Prince Gabriel of Belgium, the tree of Belgium

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20 August 2003 marks the birth of Gabriel Baudouin Marie Prince of Belgium. This took place at the Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht. 




Family


Prince Gabriel is the eldest son and second child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. He has an elder sister Elisabeth, a younger brother Emmanuel and a younger sister Eléonore. 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.

Prince Gabriel is a member of the royal family of Belgium, founded by King Leopold I (born as a Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha)


Prince Gabriel 
=> King Philippe
 =>King Albert II
=>King Leopold III 
=> King Albert I
=> Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders
=> King Leopold I

Names


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.


Education


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 International 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 "Gabriël van Saksen-Coburg". In 2023 he starts his 2nd. year at the Royal Military Academy of Belgium. 

Gabriel speaks Dutch, French and English.



Duty


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 prayer intentions at his great-aunt Queen Fabiola's funeral in December 2014. 

With his mother Queen Mathilde and sister Princess Elisabeth he 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 Eléonore 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 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. 

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


Hobby


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 [nl],
a Belgian hockey club based in Evere but decided to quit hockey in 2019 to focus on his school work.


Rumors

The booklets launched rumors that Prince Gabriel would have "something" with Crown Princess Amalia of the Netherlands. Of course this is a rumor because little is known about the  private life of this prince. 


💥 Due to his lenght, Prince Gabriel is often called the tree of  Belgium. 


Anyway I'm very curious, how his royal future will be! Happy B-Day! 


The pictures of Prince Gabriel were taken by Bjorn Hoex during the National Day of Belgium of 2023. 



coat of arms of Prince Gabriel
Source picture: Wikipedia

Location: Brussel, België

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