Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel & Princess Eléonore: News & Events, Oct. 2019 -

[iceflower]

The Palace released a new photo of Gabriel, Emmanuel, Eléonore and Elisabeth to mark the start of the new school year in Belgium today, September 1:


** Pic **

The text says: "A good start to all students, parents and teachers!"


It was taken on the same day the new portrait of Elisabeth was taken recently.

 

[Blog Real]

The Palace released a new photo of Gabriel, Emmanuel, Eléonore and Elisabeth to mark the start of the new school year in Belgium today, September 1:


** Pic **

The text says: "A good start to all students, parents and teachers!"


It was taken on the same day the new portrait of Elisabeth was taken recently.

Wonderful photo!
The sons of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde seem to be very close.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Wonderful photo!
The sons of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde seem to be very close.

The eldest son, Gabriel, is the spitting image of Mathilde. The youngest son, Emmanuel, is almost a clone of Philippe at the same age.

 

[iceflower]

The Palace has thanked the public for the birthday wishes for Prince Emmanuel's 16th birthday today, October 4:


** instagram post ** photo **

 

[Notsamuel]

Hi, i'm new to the thread and i joined cause i realized there's a lot of people who know about the Belgian Royals and i happen to have a lot of questions about Prince Gabriel, i hope any of you would answer my questions and i wish we can all get along in this thread ������

(Sorry for my bad english)

What's Prince Gabriel height? I've been curious about this for so long cause he looks really imponent Next to his family, my Guess is 6'2, but i would like to know if anyone here has his exact height

Do y'all think Elisabeth and Gabriel have secret social media accounts? They're teenagers after all

What do y'all think Will happen to Gabriel after he comes back to belgium? As in, what exactly is a non heir male prince supposed to do in Belgium?

 

[Tatiana Maria]

What do y'all think Will happen to Gabriel after he comes back to belgium? As in, what exactly is a non heir male prince supposed to do in Belgium?

In contrast to the King's younger siblings, his younger children will be expected to work for a living following a reform in 2013 which restricted the civil list.

However, the King has placed his children higher in the order of precedence than his siblings, suggesting they will carry out some official role.

I think the other adult male princes of the royal family, including Gabriel's father, uncle, and older cousins, have all participated in military training.

 

[Mbruno]

Doesn't Gabriel need his own thread now?

I am not sure. I think non-heirs normally get their own threads on TRF when they get married and have their own family, but I may be wrong.

However, the King has placed his children higher in the order of precedence than his siblings, suggesting they will carry out some official role.

Could you please provide a link to the current order of precedence in Belgium?

I find the precedence accorded to King Philippe's children to be natural. In Spain, Denmark and the UK, I believe the monarch's children are also higher in the order of precedence than the monarch's siblings.

Interestingly, in Spain, although the King's sisters are no longer considered members of the Royal Family, they are still accorded precedence and military honors according to my interpretation of the exisiting regulations ( Royal Decree 2099/193 and Royal Decree 684/2010 ). However, since they no longer take part in or preside over official events, I guess that is pretty meaningless in practice.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Could you please provide a link to the current order of precedence in Belgium?

I was thinking of their presentation on the website of the Royal Family, with the King and his wife and children on page one and his parents and siblings demoted to page two. I don't think there is a Royal Decree which legally establishes the order of precedence of royal family members, at least not in recent times.

https://www.monarchie.be/fr#famille-royale

 

[Prinsara]

Since Gabriel is studying math right now, there's a good chance he'll pursue some STEM education before he starts working.

Is it a possibility or a likelihood that he will have fully independent employment eventually, like the Dutch king's brothers?

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Since Gabriel is studying math right now, there's a good chance he'll pursue some STEM education before he starts working.

Is it a possibility or a likelihood that he will have fully independent employment eventually, like the Dutch king's brothers?

By fully independent employment would you mean a career outside of the public sector, or any employment in which he is not working directly for the royal court?

Either way, Prince Lorenz has worked in the banking industry throughout his marriage, including the years when he was a part-time working member of the Royal Family, which sets a precedent.

 

[Prinsara]

Anything where his job doesn't involve being a prince, I suppose.

Doesn't it make a difference that his uncle married in and didn't come to Belgian royalty by birth? I know Lorenz was still a working member, but it's the difference in the way spouses of princesses are viewed versus native princes. Gabriel will still be breaking some ground.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Anything where his job doesn't involve being a prince, I suppose.

