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At the time of his 20th birthday, Prince Gabriel of Belgium can tell himself that he is, in his modest way, part of history.
Because in any previous generation of the Belgian royal family, he would have been the direct heir to the throne.
The royal family adopted absolute primogeniture in 1991, which means heiresses are allowed to ascend the throne over their younger brothers.
This puts Elisabeth, who is a year older, in the front line behind their father, King Philip.
Not that it seems to have diminished his sense of duty in any way.
Prince Gabriel at the Royal Garden Party to celebrate King Philip’s 10th Jubilee at Laeken Castle in Brussels, Belgium in May
King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde with their children Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Éléonore during Belgian National Day 2022
Queen Mathilde with her newborn son Gabriel two days after his birth in August 2003
Prince Gabriel, currently enrolled at the Royal Military Academy of Belgium, appears to be a model student who speaks three languages fluently, loves sport and is committed to charity.
Whatever personal life he has cultivated so far has gone unnoticed.
Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie was born on August 20, 2003 in Anderlech.
He has two younger siblings, Prince Emmanuel, 17, and Princess Eléonore, 15.
The prince was christened at the spectacular Château de Ciergnon in Wallonia, the royal family’s country retreat.
His uncle Count Charles-Henri d’Udekem d’Acoz and his first cousin Baroness Maria Cristina von Freyberg-Eisenberg were godparents.
The Belgian and British royal families have blood ties that date back to before Queen Victoria.
King Chares and King Philip share a common ancestor: Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.
The Royal Palace of Belgium recently shared a new portrait of Princess Elisabeth and Prince Gabriel ahead of Belgium’s National Day parade.
Prince Gabriel at the opening ceremony of the academic year of the Royal Military School in October 2022
Mathilde and Philippe with their two eldest children Gabriel and Elisabeth in June 2005
Elisabeth, Eleonore, Gabriel and Emmanuel pose during a royal visit to the Tombeau du Géant in Bouillon, Belgium, in June 2020
He was the grandfather of Queen Victoria, as well as the father of King Leopold I of the Belgians.
Leopold I, first king of the relatively new Belgian monarchy, was Queen Victoria’s uncle.
Prince Gabriel spent his early years studying at St John Berchmans College in Brussels before completing his secondary education at the International School of Brussels, a private English-speaking school.
During this period, he lived at the Royal Palace of Laeken in Brussels, the main residence of the Belgian royal family.
From September 2021, Gabriel completed a one-year preparatory course in Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics at the National Mathematics and Science College, Warwickshire.
A year later, the Palace announced that Prince Gabriel would enroll at the Royal Military Academy of Belgium to study social and military sciences.
Prince Gabriel attends the Te Deum in Brussels on Belgian National Day 2023
The Belgian royal family and their four children celebrating the New Year in December 2008
Gabriel and Queen Mathilde during the parade of blue berets after passing the military initiation phase and receiving a blue beret, September 30, 2022
In September 2022, the Prince received his blue beret after successfully completing his military initiation phase under the name “Gabriël van Saksen-Coburg”.
This year, on the occasion of the Belgian National Day, Gabriel and Elisabeth joined their comrades from the Royal Military Academy to march through the streets of Belgium.
For the occasion, the Royal Palace of Belgium released two new portraits of King Philippe and his two eldest children, where the older members of the family wore formal military uniforms.
Elisabeth and Gabriel wore matching black uniforms with red stripes and gold ornaments, echoing the colors of their country.
It’s not the only royal engagement for the prince who is fluent in Dutch, French and English, as he joined his parents in many public engagements.
The 20-year-old also regularly volunteers in his home country. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prince Gabriel had telephone conversations with isolated elderly people in residential care centers.
Gabriel and Crown Princess Elisabeth pictured during the Blue Berets parade in Brussels
The Royal Palace of Belgium has shared a portrait of King Philippe with his two eldest children, dressed in military uniform
Prince Gabriel and King Philippe pictured departing Melsbroek military airport, Steenokkerzeel, in April
He is an accomplished pianist and sportsman with interests in hockey, sailing, skiing, cycling, tennis and sailing.
Although he is often placed in the spotlight, Gabriel’s private life remains very secret.
Like his sister, Gabriel has waived his annual government salary until he begins working full-time as a member of the royal family.