P. Elisabeth, P. Gabriël, P. Emmanuel and P. Eléonore - News and Pictures Part 3

[HereditaryPrincess]

Great photos, thanks iceflower for sharing.
Wow, Elisabeth has changed a lot! She looks so much older than her last appearance. Is she nearly finishing secondary school? In Britain she would be starting Year 10, which is the penultimate year of secondary school (after secondary school pupils go onto sixth form, for ages 16-18, or college). I don't know how the Belgian system works.

 

[cdm]

Elisabeth goes to the 3rd year of secondary school, Gabriel to his 1st year.
Eléonore goes to the 2nd year of elementary school, Emmanuel to his 5th year.

In Belgium it's 3 or 4 years of pre school (2,5 - 5 years old) then 6 years of elementary school (6 - 12) then 6 years of secondary school (12 - 18 years old) then off to university or college.

 

[TLLK]

Great photos, thanks iceflower for sharing.
Wow, Elisabeth has changed a lot! She looks so much older than her last appearance. Is she nearly finishing secondary school? In Britain she would be starting Year 10, which is the penultimate year of secondary school (after secondary school pupils go onto sixth form, for ages 16-18, or college). I don't know how the Belgian system works.

I noticed that her looks have certainly changed in the last few months. Amazing how this can happen in just a blink of an eye.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Both Gabriel and Elisabeth are already at the height of their tall father's shoulders!

It's safe to say with two tall parents these kids will be quite tall themselves.

 

[Blog Real]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj1tWukwnC0&spfreload=10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As3VTYBrmVI

 

[polyesco]

Is this a new picture for his 10th birthday a few days ago
https://scontent-mad1-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=5e4b55d4b992c1b97246abc27091b339&oe=56A4F6AB

 

[eya]

Thanks polyesco. A liitle gentleman already

 

[stephanievl]

New picture of Elisabeth released for her 14th birthday

 

[Princess Robijn]

She's becoming a lady. Her hair looks a bit messy.

 

[amaryllus]

Yes it does but she has that last little bit of childhood informality to enjoy before she has to be perfectly coiffed and polished like the adult Royal ladies. She is a lovely poised young lady that will make her family and country proud I am positive. Wishing her the best 14th year ever!

 

[rominet09]

Lovely girl or I should say teenager....

 

[Molly2101]

I still can't believe Elisabeth is 14. I don't want the royal children to grow up!

Hope she had a lovely birthday.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Not the best photo I've seen of the young Duchesse de Brabant...the "bedhead" hairstyle is unfortunate.

But Princess Elisabeth is truly blossoming. She is poised and smart and lovely. Philippe and Mathilde must be extremely proud of their Heir!

 

[grevinnan]

How sickening that a young girl with her beautiful hair flowing naturally is labelled "bedhead" and "messy". Those comments are simply cruel. Is a 14 year old supposed to be using hairspray, gel and/or mousse in order for her hair to look "perfect"? There should be no surprise that royal families more and more maintain complete control of where and when their children may be photographed.

 

[IloveCP]

She seems like a lovely and smart girl. I wonder what she's like and thinks of her future role. I can't wait to see her blossom into her role and participate in state visits, public duties, and doing interviews.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Don't you think you are overreacting a bit, grevinnan? Most of the comments here are lavish praise for the young princess...her poise, her loveliness, her parents probable pride in her, her preparation for her role.

One or two(valid) comments mildly remarking about her slightly messy hair, in ONE photo... are hardly cause to accuse posters who have expressed overwhelming praise for Elisabeth of being "sickening cruel".

Maybe we just have different understandings of what cruelty is. I have examples. They don't exist here on TRF, I can assure you.

 

[amaryllus]

Thanks for saying that;Her hair is a bit windblown and that is just fact. Nothing cruel about that. In her life It may well be She may know real cruelty from an unforgiving press and Internet. This is not it.

 

[casualfan]

Don't you think you are overreacting a bit, grevinnan? Most of the comments here are lavish praise for the young princess...her poise, her loveliness, her parents probable pride in her, her preparation for her role.

One or two(valid) comments mildly remarking about her slightly messy hair, in ONE photo... are hardly cause to accuse posters who have expressed overwhelming praise for Elisabeth of being "sickening cruel".

Maybe we just have different understandings of what cruelty is. I have examples. They don't exist here on TRF, I can assure you.

Calling her hair messy and "bedhead" is ridiculous, though. She's clearly standing outside, and her hair isn't plastered to her head or perfectly coiffed within an inch of its life. Wouldn't it be kind of weird if every photograph made these kids look like Stepford children?

