Did Princess Elisabeth use her Royal title during graduation?

The future Queen of Belgium, Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, has officially graduated from Harvard University. But did she walk the commencement stage using her royal title? Here is how the Ivy League school recognized the royal graduate.

The Belgian royal family celebrated a major milestone as Crown Princess Elisabeth completed her post-graduate studies in the United States. Walking alongside her classmates at the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School, the 24-year-old heir apparent officially received her Master’s degree in Public Policy (MPP).

However, royal watchers quickly noticed a fascinating detail about how the future monarch was introduced during the commencement ceremonies.

How Harvard Addressed Princess Elisabeth

Despite her status as the future Queen of Belgium, Princess Elisabeth chose to blend in with her fellow Ivy League peers. At the commencement ceremony, Harvard University opted to use her traditional academic name rather than her grand royal titles.

On the official graduation roster and during the roll call, she was recognized simply as Elisabeth de Saxe-Cobourg—dropping “Princess” and her title “Duchess of Brabant” to keep the focus strictly on her academic achievements.

Going by a simplified name is a common practice for modern European royals studying abroad. While on campus in Boston, reports indicated that the princess closely integrated into student life and was affectionately known by her friends and peers by the casual nickname “Lizzie.”

Proud Royal Parents in Attendance

The multi-day Ivy League graduation events were a family affair. Princess Elisabeth’s parents, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, traveled to Massachusetts to support their eldest daughter.

The Belgian Royal Palace shared historic, heartwarming photos of the proud parents posing with Elisabeth, who looked radiant in her traditional black and red Harvard graduation robes. Underneath her gown, the fashion-forward royal opted for an elegant white summer dress by The Kooples for the main ceremony, following a floral Maje Paris silk dress she wore to the Kennedy School Awards ceremony the day prior.

A Look Back at Princess Elisabeth’s Academic Journey

Princess Elisabeth’s graduation from Harvard marks the completion of a rigorous seven-year journey of studying abroad, building an impressive educational foundation tailored for a future head of state:

2020: Earned her International Baccalaureate from UWC Atlantic College in Wales.

2021: Completed a year of Military and Social Sciences at the Royal Military Academy in Belgium.

2024: Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in History and Politics from Lincoln College, Oxford University.

2026: Awarded a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, which she attended as a prestigious Fulbright Honorary Award recipient.

What is Next for the Future Queen?

With degrees from both Oxford and Harvard under her belt, Elisabeth is taking a well-deserved breathing room before fully stepping into her full-time duties as a working royal. Belgian outlets report that the future queen is planning a gap year, which includes a sailing trip across the Atlantic Ocean slated for late autumn.