Belgium's Prince Gabriël turns 22 today (Wednesday), prompting the Palace to share two new photos of the eldest son of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.
Gabriël was born on 20 August 2003 as the second child of the Royal couple, and the second in line to the throne – after his older sister Crown Princess Elisabeth (23). They also have two other children: Emmanuel (19) and Eléonore (17).
In honour of this birthday, the Palace shared several new photos of the prince. In the photos, he poses at the castle in Laeken, wearing a suit and tie.
Le Prince Gabriel fête ses 22 ans aujourd’hui! 🥳 Il entamera prochainement sa quatrième et dernière année en sciences sociales et militaires à l’Ecole Royale Militaire. 📸 Bas Bogaerts pic.twitter.com/qpnEkIGTmK
— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) August 20, 2025
Since 2022, Gabriël has been attending military training at the Royal Military Academy, where he studies social and military sciences in Dutch. As part of this training, he spent five months studying abroad in 2024 at the Special Military Academy of Saint-Cyr in France – one of the most prestigious military schools in the world.
There, he studied geopolitics, with classes being taught in English. In December 2024, he gave a (rare) interview to the press about his experiences at Erasmus.
In late June and early July, Gabriël completed an internship in French Guiana (South America), where he spent 14 days with the Foreign Legion learning to survive in the jungle.
However, this was not Gabriël's first visit to French Guiana; King Philippe had already taken his son to the launch of the Ariane 5 rocket in April 2023. On that trip, they also visited the Foreign Legion.
National parade
Additionally, Gabriël has already marched in the Royal Military Academy parade twice on National Day. Two years ago, for the first time, he was accompanied by his sister, Crown Princess Elisabeth. This year, he did it again: he was allowed to parade with his sabre, a sign that he successfully completed his bachelor's degree at the Royal Military Academy. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were visibly moved.
He is also a great sports fan. He played hockey for nine years, but also enjoys tennis, skiing, and sailing. He plays the piano as well, and spent much of his childhood in the Scouts.
