Latest news with #PrincessElisabeth
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
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
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.
NHK
25-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Harvard foreign students get temporary reprieve as court halts Trump's ban
International students at Harvard University still face uncertainty over the US administration's move to bar them from studying there. In response to a complaint filed by the university, a US court temporarily blocked the measure announced by President Donald Trump's administration. The government declared that international students at Harvard must transfer or lose their legal status to remain in the US, based on accusations that the university is fostering violence and antisemitism on campus. The court's decision has prevented the policy from immediately affecting foreign students at the school, but has drawn sharp responses from the administration. US media reported that Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, issued a statement saying, the ruling "delays justice and seeks to kneecap the President's constitutionally vested powers." About 6,800 foreign students are currently enrolled at Harvard. They include Princess Elisabeth of Belgium and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's daughter. Princess Elisabeth, who is first in the line to the Belgian throne, is studying for a master's degree in public policy. She has just completed her first year of the graduate school program. The Associated Press cited the Belgian royal palace's communications head as saying, "We are looking into the situation, to see what kind of impact this decision might have on the princess, or not."
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Belgium's Future Queen Hit by Trump's Ban on Foreign Harvard Students
The future queen of Belgium is one of thousands of foreign students whose studies are in jeopardy after the Trump administration revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students. In a letter sent to the university on Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the administration was canceling Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which allows universities to issue the forms students need to apply for visas to enter the U.S. For students who are already enrolled, the cancellation creates a legal limbo because their visas haven't been canceled, but without access to the SEVP system, Harvard has no way of reporting that the students are following the terms of the visas, making them susceptible to deportation, The New York Times reported. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, who is heir apparent to the throne, is one of the students whose legal status is suddenly unclear, Reuters reported. The university has about 6,800 enrolled international students. The 23-year-old Elisabeth just finished her first year at Harvard, where she is pursuing a two-year master's degree in public policy at the Kennedy School of Government. 'The impact of [the Trump administration's] decision will only become clearer in the coming days/weeks,' Belgian royal palace spokesperson Lore Vandoorne told Reuters. 'We are currently investigating the situation.' The palace's communications director, Xavier Baert, added, 'We are analyzing this at the moment and will let things settle. A lot can still happen in the coming days and weeks.' Less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump's administration announced the move, Harvard filed a lawsuit seeking to block it, The New York Times reported. The suit accuses officials of a 'campaign of retribution' against the university and points to the president's social media posts attacking Harvard. 'We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action,' Harvard president Alan Garber said in a statement Friday morning. Administration officials have defended the move by saying they're trying to fight antisemitism on campus. Last fall, the Belgian royal family went into full proud parent mode as Princess Elisabeth began her studies. The palace shared several photos of Elisabeth's first few days on campus, with the images credited to a fellow student named Max Bueno. The royal previously earned an undergraduate degree in history and politics at Oxford University, where she enrolled under the name 'Elisabeth de Saxe-Coburg.' She's the oldest of four children born to King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. In her letter to Harvard, Noem said the university was 'prohibited from having any aliens on F- or J-nonimmigrant status for the 2025-26 school year,' and that 'existing aliens on F- or J-nonimmigrant status must transfer to another university.' The F visas are for students and J visas are for visiting scholars and professors. It wasn't clear how the transfers would work in practice or what the timeline for allowing them would be, considering the university's spring term officially ends on Monday and graduation is scheduled for next week. The summer term begins June 23. It's also not clear that transferring would guarantee international students the ability to stay in the country, as Noem warned on Thursday that other university could be next.
Arab News
23-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Sanction on Harvard's foreign students strikes at the heart of the university's global allure
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.: For students around the world, an acceptance letter to Harvard University has represented the pinnacle of achievement, offering a spot among the elite at a campus that produces Nobel Prize winners, captains of industry and global leaders. That allure is now in jeopardy. In its intensifying fight with the White House, Harvard was dealt its heaviest blow yet on Thursday, when the government blocked the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students. The move threatens to undermine Harvard's stature, its revenue and its appeal among top scholars around the world. Even more than the government's $2.6 billion in research cuts, the administration's action represents an existential threat for Harvard. The school summed it up in a lawsuit seeking to block the action: 'Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.' Within hours of the decision, the consequences started becoming clear. Belgium's Princess Elisabeth, who just finished her first year in a Harvard graduate program, is waiting to find out if she can return next year, the royal palace said. The Chinese government publicly questioned whether Harvard's international standing will endure. 'The relevant actions by the US side will only damage its own image and international credibility,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a briefing in Beijing. A federal judge on Friday blocked the administration's decision as the lawsuit plays out, but the order is only temporary. Students say their hopes and dreams are at stake On the Harvard campus, international students said they were stunned, confused and deeply concerned about what the revocation means for their degrees, their future plans and their legal status in the United States. Walid Akef, a Harvard graduate student in art history from Egypt, said the Trump administration action would cost him 'dreams, hopes and 20 years of my life.' 'Coming to Harvard, I'm not exaggerating. I planned for it for 15 years,' Akef said. He earned two master's degrees and learned multiple languages before arriving at the university. He also worries what the changes will mean for his family, since his wife is pregnant and will soon be unable to travel. 'So this is absolutely disastrous. I'm going to lose not just stability, but I also lose my dreams and then lose, I don't know, my beautiful life.' Akef is cautiously optimistic that Harvard 'will take care of this,' but he is also considering other options as US policy becomes increasingly inhospitable to foreign students. A graduating law student from Asia said he had planned to stay in the United States and find work, 'but not anymore.' 'I don't know what I'll do, but my future doesn't appear to be here,' said the student, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Changes could erase a quarter of the student body With a $53 billion endowment, Harvard has the means to weather federal funding losses that would cripple other institutions. But this new sanction strikes at the heart of its campus. Already, the change is causing disarray, as thousands of students consider whether to transfer elsewhere or risk being in the country illegally. It could wipe out a quarter of the university's total student body, while halving some of its graduate schools and threatening students who work as lab researchers and teaching assistants. Some sports teams would be left nearly empty. For many, it has been a time of panicked calls home and huddles with fellow international students. For Kat, a data science math student from China, the news comes as she prepares to graduate from Harvard next week. 'My biggest fear is whether I would get deported immediately, because we're not sure about our status,' said Kat, who spoke on the condition that she be identified only by her first name out of concern about retaliation. If the government's action stands, Harvard would be banned from admitting new international students for at least two school years. Even if it regains its place as a global magnet, top students may shy away for fear of future government reprisals, the school said in its lawsuit. The university enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Boston. India and China send more students to the US than any other countries. Asked if he was considering restrictions on other universities, President Donald Trump said, 'We're taking a look at a lot of things.' 'Harvard's going to have to change its ways. So are some others,' the president told reporters in the Oval Office. He added, 'We don't want troublemakers here.' A time to weigh other opportunities In its court filing, Harvard listed some of its most notable alumni who enrolled as foreign students. The list includes Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former president of Liberia; Empress Masako of Japan; and many leaders of major corporations. While foreigners set to graduate from Harvard next week can still do so, the remaining current students and those bound for the university in the fall were weighing other opportunities. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, for one, said Friday that it would welcome international students already at Harvard and those who have been admitted. 'It feels like my world has exploded,' said Fang, a Chinese student who was accepted to Harvard for a master's program. She also spoke on the condition that only her first name be used out of fear that she could be targeted. Her student visa to the US was approved the day before the latest Harvard news broke. 'If America becomes a country that doesn't welcome me, I don't want to go there.' The action has dominated news in countries around the world, said Mike Henniger, president and CEO of Illume Student Advisory Services, a company that works with colleges in the US, Canada and Europe to recruit international students. He is currently traveling in Japan and awoke to the news Friday with dozens of emails from colleagues. The reactions from the international community, he said, were incredulous: ''Unbelievable!' 'Oh My God!' 'Unreal!'' For incoming freshmen who just got accepted to Harvard — and already committed — the timing could not be worse, but they are such strong students that any top university in the world would want to offer them a spot, he said. 'I think the bigger story is the students around the country that aren't a Harvard student, the students that scraped by to get into a state university and are thinking: 'Are we next?'' he said. 'The Harvard kids are going to be OK. It's more about the damage to the American education brand. The view of the US being a less welcoming place for international students.'
Al Bawaba
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Trump's policy endangers princess Elisabeth of Belgium's studies at Harvard
ALBAWABA - The scholastic future of Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, the heir apparent to the Belgian throne, is in doubt due to a recent executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump prohibiting foreign nationals from attending Harvard University. The 23-year-old queen just finished her first academic year of a two-year master's degree in public policy at Harvard. The princess's ability to finish her degree is called into question, however, since Harvard has implemented a new policy that requires overseas students to either transfer to other colleges or leave the country. Given her special position, it is yet unclear whether Princess Elisabeth may be exempted from the new limitations, according to a statement from the Belgian Royal Palace. Officials are now awaiting word from Harvard administration and U.S. authorities about whether she will be asked to leave the country right away or be permitted to remain for her second year. Princess Elisabeth's Harvard studies at risk as Trump bans foreign students, sparking legal battle and global a ... — GVS (@GVS_News) May 23, 2025 In addition to diplomatic interest from nations whose nationals are impacted by the abrupt policy shift, the move has caused significant alarm among international students in the United States.
