What would happen to the future Queen of Belgium if Harvard were banned from recruiting international students?

Princess Elisabeth (23 years old) - the heir to the Belgian throne - has just completed her first year of study at Harvard University (USA). The Trump administration's imposition of a ban on international student recruitment at Harvard University is causing confusion for nearly 7,000 international students at Harvard, including Princess Elisabeth.

Princess Elisabeth of the Belgian Royal Family (Photo: Straits Times).

The US authorities have revoked Harvard's right to recruit international students, putting foreign students currently studying there at risk of having to transfer to another school or losing their legal residency status in the US.

Shortly after the ban was announced, Harvard University filed a lawsuit in federal court. Within hours of receiving the lawsuit, a federal judge temporarily halted the ban on international student recruitment. However, the current situation remains uncertain and unpredictable.

Faced with these unexpected developments, the spokeswoman for the Belgian Royal Family - Ms. Lore Vandoorne - said that the Royal Family is actively monitoring the situation.

"Princess Elisabeth has just completed her first year at Harvard. The impact of the new decision by the US government will only become clearer in the coming period. During that time, the Royal Family will actively monitor and understand the situation," said Ms. Vandoorne.

Princess Elisabeth (pink dress) with her parents and siblings (Photo: Straits Times).

"We are analysing the situation and waiting for things to calm down. A lot of things could change in the future. It's too early to say anything," added Xavier Baert, the Belgian royal family's communications director.

Princess Elisabeth is currently pursuing a master's degree in public policy at Harvard. The program is expected to last two years. In choosing to pursue this major, Princess Elisabeth said she wanted to "broaden her thinking and improve her skills for a future career serving her country."

Before coming to Harvard University, Princess Elisabeth studied for a bachelor's degree in history and politics at Oxford University (UK). Princess Elisabeth is the eldest of four children of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, and is the heir to the Belgian throne.

Princess Elisabeth will still return to Belgium for the summer as planned, Baert added. "We will have to wait and see what happens next school year," he said.

Princess Elisabeth will still return to Belgium for her summer vacation as planned (Photo: Straits Times).

In a new statement released after being stripped of its right to recruit international students, Harvard University criticized the move from US authorities, saying it was an act of "retaliation" because the school had objected to the authorities' deep interference in its internal affairs.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court, Harvard University emphasized: "With just a stroke of a pen, the US government has wiped out a quarter of Harvard's student body. Meanwhile, international students play a very important role in the school's mission and operations. Without international students, Harvard is no longer Harvard."

According to Harvard data, the university currently has nearly 7,000 international students, accounting for about 27% of the school's total student population.

Harvard University said the ban on international student enrollment would force the school to cancel thousands of applications and disrupt the education of thousands more. Many academic programs, clinics, laboratories, and research labs would also be forced to close. Many graduating students also face the risk of having their studies interrupted.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nu-hoang-tuong-lai-cua-bi-se-ra-sao-neu-harvard-bi-cam-tuyen-sinh-quoc-te-20250524130627154.htm