Doesn't it make a difference that his uncle married in and didn't come to Belgian royalty by birth? I know Lorenz was still a working member, but it's the difference in the way spouses of princesses are viewed versus native princes. Gabriel will still be breaking some ground.

The late Prince Alexandre as well as Prince Amedeo and Prince Joachim are princes by birth who were/are employed in private business, albeit none of them are working members of the Royal Family, so Gabriel will still break new ground, as you point out. Still, it will be a much less radical break with tradition compared to Norway, where Princess Märtha Louise was her family's first princess/prince whatsoever to work in the private sector.

 

[MAfan]

The discussion about a supposed relationship between Prince Gabriel and the Princess of Orange has been moved to the Marriage to Commoners vs Royals/Nobles thread, since it appears that it is based only on an unsubstantiated rumor.
Pleas be mindful that the topic of this thread is news and current events about Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eleonore.
Thank you for your cohoperation.

 

[iceflower]

It‘s Princess Eléonore‘s 14th birthday today, April 16, and the Palace released a lovely new photo to mark the occasion:


** Portrait **

 

[iceflower]

Prince Emmanuel participated in the 42nd edition of the Brussels' 20km run today, May 29:


** Pic ** gettyimages gallery ** rex gallery **

 

[Somebody]

That's quite a distance at his age.

 

[eya]

Prince Emmanuel participated in the 42nd edition of the Brussels' 20km run today, May 29:


** Pic ** gettyimages gallery ** rex gallery **

Queen Mathilde take part also today

https://www.instagram.com/p/CeJC9mpMv8B/

 

[Somebody]

Do they have so much time on their hands that they can learn so many languages (fluency is claimed for all of them - I can see how they easily learn French, Dutch and English but German requires a bit more as there is no natural context for them to learn it) and play so many sports and a musical instrument? Elisabeth is the only one not involved in any king of martial arts. All of them supposedly love and/or practice skiing (winter holiday), tennis (at home?) and sailing (summer holiday).

Elisabeth:
French, Dutch, German, and English
Piano
Skiing, tennis, sailing, and diving and walking in nature

Gabriel:
Fluent in French, Dutch, and English
Piano
Taekwondo, football, cycling, tennis, skiing, sailing and hiking (and 9 years of hockey at a club), Scouts

Emanuel:
French, Dutch, and English
Saxophone
Cycling, skiing, tennis, sailing, and judo

Eleonore:
French, Dutch, and English
Violin
Swimming, skiing, sailing, tennis, and aikido

 

[Prinsara]

Their parents supposedly met over tennis, didn't they?

Elisabeth is the only one claimed as fluent in German and she's the only one who's going to need it for the job. They seem like the sort of kids who are exposed to countless activities, and they certainly have the resources for them.

Now I wonder if Gabriel's football is soccer or American? He has the perfect build for the latter.

Where is this list of extracurriculars from?

 

[Somebody]

Their parents supposedly met over tennis, didn't they?

Elisabeth is the only one claimed as fluent in German and she's the only one who's going to need it for the job. They seem like the sort of kids who are exposed to countless activities, and they certainly have the resources for them.

Now I wonder if Gabriel's football is soccer or American? He has the perfect build for the latter.

Where is this list of extracurriculars from?

Soccer for sure. It would have been called 'American football' if it were the latter.

I compiled this list based on their current biographies on the monarchie.be-website.

 

[JR76]

Their parents supposedly met over tennis, didn't they?



Elisabeth is the only one claimed as fluent in German and she's the only one who's going to need it for the job. They seem like the sort of kids who are exposed to countless activities, and they certainly have the resources for them.



Now I wonder if Gabriel's football is soccer or American? He has the perfect build for the latter.



Where is this list of extracurriculars from?

The list is from the Royal website.
Prince Gabriel plays soccer. Unless it's specified that they mean American football it's a safe bet that soccer is what the general European means when they say football.

 

[Mbruno]

Do they have so much time on their hands that they can learn so many languages (fluency is claimed for all of them - I can see how they easily learn French, Dutch and English but German requires a bit more as there is no natural context for them to learn it) and play so many sports and a musical instrument? Elisabeth is the only one not involved in any king of martial arts. All of them supposedly love and/or practice skiing (winter holiday), tennis (at home?) and sailing (summer holiday).

