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. His godparents are his maternal uncle, Count Charles-Henri d’Udekem d’Acoz (b. 1985), and his second paternal second cousin, Baroness Maria Christina von Freyberg-Eisenberg (b. 1965).

King Philippe remarked in an interview that he chose the name Gabriel — unprecedented within the royal family — not only for its beauty, brevity, and strength, but also for its symbolic resonance across the three major monotheistic religions. The prince was named in the honour of his great-uncle King Baudouin of Belgium, his godfather and maternal uncle Count Charles-Henri, and the Virgin Mary, whose name holds traditional significance in Catholic royal naming conventions.

Gabriel's elder sister, Princess Elisabeth, precedes him in the line of succession to the Belgian throne, in accordance with the 1991 adoption of absolute primogeniture. He also has two younger siblings: Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore. Prince Gabriel was raised at the Royal Palace of Laeken, the official residence of the Belgian royal family. In September 2019, Gabriel was transferred to the English-language International School of Brussels, a private school in Watermael-Boitsfort. After completing his secondary studies, he took a one-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. Among the 162nd promotion, he received his blue beret in September 2022 and was trained under the name "Gabriël van Saksen-Coburg". In August 2024, Gabriel, as part of his training at the Royal Military Academy, started a five-month training at the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr in Coëtquidan, France, to study geopolitics.

Prince Gabriel speaks Dutch, French and English. Prince Gabriel read the prayer intentions at his great-aunt Queen Fabiola's funeral in December 2014. Gabriel, 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 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 honour 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.

Prince Gabriel has been involved in the Scouts since he was eight years old and has become a patrol leader in the last few years. 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.

Titles, styles, honours, and arms His Royal Highness Prince Gabriel of Belgium

Prince Gabriel does not hold a personal title as younger princes were previously accustomed to receive in the past (such as Count of Flanders or Prince of Liège).

Honours

National

Military ranks 30 September 2022 – 30 September 2025: Officer cadet, The Royal Military Academy. year_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 = 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.