Best wishes are in order for Princess Eléonore of Belgium as she celebrates her 16th birthday on April 16.
The royal, who is the youngest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, was the picture of elegance in two new portraits released this week. Princess Eléonore opted for a pair of vibrant blue suit trousers for the occasion, which she paired with a simple white blouse and black court pumps. The sixteen-year-old wore her blonde hair in loose waves around her face for the occasion.
The portraits offer royal fans a chance to see Princess Eléonore of Belgium who, along with her siblings Princess Elisabeth, 22, Prince Gabriel, 20, and Prince Emmanuel, 18, tends to live a low-key lifestyle. Many confessed they were delighted to see the new snaps and commented on the royal family’s official Instagram post to offer their best wishes on the big day.
Little is known about Princess Eléonore, who is believed to attend school in Brussels, and occasionally joins her parents on royal engagements. In September she was seen with her mother on a rare-public outing to see the opera in Brussels. The mother-and-daughter duo were snapped attending ‘Cassandra’ the opera at La Monnaie Opera House, alongside its director Peter De Caluwe. In 2020, she and Queen Mathilde were seen visiting Kamiano, a restaurant for the homeless in Brussels, where they handed out food packages.
Aside from her studies and royal duties, Princess Eléonore is also known to be a keen violin player. In 2017, she surprised her father with a performance of Happy Birthday, with a clip later delighting royal fans on social media. She is also believed to love art and reading, as well as a number of sports – including cycling, swimming and skiing.
Princess Eléonore’s elder sister is Princess Elisabeth, the widely popular future queen of Belgium. Earlier this year, she took a moment away from her studies in Oxford in order to meet former US President, Barack Obama at the Castle of Laeken in Brussels.
Princess Elisabeth has proven herself to be something of an intellectual. She is currently reading History and Politics at Lincoln College, Oxford. Situated on the picturesque Turl Street, Lincoln is one of Oxford’s older colleges. With a small student population and a big library, it has become a discreet and studious enclave for the young princess.
Elisabeth’s preparations for queenship (she will become Belgium’s first female monarch when she ascends the throne) have taken her to some of the world’s most fascinating, historied and unique institutions. When it came to her schooling, she studied at the prestigious UWC Atlantic College in Wales, an international school with a difference which has become known as the ‘hippy Hogwarts’.
The Infanta Sophia of Spain is currently studying at the college, which is based in the 12th century St Donat’s Castle in Wales. At Lincoln College, Oxford, Elisabeth will now benefit from all the advantages of an Oxford education, including the beautiful, ancient surroundings of Oxford and world-class tuition.
