Princess reveals exciting plans to leave home for next chapter

Princess Eléonore of Belgium, the youngest of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde's four children, has revealed that she will head to the Netherlands this autumn to begin her university education.

The 18-year-old princess is set to enrol at University College Utrecht, where she will study Liberal Arts & Sciences from September.

Her choice marks a notably different academic direction from those pursued by her three elder siblings, each of whom has carved out a distinctively unique educational trajectory.

It also arrives just weeks after the young princess reached another significant personal milestone: her tiara debut in June, when she attended a state banquet honouring Japan's visit at the Royal Castle of Laeken in Brussels.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

She wore a striking diamond tiara by the Belgian jeweller Cooseman, understood to have been a gift from her parents for her 18th birthday.

Her upcoming programme in Utrecht spans three years and offers a distinctly interdisciplinary structure.

Rather than following a fixed syllabus, Eléonore will have the opportunity to create a bespoke curriculum, drawing from modules across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

Upon completion, she will graduate with either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science, depending on the academic specialisation she chooses.

In contrast, Princess Elisabeth, the 24-year-old heir apparent, secured her undergraduate degree in history and politics from Oxford before completing a two-year master's in public policy at Harvard's Kennedy School, graduating in May.

Prince Gabriel, now 22, opted for a military career. After undertaking a preparatory year at the National Mathematics & Science College in England, he graduated from Belgium's Royal Military Academy and studied geopolitics at France's prestigious Saint-Cyr military school in Coëtquidan.

LATEST ROYAL NEWS

• Royal Collection Trust net income drops by almost 75% in one year as visitors and sales plummet
• William and Harry's cousin celebrates marriage to childhood sweetheart in lavish Portugal ceremony
• William and Catherine reflect on 'special summer' days after Meghan shares glimpse of family holiday

Prince Emmanuel, 20, chose a commercial focus, studying business at the International School of Brussels before finishing his secondary education in 2024.

The four siblings have thus collectively spanned Oxford, Harvard, military academies, and now a Dutch liberal arts college — a remarkably varied set of choices for a single royal household.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have been visibly supportive of all four children's pursuits, recently travelling to Boston for Elisabeth's graduation.

Asked last year whether he might one day abdicate in favour of his eldest daughter, the King offered a measured response.

"A King steps back but is not retired," he said, according to a translation shared by Hola. "I must give my daughter time to enjoy her youth, develop herself and see the world. I support her 100 per cent in that."

It comes just days after King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were joined by Elisabeth and Gabriel for Isabel of Habsburg-Lorraine's marriage to Carlos Gaytán de Ayala at the Jesuit Church in Vienna.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter