King Philippe of Belgium discusses abdication plans in new interview
King Philippe of Belgium has discussed whether he has plans to abdicate the throne in favour of his eldest child in a new interview.
The 65-year-old Belgian king answered 30 questions put forward by the public in a video shared by the Belgian Royal Palace.
One question asked Philippe, who is married to Queen Mathilde of Belgium, 52, about his plans for abdication, if any.
'A King steps back, but is not retired,' Philippe answered when translated to English via Hola.
Should Philippe one day choose to abdicate, his eldest daughter, Crown Princess Elisabeth, 23, will ascend the throne.
In his answer, Philippe continued, 'I will continue to work for Belgium and I must give my daughter time to enjoy her youth, develop herself and see the world and I support her 100 percent in that and I will do everything I can to give her all the time she needs to do.'
Philippe's father, King Albert of Belgium, abdicated in 2013 after a 20-year reign, clearing the way for his son, Philippe, to take over as the nation's king.
Aged 53 at the time, then-Prince Philippe took the oath before the nation's legislators at the Parliament building, a short walk across the Royal Park in the heart of the city.
The future Belgian queen has certainly made the most of her youth, and is currently studying at Harvard University after finishing her undergraduate degree at Oxford University.
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 is currently enrolled in a two-year Master's program in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Away from her royal duties, Elisabeth has 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.
The royal 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'.
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 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.
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