Princess Elisabeth of Belgium Takes Inspiration from Princess Kate in 23rd Birthday Snaps

The royal, who is heir to the Belgian throne, recently enrolled at Harvard.

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium wears a royal blue turtle neck at the Royal Palace on December 19, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium
(Image credit: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Getty Images)

Princess Elisabeth, also known as the Duchess of Brabant, recently celebrated her 23rd birthday. The Princess is the heir apparent to the Belgian throne and it seems she may be drawing inspiration from Kate Middleton when it comes to her style choices.

The official Belgian royal palace Instagram account shared a post dedicated to Princess Elisabeth's 23rd birthday. In the photos, the Princess could be seen wearing black suede boots with a coordinated midi skirt and wrap vest set from Parisian brand Ba&sh. She accessorized the outfit with gold hoop earrings, and she wore her hair in loose curls.

The caption read, "Princess Elisabeth celebrates her 23rd spring today! Thank you (from the USA) for the birthday wishes!"

Princess Elisabeth enrolled at Harvard University in Boston in September, where she is studying for a Masters in Public Policy, via Tatler. Prior to moving to the U.S., Elisabeth completed a degree in History and Politics at Lincoln College, Oxford University.

As the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, the 23-year-old Princess Elisabeth is next in line for the throne. She was raised alongside three siblings—Prince Gabriel, 20, Prince Emmanuel, 18, and Princess Eleonore, 15.

In March 2023, Elisabeth gave her first ever interview during an official royal visit to Egypt, as reported by Belga News Agency. Elisabeth commended the work being carried out at the Dayr-al-Barsha by archaeologists from Leuven University, and paid tribute to her family members.

The Crown Princess Elisabeth wears a graduation gown with pumps after finishing her degree in History and Politics at Lincoln College, University of Oxford

(Image credit: POOL MISCHA SCHOEMAKER/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

"They are both inspirational figures for me," Elisabeth said of her mother, Queen Mathilde, and her great-great-grandmother, Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, who died in 1965. "I admire Queen Elisabeth very much. She was adventurous and had a passion for Egypt, but also for music. She was also socially committed. Gladly, I might want to be like her in the future."

She continued, "But I also hope to learn from my mom. She is energetic, dynamic, and passionate about listening to people and highlighting their job."

Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.