For Belgium’s royals 2023 will be a year of significant birthdays and anniversaries. On 20 January Queen Mathilde turns 50, while in July King Filip will mark a decade on the throne. His son, Prince Gabriel turns 20 in August, while in October, Prince Laurent, the king’s younger brother and often seen as the enfant terrible of the royal house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, will celebrate his sixtieth. It remains to be seen whether Crown Princess Elisabeth will continue to feature on the list of most eligible singles produced by Tatler magazine.
To mark her fiftieth the Queen of the Belgians decided on walks and cycle trips with people and organisations that are close to her heart. This already happened last year.
Crown Princess Elisabeth is in her second year at Lincoln College at Oxford University in England where she is reading history and politics. The crown princess is expected in Belgium for the holidays and especially the national holiday on 21 July.
Little is known about the crown princess’s private life that even seems to have remained a secret for the UK’s tabloid press. Two years ago innocent photos emerged showing the crown princess chatting with fellow students in the short skirt of her school uniform. It’s been reported that at the time action was taken to prevent the dissemination of unposed snaps and to shield the Belgian royal’s private life better.
It remains to be seen how long agreements reached in this regard will survive. The princess now features on the most eligible singles’ list of Tatler magazine. In the international press she is lauded for her unblemished track record and stunning dress sense.