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

[Somebody]

Thanks TM. So, he is doing the same 'strand' as his older sister. Maybe they keep the option open for him to either stay for one year or complete his Bachelor's. My guess is that he is interested in a UK science degree, so in that case this might be just a one-year course (and it makes sense that he first did an additional year of high school instead of first doing military training and afterwards go back for another year of high school - but I guess we'll have to wait and see how things evolve.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

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.

Prince Alexandre, Prince Amedeo, and Prince Joachim each took only one year of military education.

 

[Mbruno]

Prince Alexandre, Prince Amedeo, and Prince Joachim each took only one year of military education.

What about Prince Laurent and Prince Philippe?

 

[Tatiana Maria]

What about Prince Laurent and Prince Philippe?

The sons of Albert II each spent a total of three years at the military academy and several further years in military training/service, according to the Belgian Royal Family blog.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Military training being undertaken by the royal men but not the royal women seems to be in keeping with societal norms: As of 2018, only 8% of the military forces consisted of women.

 

[Laurelle59]

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.

His older male cousins did military training for one year before entering university, perhaps he's just following the unsaid customs and after encouragements from his family to do so. The news also didn't mention on how long he intends to go there.

A Level results won't came out until mid August this year. If he applied for university this year, he had to do so with his predicted grades, which I imagined can be very vague to make by his teachers when he's just a few months into the program. Spending an additional 'gap year' in the military while applying for programs that he can enter with his actual grades is indeed the safest, hassle-free choice to make.

Anyway, I like that he's continuing the family tradition and am impressed that despite being a Belgian prince, he went through the entire selection procedure for the academy on his own just like every other student. Being very physical and sporty, I do think he will enjoy his time there, just like his sister.

 

[Marengo]

I very much doubt that they will have him 'waste' 3 years in the army if his intention and ambitions lay elsewhere. My hunch is that it will be for one year only indeed.

A carreer in the army may be respectable enough for a royal but considering he needs to fend for himself it will not provide him with an income that is on par to the needs that derive from being a member of a reigning RF & the upper middle class life style that people expect. In practice very few royals these days pursue a carreer in the army and the ones that did were sometimes considered too 'dim' for carreers elsewhere.

If I were a betting person I would say that he will likely follow the track of other royals and that after an initial master programme & a post-master in Business he will settle in Business/Finance, which has the great benifit that it can be done discreetly while providing a steady & generous income which will keep him out of trouble.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Its hard to believe that Prince Gabriel turn 19 next month!

 

[Blog Real]

19th birthday of Prince Gabriel. New official photo.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1560854138178740226

 

[rominet09]

Really gorgeous ! Very handsome young man !

 

[Skippy]

He's lost his d'Udekem d'Acoz looks. Pity, although he can't help that, of course. He is more and more a Saxe Cobourg and I don't like him like this anymore.
Having his mother's looks gave him something gentle, kind. His looks get harder now, he is starting to look like his brother.
Sorry Gabriël.

 

[Mbruno]

He's lost his d'Udekem d'Acoz looks. Pity, although he can't help that, of course. He is more and more a Saxe Cobourg and I don't like him like this anymore.
Having his mother's looks gave him something gentle, kind. His looks get harder now, he is starting to look like his brother.
Sorry Gabriël.

I think that particular haircut might be one of the reasons for his changed look. He may have lost some weight too.

 

[Prinsara]

I think he looks pretty much the same, just a bit more adult.

 

[Skippy]

I think he looks pretty much the same, just a bit more adult.

I disagree. Look at the posed birthday picture in suit last year for his 18th birthday - for a split second I thought I was looking at a grown up version of Emmanuel. Or at least the brothers look much more alike now. That's when I first noticed the transition from d'Udekem d'Acoz into de Saxe Cobourg.
I have said goodbye to him as far as favourability goes (which he used to share with his elder sister).

 

[Prinsara]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E-Mp_uCXoAE56Tn?format=jpg&name=large

I don't think he looks at all like his brother, and I think his nose will always prevent him from looking like an Orleans-Coburg.

