Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant
| Elisabeth | |||||
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| Duchess of Brabant | |||||
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| Born |
25 October 2001 Erasmus Hospital, Anderlecht, Belgium | ||||
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| House | Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | ||||
| Father | Philippe of Belgium | ||||
| Mother | Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | ||||
Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant (French: Élisabeth Thérèse Marie Hélène; Dutch: Elisabeth Theresia Maria Helena; born 25 October 2001), is the heir apparent to the Belgian throne. The eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, she acquired her position and ducal title after her grandfather King Albert II abdicated in favour of her father on 21 July 2013.[1]
Birth and baptism
The first child of the then Duke and Duchess of Brabant, Elisabeth was delivered by caesarian section at 9:58 pm at the Hôpital Erasme (Erasmus Hospital) in Anderlecht, Brussels. She was baptized on 9 December 2001 in the chapel of Ciergnon Castle in the Belgian Ardennes, by Cardinal Godfried Danneels, the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels. Her godparents are Archduke Amedeo of Austria-Este (paternal cousin), and Countess Hélène d'Udekem d'Acoz (maternal aunt).
She has two younger brothers, Prince Gabriel and Prince Emmanuel, and a younger sister, Princess Eléonore.
Position
Ten years prior to Elisabeth's birth, a new act of succession was put into effect which introduced absolute primogeniture, meaning that Elisabeth comes first in the line of succession because she is the eldest child. If she ascends the throne as expected, she will be Belgium's first queen regnant. Besides, she is one of only six women in the world to be expected to become queen regnant. The others are Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden; Princess Estelle of Sweden (2nd in line after her mother Victoria); Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, The Princess of Orange; Leonor, Princess of Asturias, Crown Princess of Spain; and Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (2nd in line after her father). All other monarchies have male heirs.
Education and royal duties
Princess Elisabeth is currently a student at Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege in the Marollen district of Brussels, which was attended previously by her older cousins, the children of her paternal aunt, the Archduchess of Austria-Este. This is a significant change in the habits of the royal family, as it is the first time that a future Belgian monarch's education has begun in Dutch. Elisabeth also attends dance classes conducted in Dutch at the Municipal Music Academy in Asse, in Flemish Brabant.
The princess attended her first official royal duty in 2006 when she was present at the Te Deum in honour of Belgian National Day. In 2007, she accompanied her father to the opening of Technopolis, a science museum.[2][3] She also attended the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition and the presentation at the Royal Palace of a model of the Belgian Antarctic station which bears her name, Princess Elisabeth Antarctica.[4]
She was a bridesmaid to her maternal aunts Elisabeth married to Margrave Alfonso Pallavicini in 2006[5] and Hélène (also godmother) married to Baron Nicolas Janssen in 2011.[6] In 2014, she was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her cousin and godfather, Prince Amedeo.[7] She speaks Dutch, French and German.[8]
Duchess of Brabant
On 21 July 2013, once her father had taken the oath of office as King of the Belgians (his father, King Albert II, having abdicated shortly before), Princess Elisabeth became heir apparent to the throne and as such bears the title of Duchess of Brabant.[9]
In October 2014, Elisabeth gave a speech in honour of the First World War commemoration.
On 6 May 2015, Elisabeth made a speech before christening a ship Pollux.
Styles and titles
- 25 October 2001 – 21 July 2013: Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth of Belgium
- 21 July 2013 – present: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Brabant
Coat of arms
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Ancestry
| Ancestors of Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant |
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References
- ↑ Belgium's King Albert II gives up throne to son
- ↑ Princess Elisabeth of Belgium enjoys herself at science museum at The Insider
- ↑ Elisabeth does a Bob the Builder at science museum
- ↑ Belgian Antarctic Research Station – Princess Elisabeth Station: – First zero emission station
- ↑ "Elisabeth en Gabriel bruidskinderen". Royalblog. July 2006.
- ↑ "Mariage de la comtesse Hélène d'Udekem d'Acoz et du baron Nicolas Janssen". Noblesse&Royautes. 12 June 2011.
- ↑ "Belgium's Prince Amedeo marries Elisabetta Rosboch von Wolkenstein in Rome". Hello Magazine. 6 July 2014.
- ↑ "Remarquable: la princesse Elisabeth s'exprime parfaitement dans les trois langues nationales (vidéo)". Retrieved 20 October 2014.
- ↑ Text in French of the 2001 amendment: « Le titre de Duc de Brabant ou de Duchesse de Brabant sera toujours porté, à l'avenir, par le Prince ou la Princesse, fils aîné ou fille aînée du Roi, et, à défaut, par le Prince ou la Princesse, fils aîné ou fille aînée du fils aîné ou de la fille aînée du Roi. »
External links
| Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant Born: 25 October 2001 | ||
| Lines of succession | ||
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| First |
Line of succession to the Belgian throne | Succeeded by Prince Gabriel |
| Belgian royalty | ||
| Preceded by Philippe |
Duchess of Brabant 2013–present |
Incumbent |
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