When the Donald Trump administration blocked foreign students from enrolling at Harvard University, it also affected Princess Elisabeth (23), the first in line to the Belgian throne, who is currently attending the university. Princess Elisabeth is the eldest of four children of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.
According to reports from Reuters and The Hill on the 23rd (local time), Princess Elisabeth obtained her bachelor's degree in history and politics from the University of Oxford and is currently pursuing a master's degree in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School. She has completed one year of the two-year master's program.
However, on the 22nd, the Department of Homeland Security prohibited foreign student registration at Harvard University, forcing current students to transfer to other universities. Otherwise, their visas would be revoked.
The Trump administration made this decision because Harvard University was accused of promoting violence and anti-Semitism and cooperating with the Chinese Communist Party. Therefore, it announced that it would revoke Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, which is essential for visa issuance for foreign students.
Belgian royal spokesperson Lorant Van Doren noted, "The impact of this decision by the Trump administration will become clearer in the coming days or weeks," adding that they are currently analyzing the situation and will wait until it stabilizes.
Meanwhile, Harvard University has filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Massachusetts seeking to block this action. The court accepted Harvard's request for a preliminary injunction on the 23rd, effectively halting the Department of Homeland Security's action for the time being. The court plans to hold hearings on the 27th to decide whether to continue to suspend the government's actions.