Prince Gabriel of Belgium

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Prince Gabriel
Gabriël van België.png
Gabriel in 2015
Born (2003-08-20) 20 August 2003 (age 18)
Erasmus Hospital, Anderlecht, Brussels, Belgium
Names
French: Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie
Dutch: Gabriël Boudewijn Karel Maria
HouseBelgium
FatherPhilippe of Belgium
MotherMathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz

Prince Gabriel of Belgium (French: Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie, Dutch: Gabriël Boudewijn Karel Maria; born 20 August 2003) is the elder son and second child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. He is currently second in line to the throne of Belgium after his elder sister, Elisabeth.

Life[]

Prince Gabriel was born on 20 August 2003 in the Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht, Brussels. He was christened at Ciergnon Castle, one of the royal family’s summer residences, on 25 October 2003.[1] His godparents are his maternal uncle Count Charles-Henri d'Udekem d'Acoz; and his paternal second cousin, Baroness Maria Christina von  [de].[1] He was named after his great-uncle King Baudouin of Belgium, his maternal uncle and godfather Count Charles-Henri d’Udekem d’Acoz and Virgin Mary (traditional name in Catholic royalty).[1]

Gabriel’s older sister, Elisabeth, precedes him in the line of succession following the 1991 adoption of absolute primogeniture. He also has a younger brother, Prince Emmanuel, and a younger sister, Princess Eléonore. He lives with his parents and siblings at the Royal Palace of Laeken.[2]

Gabriel was a student at St John Berchmans College until 2019,[3] where the instruction is in Dutch, in the Marolles district of Brussels, the capital of Belgium. French and English are also part of his education.[2] From 2019 to 2021, he studied at the International School of Brussels (ISB), an English-language private school in Watermael-Boitsfort.[4] On his 18th birthday, the palace announced that from September 2021, he will study for one year at , a STEM-oriented sixth form college in Warwickshire, England.[5] He has chosen Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics as his A-level subjects.[2]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prince Gabriel had conversations over the phone with elderly people in residential care centers in order to encourage and support them.[2] On 21 July 2021, Prince Gabriel and his younger siblings accompanied their parents on a visit to the National Center for Multiple Sclerosis and a center for people with disabilities during the Belgian National Day.[6] He has been involved in the Scouts since he was eight years old and has become a patrol leader in the last few years.[2]

Prince Gabriel plays the piano. He likes to practice taekwondo, football, cycling, tennis, swimming, skiing, sailing and hiking.[4][2] He was also a member of  [nl], a Belgian hockey club based in Evere[7][2] but decided to quit hockey in 2019 to focus on his school work.[7]

Arms[]

Coat of arms of Prince Gabriel of Belgium hide
Coat of arms of a Prince of Belgium.svg
Notes
As a Prince of Belgium and a descendant of King Leopold I, the Prince is entitled to use a coat of arms which was stipulated in the Royal Decree of King Philippe in 2019.[8]
Adopted
12 July 2019
Coronet
Princely crown of Belgium
Escutcheon
Sable, a lion rampant or, armed and langued gules (Belgium), on the shoulder an escutcheon barry of ten sable and or, a crancelin vert (Wettin), overall a bordure or.
Supporters
Two lions guardant proper
Motto
French: L'union fait la force
Dutch: Eendracht maakt macht
German: Einigkeit macht stark
Other elements
The whole is placed on a mantle purpure with ermine lining, fringes and tassels or and ensigned with the Royal crown of Belgium.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Mastrostefano, Maddalena (20 August 2021). "Who is Prince Gabriel of Belgium?". Royal Central. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "Prince Gabriel". The Belgian Monarchy Official Website.
  3. ^ "PRINCESS ELISABETH, THE FUTURE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS". royalfashionblog.com. 29 October 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2020. Princess Elisabeth and Prince Gabriel of Belgium arrive at Sint Jan Berchmans College to attend the first day of the new scholar year on 3 September 2007 in the Brussels.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "WHO IS PRINCE GABRIEL OF BELGIUM?". royalfashionblog.com. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Weinig studenten en flinke som inschrijvingsgeld: jarige prins Gabriël vertrekt naar privécollege in Engeland". www.nieuwsblad.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  6. ^ Fontain, Nicolas (22 July 2021). "Gabriel, Emmanuel et Eléonore de Belgique rencontrent des personnes vulnérables le jour de la fête nationale" [Gabriel, Emmanuel and Eléonore of Belgium meet vulnerable people on National Day]. histoiresroyales.fr. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Dekkers, Laura (24 August 2019). "Prince Gabriël of Belgium quits hockey". royalcentral.co.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  8. ^ Philippe, Koning der Belgen (12 July 2019). "Koninklijk besluit houdende vaststelling van het wapen van het Koninklijk Huis en van zijn leden" (PDF). Moniteur Belge/ Belgisch Staatsblad. Retrieved 24 July 2019.

External links[]

Prince Gabriel of Belgium
Born: 20 August 2003
Lines of succession
Preceded by
The Duchess of Brabant 		Line of succession to the Belgian throne
2nd position 		Succeeded by
Prince Emmanuel of Belgium
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