#belrf

"I tried to lead as normal a student life as possible here, and I benefited fully from that," Elisabeth says at the beginning of her first major interview. "I lived in an apartment with friends. I also did a lot of sports. I have many friends who are very athletic, so they encouraged me in that. Massachusetts is known as the 'running state,' the state where people run. So I did that too. I participated in the Cambridge Half Marathon. And together with a few friends, I went to New York to run the marathon there. What an incredible experience, because there was an amazing atmosphere on the streets. It is so typically American to cheer people on."

Did you feel free here?

E: I enjoyed not always being recognized on the street. It brought more spontaneity into my life.

That wouldn't have worked if you had studied in Belgium?

E: That would have been different, I think.

At Harvard you were Elisabeth, whereas at a university in Belgium you would be viewed as the heir to the throne?

E: My intention was to simply be Elisabeth here. That is why these were such important years for me. I think everyone here knew who I was, but I could be a student like the rest. Even if people knew, they didn't think it was strange. I was just sitting in class with them, after all.

Your father also studied in the United States, at Stanford in California. He described his time at Stanford University as “two of the best years of his life.” The freest, too, because he was not a prince, but simply Philip, the student. He made lifelong friendships and traveled extensively.

E: Whenever possible, I traveled extensively throughout the United States to see a reality different from that of Cambridge. Because Cambridge remains a microcosm, of course. I traveled to the West, the South, the surrounding states, and the Middle. And I hope to have made friends for life. To keep seeing them, I do need to travel more, or they need to come to Belgium. Because I was here with many different nationalities: from America, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia...

How do you see yourself as a student? Former teachers and professors told me that you are a hard worker. Intelligent and disciplined. They also emphasized your perfectionism.

E: That perfectionism is actually true to some extent. It is a character trait with good sides, but also bad ones. It is exhausting to always strive for that perfection. But that is just in my nature. I feel I was lucky enough to be able to study at Oxford and here, so I owed it to myself to get the most out of that experience. I worked hard. But I wasn't always the perfect or most disciplined student. I also had a life outside of university: going out with friends, doing fun things with them... I wasn't just sitting in the library studying.

Did you ever skip a class?

E: In that regard, I was respectful and set the bar high.

What is your fondest memory of Harvard?

E: There are so many! From an academic perspective: I was a teaching assistant to a professor who taught a course on Asia. I helped him with small tasks. It gave me a different view of university life. Very interesting. And personally: my sister came to visit me and we had a really nice time together. I could show her my student city.

Speaking of Eléonore, I remember the image of her running into your arms at the graduation ceremony in Oxford two years ago.

E: We get along well, we have a strong bond.

There are major tensions between President Donald Trump's administration and Harvard. Did you experience a peculiar atmosphere?

E: That is a difficult question, as you understand, because legal proceedings are still ongoing. What I can say is: it was a very uncertain situation for us. Quite stressful for the students. The university always reassured us and helped find solutions. Fortunately, calm returned.

Did the professors discuss that with you?

E: We talked about it occasionally, informally.

The international elite studies at Harvard. Have they changed your view of the world?

E: Naturally, I learned a lot, which automatically broadened my worldview. The United States is one of the world's centers of power. Viewing the world and Europe through the eyes of Americans made me think. I also learned a lot on a human level. Being surrounded by people who are very smart and work hard keeps me humble. It is inspiring.

What did you learn at Harvard about power relations? Many see the world changing for the worse; there are more dictatorships. Doesn't that make you feel discouraged as a future head of state?

E: There is a lot of uncertainty in the world at the moment. I experienced that firsthand here. But I really try to stay optimistic, because that is in my nature, and not to get discouraged. And I want to take that with me into my future role. We had a subject called 'applied history' - How can 'policy makers' draw lessons from the past and use them as 'tools' in their policy? Sorry that I speak half English. (laughs)

You were indeed sitting here at a pivotal moment in world history.

E: Indeed. It was interesting to discuss that with students from all walks of life and to gain their diverse insights. That broadened my perspective.

You have now graduated. What are your future plans?

E: My student days were very intense; I threw myself into it completely. I am now going to try to take a step back and develop myself in a different way. I might take a year or longer to think about that. Because I find it important to lay a solid foundation and not rush anything. I am going to do it step by step. And then I will start when the moment is right.

So you are not immediately starting work as an active heir to the throne. Are you going to continue your studies?

E: I think I will take a different path after my long academic career.

Are you going to travel?

E: I still have to receive my diploma. After that, I need some time to get everything organized. Everything still needs to be arranged.

It says in a newspaper that you are planning to cross the Atlantic Ocean on a sailboat…

E: I’ve heard that, yes. I would love it, but that’s not part of my plans at the moment, no. I still have to decide exactly what I’m going to do. First, I need to pick up my diploma. (laughs) 

Will you be doing internships or volunteer work then?

E: That is difficult to say, because I don't know exactly yet.

Do you know when you will assume your role as active Crown Princess, with your own court and an allowance? Do you want that soon, or not?

E: I don't know exactly yet. But nothing will change in that regard tomorrow. I will communicate about this in due course.

