Princess Elisabeth steps up public role during meetings with NATO and EU leaders
Princess Elisabeth accompanied her father, King Philippe, on Thursday during an audience with NATO secretary general Mark Rutte at the Palace of Laeken. On Tuesday, she had already met with senior EU officials, marking the next step in her preparation as King Philippe's successor.
The meeting with Rutte took place as part of the royal couple’s traditional New Year reception for NATO representatives. Rutte was first received by King Philippe and his eldest daughter in the King’s office, after which they joined the wider reception hosted by the King and Queen Mathilde.
The event brought together more than one hundred guests, including the permanent representatives and heads of mission to the North Atlantic Council, members of the International Secretariat, military representatives to NATO and senior officers from SHAPE. Several ambassadors were also present, alongside Belgian Foreign minister Maxime Prévot and Defence minister Theo Francken.
Earlier this week, Princess Elisabeth also attended an audience with the heads of the European Union’s three main institutions: European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, European Council president António Costa and European Parliament president Roberta Metsola.
Succeeding King Philippe
While the 24-year-old princess has previously taken part in meetings and discussions with international figures, including an audience with former US president Barack Obama in March 2024 and briefings with experts on the situation in Ukraine in 2022, the two audiences held this week mark her first formal meetings with senior political leaders currently in office.
The meetings represent the latest step in Princess Elisabeth's preparation to eventually succeed her father as Queen of Belgium. This process might have been accelerated by Princess Astrid's decision to step down as royal envoy for foreign trade missions, which Queen Mathilde has temporarily taken over.
Tradition dictates that the heir to the throne takes up this role. But Princess Elisabeth is due to return to the United States shortly to complete a two-year Master's degree in Public Management and Policy at Harvard University.
At some point after her studies, she is expected to become royal envoy, just as King Philippe did in 2003. He carried out that role for 10 years, until King Albert II announced his abdication in 2013. As the king is only 65 years old, it might take some time before Princess Elisabeth becomes Belgium's first ruling queen.
© BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM
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