Crown Princess Elisabeth Set to Graduate from Harvard, Making History

Belgian Crown Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant and heir apparent to the Belgian throne, will graduate from Harvard University this week with a Master in Public Policy (MPP) from the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School. The 24-year-old princess will complete her two-year program at the Ivy League institution, marking the culmination of an extraordinary educational journey that will make her the highest-educated heir to the throne in Belgian history, according to VRT NWS.

A Historic Educational Journey

The graduation ceremonies will take place on May 27-28 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, spanning two days of celebration steeped in Harvard tradition. Day one will feature the Class of 2026 Awards Ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, the two-hectare backyard of the Kennedy School renamed in 1966 as a tribute to the assassinated U.S. president. The ceremony will include speeches from students and a keynote address by Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist.

Day two will bring the main commencement ceremony at Harvard Yard, the oldest part of the campus, with an estimated 30,000 to 32,000 attendees expected. Students will process through the streets of Cambridge accompanied by bagpipers from the Boston Police Department. Comedian and Harvard alumnus Conan O’Brien will deliver the keynote address, as students from all faculties wave inflatable globes — a Harvard tradition symbolizing “boundless opportunities.”

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have traveled to the United States to attend both days of ceremonies. Their son Prince Emmanuel and daughter Princess Eléonore will not accompany them due to exam commitments, as HLN reported. Elisabeth will receive her diploma alongside approximately 630 other Kennedy School graduates during a smaller diploma ceremony in the afternoon, with her proud parents watching from the audience.

An Unprecedented Academic Record

Elisabeth’s educational path is unparalleled among Belgian monarchs. She began at the Dutch-language Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege in Brussels, where she studied Greek-Latin and was known as a highly driven and perfectionistic student — reportedly never satisfied with a passing grade when she knew she could achieve higher. She sang in the school choir and served on the editorial board of the student newspaper ‘Pandora.’

At age 16, she moved abroad to attend UWC Atlantic College in Wales, an international boarding school housed in a medieval castle often described as “Hogwarts in Wales.” There she lived alongside 350 students from 120 countries and was required to perform volunteer work, including teaching swimming lessons to local children.

She then completed officer training at the Royal Military School in Brussels, a crucial preparation for her future role as Commander-in-Chief of the Belgian Armed Forces. Colonel Thierry Pirenne confirmed she was “among the best students of her cohort,” according to HLN.

From 2021 to 2024, she studied History and Politics at Lincoln College, Oxford University, earning the second-highest degree classification — a score between 60 and 69 percent in the British university grading system. History was reportedly one of her favorite subjects, particularly the Roman era, while the politics component provided essential grounding for her future constitutional role as a neutral arbiter in Belgium’s complex political landscape.

She was selected for an Honorary Award from the Fulbright Program for her Harvard studies, as announced by the Belgian Royal Palace.

Navigating Political Turbulence

Elisabeth’s time at Harvard coincided with significant political upheaval in the United States. When she enrolled in 2024, Joe Biden was still president. She witnessed firsthand an unprecedentedly polarized election campaign and the return of Donald Trump to the White House. For a public policy student, the campus became a living laboratory — seminars and debates were immediately dominated by the new administration’s policies.

The Trump administration targeted prestigious universities perceived as “too liberal” and “too woke,” threatening to revoke visas for 7,000 foreign students. In May 2025, Elisabeth faced weeks of uncertainty about returning to Harvard for her second year. The Belgian Royal Palace confirmed she was “investigating the situation.” She ultimately received her visa in August 2025, allowing her to complete her degree.

Throughout her time abroad, Elisabeth experienced a degree of anonymity rare for a future monarch. Known simply as “Lizzie” among friends, she lived in a standard student room without luxury, joined a running club with weekly training sessions, and even participated in the Cambridge Half Marathon. This freedom to live a normal student life mirrored her father’s experience at Stanford, which King Philippe once described as “two of the happiest years of my life.”

A Deliberate “Slow Start” to Royal Duties

Unlike previous crown princes who immediately began leading trade missions after their studies, Elisabeth is expected to have a gradual transition into full-time royal duties. Queen Mathilde explicitly stated her desire to give her daughter “more time,” as VRT NWS reported.

Possible next steps for the princess include further internships — she completed a seven-week internship at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels in summer 2024 — volunteer work abroad, or shadowing trade missions. The Palace is expected to announce her plans in the coming week.

Setting a New Standard for Royal Education

Elisabeth surpasses all her predecessors in academic achievement. Historically, Belgian kings received primarily military education. King Leopold I was home-schooled and joined the Russian army at 15. Leopold II received private education in Laeken. Albert I attended the Royal Military School. Leopold III studied at Eton College. Baudouin attended private school in Geneva but could not continue his studies due to early accession at age 20. Albert II had no university degree.

Her father, King Philippe, was the first Belgian monarch with a university master’s degree, earned at Stanford University after studying at Oxford and the Royal Military School. Elisabeth’s education at Oxford, Harvard, and the Royal Military School represents a significant departure from tradition and positions her uniquely for her future constitutional role.

The Harvard Kennedy School’s mission — “to improve public policy and leadership so that people can live in safer, freer, more just, and more prosperous societies” — directly aligns with her preparation for navigating Belgium’s complex political landscape as a neutral arbiter. Her military training at the Royal Military School also prepares her for her future role as Commander-in-Chief of the Belgian Armed Forces.

What Lies Ahead

Having spent seven of the last eight years abroad, Elisabeth now faces the challenge of reconnecting with Belgian society while transitioning from anonymous student to full-time working royal. Her international network from Oxford, Harvard, and her internship at the Bruegel think tank is expected to benefit Belgian diplomacy significantly.

The Palace is expected to announce her plans in the coming week. Possible options include further internships, volunteer work abroad — following in her father’s footsteps, who worked with Mother Teresa in India — or shadowing trade missions, similar to Dutch Princess Amalia accompanying Queen Máxima at the United Nations.

As she prepares to celebrate her 25th birthday in October, the princess stands at a pivotal moment — ready to transform from “Lizzie” the student into the future Queen of the Belgians, armed with an education that has set a new global standard for royal preparation. Queen Mathilde’s words perhaps best capture the family’s approach: “I want to give my daughter some more time.”