Princess Elisabeth, the 23-year-old heir to the Belgian throne, may see her studies at Harvard University disrupted by the Trump administration's decision to ban foreign students from enrolling at the institution.
The princess has just completed the first year of a two-year master's programme in public policy at Harvard. However, the US administration revoked Harvard's ability to enrol international students on Thursday, forcing current foreign students to transfer to other schools or lose their legal status in the United States. The move also threatens to expand to other colleges.
A spokesperson for the Belgian royal palace, Lore Vandoorne, said: "Princess Elisabeth has just completed her first year. The impact of [the Trump administration's] decision will only become clearer in the coming days/weeks. We are currently investigating the situation."
The palace's communication director, Xavier Baert, added: "We are analysing this at the moment and will let things settle. A lot can still happen in the coming days and weeks."
Elisabeth, the eldest of four children born to King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, previously earned a degree in history and politics from the University of Oxford. Harvard said on Thursday that the administration's action, which affects thousands of students, was illegal and amounted to retaliation.
