Queen Mathilde: Elisabeth Sworn in as Officer

26 September 2023

Princess Elisabeth and her promotion of the Royal Military Academy took their oath, and were sworn in as officers.

Elisabeth was a normal student during the first year of the bachelor. The following two years she spent studying History & Politics at Oxford. She did however take part in catch-up weekends and all summer camps.

The Duchess of Brabant pledged loyalty to the King and obedience to the Constitution and the Laws of the Belgian people.

She carries on this tradition in the footsteps of all other Belgian Crown Princes (except Baudouin, who was taken as a prisoner to Germany at the end of WWII and unable to return to Belgium for many years because of the political turmoil surrounding his father).

Prince Léopold (II) took the oath on 16 December 1852.
Prince Albert (I) took the oath on 17 December 1892.

Prince Léopold (III) 9 January 1923.

Prince Albert (II) took the oath on 18 May 1953.
Prince Philippe took the oath on 26 September 1980.

The military ceremony was attended by King Philippe & Queen Mathilde, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore. Prince Gabriel was present among his fellow pupils.

🇧🇪 Belgian Crown Princess Elisabeth, 21, will be sworn in as an officer tonight.

🪖 In 2020-2021 she completed her training year at the Royal Military Academy. Afterwards she participated in Summer camps and catch-up weekends.

🇬🇧 Elisabeth studies Politics & History in Oxford. pic.twitter.com/hi3SAGURZn
— [Wim Dehandschutter] (@WDehandschutter) September 26, 2023

Elisabeth was the first to go. She got called out as "Sub-Lieutenant van België". The Duchess pronounced her oath in Dutch, French and German while holding the Belgian flag. The other students only used 1 language, their mother tongue.

[FULL VIDEO] Lights on! ‘Onderluitenant Van België’ (Sub-lieutenant Of Belgium), aka 21-year old Crown Princess Elisabeth, is the first of 96 Royal Military Academy students to take the oath as officer. https://t.co/Lv4XGiKjfX pic.twitter.com/Kgrw6Foxhw
— [Wim Dehandschutter] (@WDehandschutter) September 26, 2023

Then it was time for the press to take some pictures of the happy officer and her family.

[FULL VIDEO] “Behind the scenes”: photo shoot Belgian Crown Princess Elisabeth

+ father King Philippe, Commander in Chief of Belgian army
+ brother Prince Gabriël, 2nd-year student Royal Military Academy
+ mother Queen Mathilde, siblings Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore https://t.co/8ou5mUCfS4 pic.twitter.com/ANokqADj2O
— [Wim Dehandschutter] (@WDehandschutter) September 26, 2023