Crown Princess Elisabeth have reportedly taken a key decision that may impact her future. The 23-year-old, who is the daughter of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, is reportedly refusing to have preferential treatment at Harvard over her friends – who are all facing the same uncertainty regarding their futures in light of a ban on international students attending the prestigious university on a visa.
The ban was issued by the Trump administration in May, but the move was temporarily blocked in light of a lawsuit launched by the university. More light on the future of international students at the Massachusetts university may be shed within days, as on July 21 a federal judge in Boston will decide whether to upheld or not the ban.
Elisabeth, who has just completed her first year of her two-year master’s degree in public policy, is currently back in Belgium.
According to journalist Wim Dehandschutter, the princess and her parents have “indicated that they do not want preferential treatment”.
The journalist claimed: “The Crown Princess finds it important to show solidarity with the other foreign students. She started her studies with them, made many [international] friends, and is in the running club of her university with some of her fellow students.
“Elisabeth also realises how sensitive it is to profit from her status as future queen. It would send the wrong signal to all ‘ordinary’ students.”
Wim also noted: “Furthermore, higher interests are at stake.
“Every decision that the queen-in-training has to make herself at this stage can have a political or diplomatic resonance and possibly influence the relations between Belgium and the United States.”
As well as their daughter, the royal couple have three other children – Prince Gabriel, born in 2003, Prince Emmanuel, born in 2005, and Princess Eléonore, born in 2008.
