Princess Elisabeth Children's Hospital, part of Ghent University Hospital. She gave her first self-written speech on 17 October 2014 during commemorations of the centenary of the outbreak of World War I at Nieuwpoort. Elisabeth read the prayer intentions at her great-aunt Queen Fabiola's funeral in December 2014. She christened the patrol vessel ''Pollux P902'' on 6 May 2015 in

Zeebrugge Zeebrugge (; from , meaning "Bruges-on-Sea"; , ) is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with ...

. In April 2019, Elisabeth joined her father King Philippe on a visit to the training center of the Brussels firefighters. She attended the funeral of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg in May 2019. In June 2019, Elisabeth and her mother traveled to Kenya on behalf of the United Nations Children's Fund and visited the Kakuma refugee camp. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, Elisabeth held conversations over the phone with elderly people in residential care centers in order to give them encouragement and support. On 21 July 2021, she joined fellow students of the Royal Military Academy of Belgium to parade during Belgian National Day. In March 2022, Elisabeth and her parents attended a roundtable discussion about the ramifications of the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

. On 12 May 2022, Elisabeth accompanied her aunt Princess Astrid on a visit to

St Hilda's College, Oxford St Hilda's College (full name = Principal and Council of St. Hilda's College, Oxford) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. The college is named after the Anglo-Saxon saint Hilda of Whitby and was founded in 1893 as a ...

. There, she and her aunt met St Hilda's Principal Professor Dame Sarah Springman and the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University Professor Dame Louise Richardson. On 17 June 2022, together with her mother Queen Mathilde, she was among the royal guests invited to the celebrations of the 18th birthday of Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway. Elisabeth carried her two first solo official engagements in the following week by christening the Belgian oceanographic research vessel RV ''Belgica'' and inaugurating

KU Leuven KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Founded in 1425, it is the oldest university in Belgium and the oldest university in the Low Countries. In addition to its mai ...

's Princess Elisabeth Additive Manufacturing Lab. In December 2022, Elisabeth and her brother Prince Emmanuel participated in the Warmathon in Brussels. In March 2023, Elisabeth and her mother Queen Mathilde traveled to Egypt, where they visited archaeological sites. On 5 May 2023, Elisabeth accompanied her father to a reception at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

the evening before the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom. In June 2023, she and her father attended the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa Al Saif. Elisabeth carried her first solo official trip abroad in October 2023 by attending Prince Christian of Denmark's 18th birthday celebration banquet at Christiansborg Palace, Denmark. In March 2024, she and her father King Philippe received the former U.S. President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

at the Castle of Laeken. In June 2024, Elisabeth and her siblings voted for the regional, federal and European elections. Elisabeth volunteers to help children with learning difficulties, the elderly, the homeless and disabled people.

Position

Ten years prior to Elisabeth's birth, a new 1991 amendment of the succession line was implemented which introduced

absolute primogeniture Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit all or most of their parent's estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relat ...

, defining her as the first in the line of succession since she is the eldest child. On 21 July 2013, once Elisabeth's father had sworn the oath of office as

( her grandfather having abdicated shortly before), she became

to the

throne A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign (or viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory ...

, receiving the title of Duchess of Brabant. Should she ascend as expected, Elisabeth shall become

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

's first female monarch.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Royal Monogram of Princess Elisabeth of Belgium

Titles and styles

Styled "Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth of Belgium" from birth, when her father acceded as

King of the Belgians The monarchy of Belgium is the Constitutional monarchy, constitutional and Inheritance, hereditary institution of the monarchical head of state of the Kingdom of Belgium. As a popular monarchy, the Belgian monarch uses the title king/quee ...

on 21 July 2013, she was accorded the

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...

of "Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant". As the heiress-apparent to the throne, Elisabeth's full title is "Princess Elisabeth de Saxe-Cobourg, Duchess of Brabant, Princess of Belgium". She is informally addressed by the media and general public as "Crown Princess Elisabeth".

Military ranks

;

Belgian Land Component The Land Component (, ), historically and commonly still referred to as the Belgian Army (, ), is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component i ...

* 25 September 2020 – 26 September 2023:

Officer Cadet Officer cadet is a rank held by military personnel during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by personnel of University Service Units such as the University Officers' Training Corps. Th ...

* 26 September 2023 – present: Second Lieutenant ; Air Force Ensign of Belgium

Belgian Air Component * 26 September 2023 – present: Second Lieutenant ; Naval Ensign of Belgium

Belgian Naval Component * 26 September 2023 – present: Second Lieutenant

Honours

* : Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (25 October 2019)

Honorific eponyms

Structures

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

: Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Station in Utsteinen Nunatak,

Queen Maud Land Queen Maud Land () is a roughly region of Antarctica Territorial claims in Antarctica, claimed by Norway as a dependent territory. It borders the claimed British Antarctic Territory 20th meridian west, 20° west, specifically the Caird Coast, ...

. * : Princess Elisabeth Children's Hospital, Ghent University Hospital in

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

East Flanders East Flanders ( ; ; ; ) is a Provinces of Belgium, province of Belgium. It borders (clockwise from the North) the Netherlands, Dutch province of Zeeland and the Belgian provinces of Antwerp (province), Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, Hainaut (provinc ...

. * : Princess Elisabeth Street in Malle,

Antwerp Province Antwerp Province (; ; ; ), between 1815 and 1830 known as Central Brabant ( , , ), is the northernmost Provinces of Belgium, province both of the Flemish Region, also called Flanders, and of Belgium. It borders on the North Brabant province of t ...

. * : Crown Princess Elisabeth Street in Boortmeerbeek,

Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant ( ; ) is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also ...

. * : Duchess of Brabant Square in Boortmeerbeek, Flemish Brabant. * : Princess Elisabeth Additive Manufacturing Lab,

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. Founded in 1425, it is the oldest university in Belgium and the oldest university in the Low Countries. In addition to its main camp ...

Leuven Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipalit ...

. * : Athénée Royal Princesse Elisabeth in Aywaille,

Liège Province Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is the easternmost province of the Wallonia region of Belgium. Liège Province is the only Belgian province that has borders with three countries. It borders (clockwise from the north) the Dutch province of Limburg, the ...

Geographic locations

* : Princess Elisabeth Island in the offshore of

Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...

West Flanders West Flanders is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the North Sea to the northwest. It has land borders with the Dutch province of Zeeland to the northeast, the Flemis ...

Species

* ''Microcostatus elisabethianus'', a species of

diatom A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma'') is any member of a large group comprising several Genus, genera of algae, specifically microalgae, found in the oceans, waterways and soils of the world. Living diatoms make up a significant portion of Earth's B ...

Arms

Footnotes

References

External links

Belgian Monarchy-Princess Elisabeth
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elisabeth Of Belgium, Princess 2001 births Living people 21st-century dukes of Brabant 21st-century Belgian women 21st-century Belgian people House of Belgium Princesses of Belgium Princesses of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Female heirs apparent People from Anderlecht Belgian people of Danish descent Belgian people of German descent Belgian people of Italian descent Belgian people of Polish descent Belgian people of Swedish descent Daughters of kings People educated at Atlantic College People educated at a United World College Royal Military Academy (Belgium) alumni Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford