Future Queen of Belgium says she 'doesn't want special treatment' to stay at Harvard amid Donald Trump's ban on foreign students
The academic future of Elisabeth, 23, hangs in the balance amid 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 monitoring the situation stateside as the date for Princess Elisabeth's return to Boston after the summer inches closer.
However, Elisabeth said that she doesn't want her circumstances to be considered any differently due to her royal status.
She believes it is essential to 'show solidarity with other international students,' some of whom are her close friends, a source told HLN.
The sources added that Elisabeth is conscious about the message she sends to other students, as well as ensuring happy relations between Belgium and the United States.
According to the outlet, the heir to the Belgian throne, who has completed her first two of four academic years at the oldest American university, is anxiously awaiting to hear the decision.
In the meantime, Elisabeth, a public policy student, is currently undertaking a summer internship programme at an undisclosed institution in Brussels.
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 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.
It comes after King Philippe of Belgium 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, 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
14 minutes ago
- Sky News
Bitcoin achieves $120k milestone on Trump policy support
Why you can trust Sky News Bitcoin has surged past the $120,000 (£89,000) level for the first time, with its new record value being attributed to progress in cryptocurrency regulation under Donald Trump. It was trading at $121,207 early on Monday morning - having doubled in value over the past year on the back of support for digital assets from the president during his second term. While new products on Wall Street have made it easier to invest, a lack of global regulation has held back ownership and continued to leave the industry at the mercy of high volatility. The US House of Representatives is to debate a series of bills this week to provide an American regulatory framework for a market worth almost $3.8trn, according to figures from CoinMarketCap. Members are set to vote on the Genius Act, which would create federal rules for stablecoins, and two other pieces of legislation. Mr Trump, who has called himself the "crypto president", has urged Congress to back the shake-up as part of his efforts for the US to take a lead on digital currencies. He himself is involved in several crypto ventures, including World Liberty Financial, a platform that his sons Eric and Don Jr. run. Bitcoin's surge of recent weeks has tracked a broader financial market recovery since mid-April that has seen US stock markets hit record levels. The rally, market analysts have said, can be attributed to the so-called TACO (Trump always chickens out) trade that followed his decision to delay the implementation of the "liberation day" trade tariffs against trading partners back in early April. He has since warned dozens of countries, including Canada, Japan, South Korea and the European Union, that higher rates will kick in from 1 August without a deal being agreed. Stock market and crypto values would be likely to face fresh pressure should he follow through on that threat.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Kristi Noem takes NBC host to task after liberal tears over 'inhumane' Alligator Alcatraz
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made a fiery appearance on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday as she fiercely defended the Trump administration's controversial new migrant detention center in the Florida Everglades, dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz.' The interview came after Democratic lawmakers described the facility as a humanitarian nightmare. In a blistering exchange with NBC anchor Kristen Welker, Noem accused Democrats of hypocrisy and political theater after a congressional tour of the facility ended with accusations of inhumane treatment and squalid conditions. 'I wish they would've said that during the Biden administration,' Noem said as Welker repeatedly pressed her about reports of overcrowded cells and unsanitary water sources. 'They were piling people on top of each other on cement floors... and they didn't have two feet to move. They never did that, and that's why this politics has to end.' The clash came just 24 hours after Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other Democrats toured the newly opened compound and compared it to an internment camp. 'There are really disturbing, vile conditions and this place needs to be shut the hell down,' Wasserman Schultz told reporters. 'This place is a stunt, and they're abusing human beings here.' According to lawmakers on the tour, more than 30 migrants were packed into cage-style cells with just three combination sink-toilets. Temperatures hovered in the mid-80s inside medical intake tents. Grasshoppers, mosquitoes, and other insects were rampant. One detainee reportedly shouted, 'I'm an American citizen!' while others chanted 'Libertad!', Spanish for 'freedom.' Welker confronted Noem with such claims: 'Thirty people stuffed into a jail cell? Drinking water from the same place they use the bathroom?' But Noem appeared unshaken and fired back. 'Our detention centers at the federal level are held to a higher standard than most local or state centers and even federal prisons. The standards are extremely high. This is a state-run facility, but it still exceeds the requirements.' She elaborated: 'I have been there and I have seen the rooms they are in. I will call them jail cells - it's a facility where they are held that are secure and meet the highest levels of what the government requires for detention.' When Welker pushed further, saying Democrats have 'called them cages,' Noem announced that the administration would soon allow cameras into the facility. 'We'll take cameras and show people what the facilities look like. Because if you compare them to what happened under the Biden and Obama administrations, these centers are at the highest levels - even higher than our federal prison standards.' Noem also disclosed plans for expansion. 'We are going to expand,' she told Welker. 'We're actively looking at how to open more detention sites like this one. We are looking for more information and how we can get more detention.' Noem stood by the facility and doubled down, revealing that five Republican governors have already spoken with her about using the Florida site as a model. 'We are going to expand,' Noem said. 'We're actively looking at how to open more detention sites like this one.' Currently, media access remains blocked and journalists were not allowed to attend Saturday's tour. Legislators were also barred from bringing phones or cameras inside. Critics, including attorneys and advocacy groups, claim the facility is little more than a prison camp hidden deep in Florida's swamps. Detainees have reported worms in the food, overflowing toilets, and 24-hour lockdowns in cages teeming with mosquitoes. At least one minor and several individuals with no criminal record are reportedly being held. 'These are human beings who have inherent rights, and they have a right to dignity,' immigration attorney Josephine Arroyo said. 'They're violating a lot of their rights by putting them there.' A Venezuelan detainee described the facility as a 'zoo cage,' adding that detainees were being pressured to sign self-deportation documents. There are several people protesting outside the Alligator Alcatraz facility Republican lawmakers say the criticisms are exaggerated. 'The rhetoric coming out of the Democrats does not match the reality,' Florida State Senator Blaise Ingoglia said. 'The living quarters were clean. The air conditioning worked well. No squalor.' State Senator Jay Collins, a US Army veteran who toured a different section, agreed. 'Would I want that toilet-and-sink combination at my house? Probably not, but this is a transitional holding facility.' Division of Emergency Management spokesperson Stephanie Hartman called the reports of mistreatment 'completely false.' 'The facility meets all required standards and is in good working order,' Hartman said. 'Every detainee gets three meals a day, unlimited drinking water, showers, and other necessities.' The Alligator Alcatraz facility was constructed in days and built on a remote airstrip in the Everglades. It now holds nearly 900 detainees but has a capacity of over 3,000.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Bitcoin tops $120,000 for the first time
SINGAPORE, July 14 (Reuters) - Bitcoin crossed the $120,000 level for the first time on Monday, marking a major milestone for the world's largest cryptocurrency as investors bet on long-sought policy wins for the industry this week. Starting on Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives will debate a series of bills to provide the digital asset industry with the nation's regulatory framework it has long demanded. Those demands have resonated with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called himself the "crypto president" and urged policymakers to revamp rules in favor of the industry. Expectations of further tailwinds for the industry helped propel bitcoin to yet another record high of $121,207.55 in the Asian session on Monday. It last traded 1.5% higher at $120,856.34. The surge in bitcoin, which is up 29% for the year thus far, has sparked a broader rally across other cryptocurrencies over the past few weeks even in the face of Trump's chaotic tariffs. Ether , the second-largest token, scaled an over five-month top of $3,048.23 on Monday and last stood at $3,036.24. The sector's total market value has swelled to about $3.78 trillion, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