In the future, you will lead the Belgian trade missions, which is part of the duties of an heir to the throne. Pending that, will the Queen continue to do so ad interim?

E: For the time being, there are no major changes in that regard.

Surveys show that Belgians already have great confidence in you, despite your young age.

E: That is of course nice to hear, and I am grateful for it. But it also puts a bit of extra pressure on me, because high expectations are being created. I do feel that.

Part of those expectations has to do with the fact that you are becoming the first woman on the throne.

E: It will indeed be the first time, and from that perspective, it is historic. But my gender is not the only thing that defines me. It does mean, however, that I have no example of a reigning queen in Belgium to look up to. So that will be a challenge. But internationally, I am not the only one now. In my generation, there are several women... In other monarchies, you see a similar movement.

You mean that there are many young women ready to become queen in their country sooner or later: Amalia of the Netherlands, Leonor of Spain, Ingrid Alexandra of Norway...

E: Exactly. We are all in the same situation. It is a hurdle we will overcome together.

Crown Princess Amalia has even revealed that you have a WhatsApp group together.

E: We have known each other for a long time and meet occasionally at certain events.

‌Boston is known as a Democratic bastion. Did you become a feminist by studying here?

E: As I said: it will be the first time a woman ascends the throne in Belgium. I do think about that. But again: being a woman is not the only thing that defines me. I am a human being, and that is how I will fulfill my role in society.

But would you describe yourself as a feminist?

E: I find it difficult to put that label on myself. I strongly believe in equal opportunities for men and women. There is still a lot to be done in that area.

Over the past eight years, you have studied abroad for seven years: you attended secondary school at a boarding school in Wales, pursued higher studies in England, and until now in the United States. Do such experiences abroad awaken your Belgian sensibility?

E: You feel more Belgian when you are abroad. That is certainly the case for me. Especially in the United States, I realized that being Belgian also means being European, and that we Europeans have a lot in common. Belgians are open-minded and flexible. Americans do not know our country well enough. But those who do know it have a positive impression.

What do they associate Belgium with?

E: In this political environment: with European institutions and NATO in Brussels. And then, of course, the clichés: beer, fries, chocolate, waffles...

And what do Americans think of the monarchy as an institution?

E: A royal family is very far removed from American reality and their daily lives. They don't know it very well, and therefore don't really understand it either. So yes, I certainly got questions about it. That was a bit strange in my case, of course, but it was part of the deal.

What questions did they ask then?

E: None immediately spring to mind. I sometimes really had to sit down for a moment to explain the basic principles and workings of a monarchy to them, because it is a completely different system than here.

You will be back in Belgium soon. What are you looking forward to most?

E: A nice summer day in Brussels. Walking through the city. The past few years have been very intense.

What did you miss about Belgium during those seven years abroad?

E: Of course, my family and friends, and the dynamic I have with my brothers and sister. But also the feeling of coming home. I’ve discovered that I only truly feel at home in Belgium — that is precisely why I was able to study so far from home. Belgians do have a certain spontaneity, warmth, and friendliness. And that typical Belgian humor, that’s hard to explain. And then there are the little things, like the chocolate. Really. Have you ever tasted American or English chocolate? It really isn’t the same as the Belgian kind.

Others can go and live abroad, or at least dream of it. Your future as heir to the throne and future queen lies irrevocably in Belgium. Is that a limitation?

E: I don’t see that as a limitation. I’m actually quite happy to know what I’m going to do for the rest of my life. Many people live in uncertainty; they don’t know where they are going. In a way, it is beautiful to know: this is my path, it leads there. I am giving myself the time now to travel and do other things. That gives me mental freedom, because I know that I will eventually return to the place where I grew up and where I come from.

What sacrifices have you already had to make in your life as crown princess?

E: Of course, I didn't have the most normal childhood and perhaps less freedom than a normal person. But on the other hand, I have already been given many opportunities because of it. That is how I see it.

Do you feel like you missed out on something in your youth?

E: No, because I have always known it would be this way. If you are born with something, it feels different than when it happens to you later in life. I have a certain sense of responsibility by nature. I think that has shaped me into who I am and how I view the world.

Did you meet people or experience things that your peers will never experience?

E: Of course, I get the chance to meet certain people and learn from them. Earlier this year, for example, I attended a reception with representatives of NATO and the European Union. It was very interesting to follow the conversations there. And my meeting with Barack Obama, when he was visiting my father, was also memorable.

‌ What life lesson did you learn from your parents?

E: Be humble and work hard.

Did they also pass on those values ​​and norms to your brothers, Princes Gabriel and Emmanuel, and your sister, Princess Eléonore?

E: We were really raised *together*. Like brothers and sisters. We didn’t receive any individual advice. The four of us are very close, so I can’t wait to see them again. As we get older, everyone goes their own way a bit, with their own agenda. That makes it extra special now every time we are all together.

Have you already discussed the succession to the throne with your father?

E: I am graduating this week. That question has not come up yet.

You have already discussed the later transfer of power with the King, haven't you?

E: Everything in its own time. I think he does a great job, and I am very satisfied with my role. So there you have it, the subject isn't on the agenda at all yet.

Is the outside world more concerned with that than you are?