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28th Oct 2019
Over the weekend, Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, stepped out to celebrate her 18th birthday. But unlike the average teen, who favours a night out with her nearest and dearest to mark the milestone birthday, the Belgian royal swapped the traditional rite of passage for something a little more formal and a whole lot more public.
In what turned out to be a family and national affair, the princess joined relatives—including her father, King Philippe, mother Queen Mathilde, and siblings Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore—and state officials, along with a group of 80 teenagers, who also share the royal’s 2001 birth year, in a grand celebration at the Royal Palace in Brussels, as reported by People.
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Queen Mathilde, King Philippe and King Albert II of Belgium sitting with Princess Elisabeth at her 18th birthday celebrations. Image credit: Getty Images
The Royal Ballet School of Antwerp performed at the party along with Belgium’s 2017 Eurovision entry, Blanche. And when the princess stepped up to deliver her birthday speech, it was a moment that was broadcast live to the entire country on three different national television stations.
“These 18 years have been filled with many rewarding moments that have made me the person I am today,” said the royal, according to the publication, who also went on to give her parents a grateful nod: “Thanks mama for your presence and your listening ear. Thanks dad for your trust. I know I can always count on you.”
The Princess stood before the Belgian Royal Family, government officials and her peers to give her birthday speech. Image credit: Getty Images
So what exactly makes Princess Elisabeth’s 18th birthday worthy of such a celebration? Following the abdication of the Belgian throne by her paternal grandfather, King Albert II, and the subsequent crowning of her father as the reigning monarch, Princess Elisabeth in turn became heir apparent to the throne as King Philippe’s first-born.
Following Belgian law, now that Princess Elisabeth is 18, she is officially old enough to rule without the aid of a regent, meaning if her parents were both to pass or step down, the princess will become a monarch in her own right, as confirmed by the publication. And this historical moment is only made all the more significant by the fact that, if the young royal does indeed ascend, she will officially become Belgium’s first queen regnant.
“[It is] a step that I take with great optimism,” Princess Elisabeth noted in her birthday speech, referencing her newly-found eligibility to the throne. “I realize that I still have a lot to learn. I will also focus on that in the coming years: trying to understand the world better—and helping to improve it, by giving the best of myself.”
Continuing, she assured all watching on that she was up for the momentous task: “The country can count on me.” As is custom with most landmark royal occasions, Princess Elisabeth joined her family for a series of portraits following the celebration.
In an instance of left-of-centre gifts for an 18-year-old, the princess—who is currently studying at UWC Atlantic College in Wales—received the honour of appearing on an official postage stamp, in addition to lending her name to the North Sea windmill farm set to open within the next 10 years, now dubbed ‘Princess Elisabeth Park’.
We’d be happy with a bottle of bubbly, if we’re honest.