Inside Princess Elisabeth's first year at Harvard as Belgian royal's future at Ivy League university remains uncertain amid Trump's war on international students

Daily Mail​

25-05-2025

The academic future of Belgian's future Queen Princess Elisabeth hangs in the balance amid Donald Trump 's battle with Harvard University, after the US president sought to ban foreign students from the prestigious university.
While a federal judge has temporarily blocked Trump's ban after Harvard sued the government, the Belgian Palace will be closely monitoring the situation stateside as the date for Princess Elisabeth's return to Boston inches closer.
On Thursday, the American president revoked Harvard's ability to enroll international students, sparking widespread unrest for its 6,800 foreign students, among them the future Queen of Belgium.
Hailed as one of the brightest European royals, Elisabeth, 23, now faces the very real possibility of losing her studentship and being forced to return to her home country before completing her Master's Degree at the Ivy League university.
Asked to comment on the the ban, a spokesperson for the Palace said it was 'analysing' the situation until 'things 'settle down - but the prospect of not returning to Harvard is likely to be upsetting for Elisabeth, especially after what appears to have been a triumphant first year at the college.
In photos shared on the Belgian royal family's official Instagram page last September, Elisabeth appeared excited to settle into her all-American life amid reports she was already a highly sought-after companion among her peers.
The Princess, who completed her undergraduate degree at Oxford University, is currently enrolled in a two-year Master's program in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Away from her royal duties, Elisabeth embraced life as a student as she was pictured on the first day of term wearing an understated, yet chic, ensemble - complete with sneakers - in portraits shared by the Palace.
Hailed as one of the brightest royals, Elisabeth now faces uncertainty about what lies ahead, with a very real possibility of losing her studentship and being forced to return to her home country before earning her diploma
For her first day back to school, Elisabeth opted to wear a pair of £210 wide leg trousers and burnt orange vest - both from the American brand Tommy Hilfiger - as she was pictured with a stack of books under one arm.
She completed the look with a pair of £110 Adidas GT Sneakerstuff trainers in shades of green.
Wearing her brunette tresses in natural waves, Elisabeth opted for minimal makeup for the occasion.
The royal, who's parents are King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, enrolled at the institution under the name 'Elisabeth de Saxe-Coburg' at Harvard Kennedy School.
The palace told Brussels Times: 'The Princess was also selected for an 'Honorary Award' from the Fullbright Program, the US Department of State's international educational exchange programme. '
According to the university's website, the course aims to cultivate student's skills in preparation for them having a 'successful career in public service'.
So admired for her cerebral prowess, Princess Elisabeth has been touted as being one of the most intelligent royals - arguably surpassing Meghan Markle who was once dubbed the 'cleverest' of them.
Not long after enrolling at the institution, the Princess celebrated her 23rd birthday, with the Palace releasing a series of sweet snaps to mark the occasion.
Beaming towards the camera, Elisabeth wore a stylish in set from ba&sh, including a £240 short-sleeved vest with a jacquard pattern and a matching £230 midi skirt.
The royal ditched a high-society snapper and had a fellow student called Max Bueno take the images - a scholarship student studying at the same school as Elisabeth.
Max, a professional photographer, also documented the royal's first day at school in the official portraits shared by the Belgian Palace last September.
According to HLN News, Elisabeth, had settled in well at her new American school because, perhaps unsurprisingly, 'quite a few people want to be her friend'.
And proving her academic ability has never a struggle for Elisabeth, who only last year completed her studies at Oxford last year.
Last summer, Princess Elisabeth thanked the University of Oxford for three 'wonderful' years.
She first moved to the UK in the autumn of 2021 to start her History and Politics undergraduate course at Lincoln College.
Fiercely dedicated to not receiving special treatment thanks to her status, Elisabeth completed her entrance exam for Oxford 'anonymously' to ensure her royal status would not affect her chances of being offered a place, reported the Belgian newspaper Le Soir.
Elisabeth graduated in three years with a degree in History and Politics, something she reportedly chose because she felt it would be most useful to her in her role as Queen later in life.
After Elisabeth finished her studies in England, she took part in various engagements throughout the summer with her parents.
An accomplished 23-year-old by any measure, the official royal website says Elisabeth enjoys walking in nature, reading and playing the piano – although like 'all youngsters her age', writes the palace, 'her taste in music is varied.'
Elisabeth - who speaks Dutch, French, German, English, and has also taken classes in Mandarin Chinese - began attending royal engagements from a young age and was just nine when she delivered a speech at the opening of the Princess Elisabeth Children's Hospital.
Trump's decision to ban international students from the country could have serious repercussions for the Princess royal, who was expecting to return for her second year at the prestigious college later this year.
In a statement responding to reports of the ban, the Belgian Palace said it was waiting for the situation to 'settle'.
'Princess Elisabeth has just completed her first year. The impact of [the Trump administration's] decision will only become clearer in the coming days/weeks. We are currently investigating the situation,' said a spokesperson for the Belgian royal palace, Lore Vandoorne.
'We are analysing this at the moment and will let things settle. A lot can still happen in the coming days and weeks,' the Palace's communication director, Xavier Baert, told the Associated Press.
The prestigious school enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which makes up for more than a quarter of its student body - the majority of those being graduate students.
The threat to Harvard's international enrollment stems from request in April from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who demanded that Harvard provide information about foreign students that might implicate them in violence or protests that could lead to their deportation.
Noem said Harvard can regain its ability to host foreign students if it produces a trove of records on foreign students within 72 hours.
Harvard is filing for a temporary restraining order while awaiting the formal court case.
This case is separate from the Trump administration's attempt to ban federal funding from the school.