Princess Astrid will no longer lead Belgian economic missions due to health reasons, the Royal Palace announced on Thursday evening.
The illness is not serious, but the princess requested to be relieved of her responsibilities due to medical advice and King Philippe has granted her request.
Her doctors advised stepping down from this demanding role, as her health no longer allows her to meet its requirements fully, the palace stated. However, Princess Astrid will continue her other duties,
The palace emphasised that economic missions were the most energy-intensive part of her schedule.
Queen Mathilde will take over leadership of upcoming economic missions until Crown Princess Elisabeth assumes the role. The next missions will be in Turkey in May and Saudi Arabia in November.
Crown Princess Elisabeth has committed to leading the missions in the future, though her activities following her studies remain unclear.
Over twelve years, Princess Astrid led twenty-four international missions. King Philippe expressed his profound gratitude to his younger sister for her dedication to Belgian foreign trade and wished her a speedy recovery, the palace concluded.