Personally, I strongly disagree with a lot of people's seeming obsession that hair has to have the helmet- or glue-like quality with not a strand out of place. That's frankly impossible without a hair net or a bottle of Aqua Net, or unless modern monarchies decide to bring back the sedan chair as a mode of transportation.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Nobody likes helmet hair especially on kids/teens, but for a portrait that was meant to mark Elisabeth's birthday I think her hair looked slightly messy...yes I do.

Simply an observation, not a condemnation of a girl I have often called one of the most poised princesses on the Royal scene.

 

[leidi]

I think the "messiness" gives the photo some charm, since Elisabeth always looks so poised, so "perfect", shows a more "human" side of her so to speak.

I like it

 

[wartenberg7]

I like the photo. It´s a very natural, non-artificial look. But comparing to most 14 years old girls I know she looks very young (rather like 11 or 12)!

 

[amaryllus]

I wonder if she has started wearing a little light make up yet. 14 is the usual time to start nowadays I think.

 

[Mbruno]

I like the photo. It´s a very natural, non-artificial look. But comparing to most 14 years old girls I know she looks very young (rather like 11 or 12)!

Indeed ! Her brother. Gabriel, who is 12, often looks older than Elisabeth when the two are together. That is somewhat odd as girls often mature earlier than boys. I guess we will see her blossom as a young lady very soon though.

Like other posters, I too wonder how children from royal families feel about their role and their place in society. In the past, royal children had a secluded life as they were homeschooled and had little contact with "normal" people outside the palace. Nowadays, that is no longer the case as royal kids go to regular schools, have friends, play sports, and do everything regular children or teenagers do. Still, they are different from everyone else. The simple thought of being born in a family that has ruled the country for several generations would be overwhelming to me and, in the case of the heir specifically, who grows up knowing he or she will eventually become the Head of State, it would be terrifying. I guess that, not having gone through that experience myself, it is impossible for me to imagine how it feels like.

 

[eya]

There they play an important role the parents of each child . And namely Philip and Mathilde i think doing wonderful work with Elizabeth.

 

[stephanievl]

Royalty made a reportage about the princess.

Fourteen she is today, Elizabeth, Crown Princess of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant. But titles or not, puberty spares no one of that age. Strangely enough, without much apparent problems with her. She has a special gift, says Peter Adriaansens, child psychiatrist and chairman of the Queen Mathilde Fund. Adriaansens is a confidant of the family. A snapshot at the crossroads between girl and woman.

Clip

 

[amaryllus]

This child has always been an old soul.This has benefits as well as disadvantages

 

[Mbruno]

Royalty made a reportage about the princess.



Clip

As seen in the clip, the Royal Domain of Laeken is really an amazing place for children to live in. It reminds us of the many privileges that also come with royal responsibilities. I also agree with Eva that Mathilde in particular looks like a wonderful mother.

 

[grevinnan]

Don't you think you are overreacting a bit, grevinnan? Most of the comments here are lavish praise for the young princess...her poise, her loveliness, her parents probable pride in her, her preparation for her role.

One or two(valid) comments mildly remarking about her slightly messy hair, in ONE photo... are hardly cause to accuse posters who have expressed overwhelming praise for Elisabeth of being "sickening cruel".

Maybe we just have different understandings of what cruelty is. I have examples. They don't exist here on TRF, I can assure you.

To label the free and flowing hair on a 14 year old "bedhead" is absolutely cruel. No different from calling her fat or ugly. That kind of attitude should under no circumstances be directed at a young person (if toward anyone at all).

 

[Moonmaiden23]

You have a right to your opinion, but why did you not bother to comment on or agree with any of the many positive things said about the girl...her beauty and poise for example....instead of choosing to berate and wag your finger for a relatively mild comment on the condition of her hair? And I repeat, if you find that comment cruel I suspect you live a very sheltered Internet existence.


eya, I agree with you 100%. I think of all the current generation Royal couples Philippe and Mathilde have done the best job of preparing their Heir. She strikes a perfect balance between happy childhood and poised Royal.

 

[Sunnystar]

I would just like to state that if some of you consider Elisabeth's hair "messy" or "bedhead"-like in that photo, I shudder to imagine the criticism you would level at her if she wore her hair in the very trendy "messy bun" style. Personally, I abhor that particular look, especially on my own 14-yr old niece (just a couple weeks older than Elisabeth), but it is all the rage in our part of the world, and it's hard to argue with fashion.

I think Elisabeth looks wonderful in the photo. I think she looks 14 but my niece also looks "younger" than most of the other girls in her grade and she's one of the oldest.