Prince Gabriel of Belgium
Prince Gabriel of Belgium; 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 at 1:15 am CET 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 by Cardinal Godfried Danneels, the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels. His godparents are his maternal uncle Count Charles-Henri d'Udekem d'Acoz (born 1985); and his paternal second cousin, Baroness Maria Christina von Freyberg-Eisenberg (born 1965). King Philippe stated in an interview that he finds the name Gabriel, which is new in the royal family, not only beautiful, short and powerful, but also the name unites the three major religious traditions. 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 Catholic royalty).
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 Eleonore. He lives with his parents and siblings at the Royal Palace of Laeken.
Gabriel was a student at St John Berchmans College until 2019, where the instruction is in Dutch, in the Marolles district of Brussels, the capital of Belgium. From 2019 to 2021, he finished his secondary education at the Internation School of Brussels (ISB), an English-language private school in Watermael-Boitsfort. From September 2021, he is taking a 1-year preparatory A-Level course in mathematics, further mathematics, and physics at The National Mathematics and Science College, a STEM-oriented sixth form college in Warwickshire, England. In August 2022, the Royal Family announced that Gabriel will attend the Royal Military Academy of Belgium, studying social and military sciences in Dutch and will be a part of the 162nd class. In September 2022, the Prince received his blue beret and trained under the name "Gabriel van Saksen-Coburg." Gabriel speaks Dutch, French and English.
In August 2013, Prince Gabriel accompanied his father King Philippe to a European Hockey Championship match in Boom, in which Belgium played (and won) against Germany. Prince Gabriel read the player intentions at his great-aunt Queen Fabiola's funeral in December 2014. He with his mother Queen Mathilde and sister Princess Elisabeth attended the finals of the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition on 12 May 2018.
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. In December 2020, Prince Gabriel with his sister Princess Eleonore volunteered at a convenience store and a warehouse in Ghent. In June 2021, Prince Gabriel accompanied his father King Philippe on a visit to the 15Wing Air Transport at Military Airport Melsbroek. In April 2023, Prince Gabriel accompanied King Philippe on a visit to French Guiana, where they witnessed the launch of the Ariane 5 rocket from the Kourou Space Center. In May 2023, the Prince attended a garden party in honor of his father's reign's tenth anniversary. On 21 July 2023, he and his sister Elisabeth were among the fellow students of the Royal Military Academy Belgium to parade during the Belgian National Day. He has been involved in the Scouts since he was eight year old and has become a patrol leader in the last few years.
Prince Gabriel plays the piano. He likes to practice taekwondo, football, cycling, tennis, swimming, skiing, sailing and hiking. He was a member of Royal Evere White Star Hockey Club, a Belgian hockey club based in Evere but decided to quit hockey in 2019 to focus on his school work.
Title
20 August 2003-present His Royal Highness Prince Gabriel of Belgium
Military Ranks
30 September 2022-present: Officer Cadet, The Royal Military Academy
House: Belgium
Religion: Roman Catholic
