Meet Princess Elisabeth, Belgium's Future Queen, Studying At Harvard

The academic halls of Harvard Kennedy School in Massachusetts welcomed a new face in 2024 - not just another high-achieving student but a future monarch.

Princess Elisabeth, who turned 23 on October 25, 2024, began a two-year master's programme in public policy last September. While she may not yet be a familiar name in the United States, she's a royal figure destined to shape history.

Hello USA ! ???? La Princesse Elisabeth a commencé son master en politiques publiques à la @Kennedy_School. ???? pic.twitter.com/NZWX5PlvgX

— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) September 18, 2024

To mark the beginning of her new academic journey last year, the Belgian Royal Palace had also shared photos of Princess Elisabeth on social media. The photos showed the princess embracing a laid-back student aesthetic in jeans and a sleeveless top - a world away from the formal attire usually associated with royal life.

As the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Princess Elisabeth holds the title of Duchess of Brabant and is next in line to the throne. When her time comes, she will become Belgium's first Queen regnant - a significant milestone in the country's royal history.

For now, Elisabeth is immersing herself in life as an international student far from home.

She earned her Bachelor's degree in History and Politics from Lincoln College, Oxford University, UK, in July 2024. Before that, in 2020, she completed her International Baccalaureate at UWC Atlantic College in Wales.

The Belgian royal family's website says that before beginning her two-year programme in Wales, the Princess studied at the Dutch-speaking Sint-Jan Berchmans college in Brussels. She also took part in the Yale Young Global Scholars Program at Yale University.

While her academic credentials are impressive, Elisabeth's resume is far from conventional. Before her university days, she spent a year at Belgium's Royal Military Academy - a move seen as part of her preparation for future royal duties. She is also a polyglot, fluent in four languages - Dutch, French, German and English.

Despite her studies abroad, Princess Elisabeth frequently returns to Belgium and stays actively engaged in public life, attending events alone or alongside His Majesty the King and her family.

According to the Belgian royal family's website, "She is sporty and likes skiing, rowing and sailing. She really enjoys walking and being in touch with nature."

Elisabeth was born in 2001 as the first child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. As the eldest of four siblings, she is the heir to the Belgian throne. According to reports, the Belgian law of succession was amended just a decade before her birth. Had she been born earlier, her younger brother Gabriel would have been next in line, according to the palace website.