Saying you are "discarding" someone for simply resembling part of their family (a very young person, for something they cannot even help) is a tad harsh. It is possible to say "I don't like the way he looks anymore" and not announce the rest.

Gabriel is also young enough that his face will likely change and perhaps become favorable again. You never know.

 

[Somebody]

Congrats to Gabriel. He has always looked like a confident (but not arrogant) young man; and I don't see a huge change in him either.

I expect he has been training quite a bit to be fit when he joins the army - just like Elisabeth did prior to her joining two years ago.

 

[Skippy]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E-Mp_uCXoAE56Tn?format=jpg&name=large

I don't think he looks at all like his brother, and I think his nose will always prevent him from looking like an Orleans-Coburg.

Saying you are "discarding" someone for simply resembling part of their family (a very young person, for something they cannot even help) is a tad harsh. It is possible to say "I don't like the way he looks anymore" and not announce the rest.

Gabriel is also young enough that his face will likely change and perhaps become favorable again. You never know.

That is not the picture I meant. This one is https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E9NrjA1XMAUzSOv.jpg. I still think he looks a lot like Emmanuel here, which is what started the "lessening". It surprised me back then.

Perhaps I sounded too harsh indeed, I didn't mean to.

I have taken a second look and this birthday photo is better than last year's, which I posted earlier in this message.
He is now - judging from this newest photo - starting to look like both his parents.
So perhaps he's not out of my interest field just yet.

 

[Prinsara]

That is not the picture I meant. This one is https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E9NrjA1XMAUzSOv.jpg. I still think he looks a lot like Emmanuel here, which is what started the "lessening". It surprised me back then.

Perhaps I sounded too harsh indeed, I didn't mean to.

I have taken a second look and this birthday photo is better than last year's, which I posted earlier in this message.
He is now - judging from this newest photo - starting to look like both his parents.
So perhaps he's not out of my interest field just yet.

I'm aware it isn't the one you meant, but I think a relatively contemporaneous one with his brother demonstrates the same effect — I don't see much resemblance between the brothers.

I think we need to see more of Mathilde's relatives, because despite how most of his looks must come from that side, given he is burly and dark, he doesn't resemble his mom that closely, either.

 

[W.Y.CII]

He looks pretty much same to me, still a handsome young man. Some comments are just unnecessary, either to a teenager or to an adult.

What catches my attention weirdly is his hands, they look so big (well given his height I know that make sense, but I still can't stop looking at them).

Hope he enjoy the military program like his sister, and the palace will share some clips with us just like what they did with Elisabeth.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

If one is only interested in royals for their looks then that is their own business, but as for favorability, I hope the Belgian public will be cognizant that the favorability of a person's character is not measurable by their appearance.

 

[Prinsara]

Does anyone think it's strange that we haven't heard anything about Gabriel or Elisabeth dating anybody yet? I was going to remark about Gabriel...then I remembered his heiress sister.

We had the rumors about him and Amalia, that was it, and those all seemed to come from the Netherlands.

Is the Belgian press that discreet?

 

[W.Y.CII]

Maybe they're not dating yet. Maybe they hide it well. Maybe like what you suggested the press is discreet. I think it's a good thing that the press doesn't expose everything of their datemate once they turn 18 like the Norwegian press did with Ingrid Alexandra.

 

[Prinsara]

Eh, we know Amalia's dating somebody, we know IA is dating somebody; Elisabeth is older than them both and both she and Gabriel are attractive and past 18 for a while now. Perhaps neither of them is dating anyone. But we haven't even had gossip or fake rumors (other than Amalia).

It's oddly quiet.

 

[W.Y.CII]

Well that's true. IIRC there was a couple of rumours about Philippe but I think they all occurred when he began taking up royal duties publicly.

 

[Skippy]

I'm aware it isn't the one you meant, but I think a relatively contemporaneous one with his brother demonstrates the same effect — I don't see much resemblance between the brothers.

I think we need to see more of Mathilde's relatives, because despite how most of his looks must come from that side, given he is burly and dark, he doesn't resemble his mom that closely, either.

