BRUSSELS — Princess Elisabeth of Belgium may be forced to pause her graduate studies at Harvard University following a controversial move by U.S. President Donald Trump to bar the Ivy League school from enrolling international students.
The Belgian Royal Palace confirmed Friday that the 23-year-old heir to the throne, who just completed her first year in Harvard’s Master in Public Policy program, is now uncertain whether she can return in the fall.
“We are looking into the situation, to see what kind of impact this decision might have on the princess, or not. It’s too early to say right now,” said palace spokesperson Xavier Baert. He noted the princess is currently back in Belgium for the summer.
The Trump administration’s decision, part of an intensifying clash with Harvard, has upended the futures of thousands of foreign students. The government revoked Harvard’s ability to host international enrollees, ordering visa holders to transfer or leave the country.
Harvard responded swiftly, filing a federal lawsuit in Boston on Friday, arguing that the move violates constitutional protections and threatens immediate harm to the university and over 7,000 international students on visas.
Princess Elisabeth, who is next in line to the Belgian throne and the eldest daughter of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, previously earned a history and politics degree from Oxford University.
With international students comprising over a quarter of Harvard’s student body, the university’s legal challenge could have broad implications—both for global academic exchange and for students like the Belgian princess.
