Prince Gabriel Turns 23 with Alpine Training Photos
Belgium’s Prince Gabriel celebrated his 23rd birthday on Thursday with the release of four new photographs taken during a mountaineering training course high in the Alps. The images, shared by the Belgian Royal Palace, show the second-in-line to the throne in climbing gear during his alpine stage this summer, offering a glimpse into the adventurous pursuits of King Filip and Queen Mathilde’s eldest son.
According to VRT NWS, one of the photos was taken at the Refuge Albert Ier, a mountain hut named after his great-great-grandfather King Albert I, located in the Mont Blanc massif in France at an altitude of 2,706 meters.
A Royal Connection to the Mountains
The Refuge Albert Ier holds deep historical significance for the Belgian royal family. King Albert I, a fervent alpinist, inaugurated the mountain hut on August 30, 1930, just a few years before his death in a climbing accident in 1934. The king’s death at Marche-les-Dames near Namur shocked Belgium, as he was immensely popular for his role as commander-in-chief of the Belgian army during World War I, as VRT NWS detailed in a retrospective on the tragedy.
The original hut, built of wood and corrugated iron, was expanded to 48 sleeping places in 1935, rebuilt in stone in 1959, and renovated again in 2014. The current structure offers 140 sleeping places and is open from May to September, according to Wikipedia.
“After this adventurous journey, he is completely ready for his 24th year of life!” the Palace wrote in the caption accompanying the birthday photos, as reported by Beau Monde.
Military Education and a Pivotal Moment
Prince Gabriel was born on August 20, 2003, and is the second child and oldest son of King Filip and Queen Mathilde. He stands second in line to the Belgian throne, behind his older sister, Crown Princess Elisabeth (24). The royal couple has four children: Crown Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel (20), and Princess Eléonore (18).
Since 2022, Gabriel has been studying at the Royal Military School (KMS) in Brussels, where he pursues Social and Military Sciences in Dutch. He is expected to graduate with his master’s degree later this month, as RTL Boulevard reported.
On September 30, 2025, Prince Gabriel took his oath as an officer at the KMS, following a long royal tradition. King Filip, Queen Mathilde, and Princess Eléonore attended the ceremony, as VRT NWS reported. Luc De Vos, emeritus professor at the KMS, noted that “Kings Leopold I, Albert I, and Baudouin have enormously strengthened the tradition of following a military education.”
A Path Toward a Military Career
A recent law change could open the door for Prince Gabriel to pursue a professional military career. Unlike Crown Princess Elisabeth, Gabriel does not receive a state allowance (dotatie) and must earn his own income. On May 22, 2026, the Belgian federal government approved a preliminary draft law, proposed by Defense Minister Theo Francken (N-VA), that modifies the statutory framework of the armed forces to allow members of the royal family without a dotatie to pursue a paid military career, as VRT NWS reported.
According to RateOne, the change marks a turning point: for the first time, a member of the young generation within the royal family without a dotatie has prospects of a regular, paid career at Defense. The Palace has not yet confirmed whether Gabriel will pursue this path.
A Sporting Royal
Gabriel is known for his athletic abilities. He is an accomplished tennis player and was active in hockey for nine years. Last summer, he completed the grueling 100-kilometer Trail Godefroy in Bouillon, finishing in approximately 18 hours and 49 minutes, running under his French-speaking family name “Gabriel de Saxe-Cobourg.” He is also affectionately known as the “Boom van België” (Tree of Belgium) due to his height of nearly 2 meters.
Royalty expert Wim Dehandschutter of HLN described Gabriel’s growing popularity, saying: “Elisabeth is the spearhead: she is the future of the Belgian monarchy, and that future looks promising. She has grown into the most popular member of the royal family. The other children are also ideal ambassadors. Gabriel is the new poster boy of the royal family,” as cited by Beau Monde.
What’s Next
With his master’s degree expected later this month, all eyes are on what Prince Gabriel will do next. The recent law change makes a military career a realistic option, and his mountaineering training in the Alps this summer suggests he embraces the physical challenges that a military path would entail. Whether he becomes the first Belgian royal in a paid military career or chooses another route, his future plans will be closely watched as he steps into the next chapter of his life.