On the picture I posted I saw a resemblance that I hadn't seen before.

In his childhood he looked the most like his mother out of all four. Now less, but it does appear to be still there.

He looks pretty much same to me, still a handsome young man. Some comments are just unnecessary, either to a teenager or to an adult.

What catches my attention weirdly is his hands, they look so big (well given his height I know that make sense, but I still can't stop looking at them).

Hope he enjoy the military program like his sister, and the palace will share some clips with us just like what they did with Elisabeth.

If you mean that to me and what I said - I gave my opinion. Perhaps a bit too harsh, but not spiteful. Perhaps I elaborated too much, I tend to be able to do that.

If one is only interested in royals for their looks then that is their own business, but as for favorability, I hope the Belgian public will be cognizant that the favorability of a person's character is not measurable by their appearance.

I have made my opinion about Gabriël and why I favour(ed) him and Elisabeth out of the four children clear in multiple posts, although probably a lot less severe.

And I don't mean his looks, or any royal's, in general, but what he radiates. His charisma, vibe. The Dutch word is "uitstraling". I have the same with other royals. Some really have something extra, others completely don't. Which the person itself can't do anything about, but it's what I see.


I don't think the last part of your post is purely for the Belgian public, but for royalty in general.


I am bowing out of here, getting an unpleasant feeling. Adieu.

 

[Prinsara]

Skippy, you don't have to go. I think people just find it a little hard when you declare you're no longer interested in a royal, especially a young one, for something he can't help. You are of course entitled to your views and beliefs — but just saying something like "I wish his face wasn't changing; I always really enjoyed how he resembled Mathilde and I'm not fond of the Coburg look and to me it affects his charisma"...is basically what you meant, isn't it? People might say "I don't think his face has changed", but no one will say anything else.

And I hope there are other things you like about Gabriel, too, since you've followed him for so long.

 

[Mbruno]

If one is only interested in royals for their looks then that is their own business, but as for favorability, I hope the Belgian public will be cognizant that the favorability of a person's character is not measurable by their appearance.

I agree, but a harsh reality, which I believe is even backed by some statistical evidence (unfortunately I don't have a reference at hand), is that people who are good-looking have a head start and an advantage (everything else being equal) in many careers. And, of course, in some specific careers, being good-looking makes a great difference. I woudn't put royals exactly in the latter category, but I think looks may matter more to the royals than to people in some other professions, not in terms of their constitutional position (which is dependent on birth only), but certainly in terms of popularity, at least when they are young (older royals may be greatly popular for different reasons, because they are not so much celebrities as the younger ones are nowadays).

 

[Prinsara]

I agree, but a harsh reality, which I believe is even backed by some statistical evidence (unfortunately I don't have a reference at hand), is that people who are good-looking have a head start and an advantage (everything else being equal) in many careers. And, of course, in some specific careers, being good looking makes a great difference. I woudn't put royals exactly in the latter category, but I think looks may matter more to the royals than to people in some other professions, not in terms of their constitutional position (which is dependent on birth only), but certainly in terms of popularity, at least when they are young (older royals may be greatly popular for different reasons, because they are not so much celebrities as the younger ones are nowadays).

They are people we mainly tend to see (and "hear of") through countless images of them, so it's fairly natural to develop a degree of interest based on looks. Fortunately as humans we do not all find the same looks interesting!

 

[Moonmaiden23]

19th birthday of Prince Gabriel. New official photo.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1560854138178740226

Goodness...Philippe and Mathilde certainly do have handsome/beautiful offspring. Gabriel almost looks like a model in that photo.?

I still remember him as the sweet little boy crying at Queen Fabiola's funeral.

As far as who he and his sister Lisa might be dating, I hope we don't find out a thing until they are ready to announce their respective engagements.

That goes for Leonor of Spain and eventually the Cambridge children too.

Leave them alone.

 

[Stefanie]

To tell the truth I was a little surprised that both Elisabeth and Gabriel still spend holidays with their parents and siblings (apparently in Croatia a few weeks ago)