Belgium’s future queen, Princess Elisabeth, will be allowed to continue her studies at Harvard University this fall following uncertainty over President Trump’s crackdown on international student enrollment.
The 23-year-old royal is enrolled at the Ivy League school to study public policy in a two-year master’s program, which aims to prepare students for a “successful career in public service.”
Elisabeth wrapped up her first year at the university in May — but faced the risk of being sent back to Belgium after the commander in chief cut billions in federal funding and moved to restrict the institution’s ability to enroll foreigners.
After a Massachusetts judge ordered the federal government not to make any changes to the prestigious college’s student visa program, a Belgian journalist close to the situation has confirmed the royal’s plan of action.
“There are no concrete reasons why she would not be able to return to Harvard in September,” Belgian royal journalist, Wim Dehandschutter, told Hello! magazine on Tuesday.
The reporter told the outlet that the Belgian palace had told him that the princess was optimistic about her future at the prestigious school, but would have equally continued her studies online if the ban was upheld.
According to Dehandschutter, palace officials faced a delicate diplomatic challenge in responding to Trump’s directive.
“I think the royal palace is keeping communication understated because they don’t want to create a fuss or scandal,” he told the outlet.
“I suspect they don’t want to create tensions with the US. The ban on foreign studies was a decision of President Trump, a head of state like King Philippe and therefore a ‘colleague.’”
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Still, Dehandschutter said the palace is “happy that a solution has been found.”
“They were in a difficult situation,” he went on. “Even if Trump were to make an exception for Elisabeth, because she is the daughter of a reigning king and a future queen herself, that would send a strange message from the royal family and could lead to significant criticism that they condone discrimination against other students.”
Elisabeth, who also goes by the title of Duchess of Brabant in her home country, was just one of the thousands of international students at the university who eagerly awaited the results of the square-off.
At the time, the Belgian Royal Palace spoke out on the uncertainty, saying it was too soon to tell the outcome of the dispute.
“Princess Elisabeth has just completed her first year. The impact of [the Trump administration’s] decision will only become clearer in the coming days/weeks,” Lore Vandoorne, a spokesperson for the Belgian Royal House said in a statement. We are currently investigating the situation.”
“We are analyzing this at the moment and will let things settle. A lot can still happen in the coming days and weeks,” the palace’s communication director, Xavier Baert, added.
The princess is the heir to the Belgian throne, being the eldest of four children born to King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.
Before enrolling at Harvard, Elisabeth earned a history and politics degree from the University of Oxford in England.
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