Elisabeth:
French, Dutch, German, and English
Piano
Skiing, tennis, sailing, and diving and walking in nature

Gabriel:
Fluent in French, Dutch, and English
Piano
Taekwondo, football, cycling, tennis, skiing, sailing and hiking (and 9 years of hockey at a club), Scouts

Emanuel:
French, Dutch, and English
Saxophone
Cycling, skiing, tennis, sailing, and judo

Eleonore:
French, Dutch, and English
Violin
Swimming, skiing, sailing, tennis, and aikido

From my experience with Flemish people I met before (not many to be honest), speaking French and English besides Dutch seems to be pretty much the norm for educated speakers, so it doesn't surprise me at all. German is a plus and Elisabeth probably had to learn it because she will be Queen and German is still one of the official languages of Belgium despite being spoken by less than 1 % of the population actually (which doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but I understand there are historical reasons to keep it that way).

I doubt Elisabeth's skills are the same in all 4 languages though. For example, she is known to write better in Dutch than in French even though she speaks French at home. After two years at Atlantic College and now a full year at Oxford, I assume her English skills must be pretty strong, but, if I had to make a guess, I would assume her knowledge of German is more functional, but that is just speculation on my part.

 

[Marengo]

Prince Gabriel will be joining the royal military school from August 22nd. He has passed all different tests of the entrance exam. The news was announced today by the palace.

 

[Prinsara]

Well, that's interesting. Because he wants to or because he has to, or because he needs to do what Elisabeth has done? Or some combination of it all?

 

[Somebody]

Interesting (but not unexpected). Will he do the full course or only a one-year program like his sister? I couldn't find the news on the website, so if you have the link, please share as I am interested in the exact wording.

 

[Marchesina]

Prince Gabriel will be joining the royal military school from August 22nd. He has passed all different tests of the entrance exam. The news was announced today by the palace.

We will soon learn more about it but a military career would be a great compromise between pursuing a career on his own (as requested by the current circumstances with the dotation) and serving his own country as a Prince of Belgium.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Interesting (but not unexpected). Will he do the full course or only a one-year program like his sister? I couldn't find the news on the website, so if you have the link, please share as I am interested in the exact wording.

If only the Palace would make its press releases available to the public (which would be a true modernization of the website), but here are a couple press reports to start with. Given their similarities and the reference in one of them to Gabriel as His Royal Highness, I suspect the wording closely corresponds to the press release.

https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20220725_95978897
https://www.sudinfo.be/id476177/art...royale-militaire-le-22-aout-annonce-le-palais

No timeframe is stated, only that the prince has met all conditions of admission including medical, psychological and athletic testing and mathematics, Dutch and French examinations, and that he will be enrolled in the Dutch-language Social and Military Studies program as a member of the 162nd class. (His sisters and the other adult princes of the family were also enrolled in Social and Military Studies, formerly known as All Weapons.)

Well, that's interesting. Because he wants to or because he has to, or because he needs to do what Elisabeth has done? Or some combination of it all?

Tradition, I suspect. All of the Belgian royal men have undertaken some form of military training, including the princes who have no dotation or role serving the country, such as Amedeo, Joachim or Alexandre. The tradition has so far not been applied to the royal women, save for the Crown Princess, so it will be interesting to see whether that will change for Eléonore, Laetitia, Louise, Joséphine or Anna Astrid.

 

[Mbruno]

Prince Gabriel will be joining the royal military school from August 22nd. He has passed all different tests of the entrance exam. The news was announced today by the palace.

Should we infer that he failed to get into a STEM university course in the UK as he originally planned? I mean, he didn't have to spend an extra A-level year in the UK if his plan was to go to the Royal Military Academy in the first place (his Belgian secondary school qualification should suffice, shouldn't it?).


To give him the benefit of the doubt, he might do as his sister, i.e. stay 1 year at the academy and then apply to a bachelor's degree course in the UK with his A-level qualification. But I doubt it, as the tradition for Belgian royal men is to finish the Academy course.

 

[Prinsara]

Should we infer that he failed to get into a STEM course in the UK as he originally planned? I mean, he didn't have to spend an extra A-Level year in the UK if his plan was to go to Royal Military Academy in the first place.

Why? Elisabeth is at Oxford now, and she spent a military "gap year".

 

[Mbruno]

Why? Elisabeth is at Oxford now, and she spent a military "gap year".

Please see my edited post above.

If he goes for a full 3-year degree at the Royal Military Academy, I fail to see the point of the academic year that he spent in England, especially considering that he is already one year older than the normal school leaving age, I think. The only possible rationale for doing A-levels would be to apply to a UK university.