Prince Gabriel turns 20! Belgian royal marks milestone birthday with dashing new picture
The Belgian royal and student at the Royal Military School posed for a new photograph to celebrate entering his third decade.
Princess Delphine among Belgian royals attending Brussels event
The Royal Family in Belgium have released a dashing new picture of Prince Gabriel to celebrate his 20th birthday on Sunday, August 20.
The Belgian Royal Palace shared the image on their official Twitter page with the caption: "Happy birthday to Prince Gabriel! He is celebrating his 20th birthday today and will soon be starting his 2nd year bachelor degree in social and military sciences.
"The photo was taken by Bas Bogaerts in the Vestibule of Honor of the Château de Laeken."
It is traditional for the Royal Family to mark a family member's birthday by sharing a previously unpublished photo, as is also the custom in the UK.
In the picture Gabriel is standing proudly in full military uniform, as he is about to begin his second year of a bachelor's degree in social and military sciences at the Royal Military Academy.
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������ Joyeux anniversaire au Prince Gabriel ! Il fête ses 20 ans aujourd'hui et entamera bientôt sa 2ème année de bachelier en sciences sociales et militaires @KMS_ERM_RMA !
— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) August 20, 2023
������ La photo a été prise par Bas Bogaerts dans le Vestibule d’honneur du Château de Laeken. pic.twitter.com/rCxkhCMdYX
Gabriel, the second child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, was born on August 20 2003 in Anderlecht, and he is second in line to the throne, after his older sister Princess Elisabeth, 21.
Their younger brother Prince Emmanuel followed in 2005 and their younger sister Princess Eleonore arrived in 2008.
Since August 22 2022, Prince Gabriel has been studying Social and Military Sciences in Dutch at the Royal Military School.
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Gabriel is fluent in French, Dutch and English, having studied abroad while in secondary school and college.
In 2021, he studied A-levels in Maths, Further Maths and Physics at the National Mathematics & Science College in Warwickshire and obtained his international baccalaureate at the International School of Brussels.
Until the age of 16 the Prince undertook his secondary education in Dutch at the Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege in Brussels.
The 20-year-old has a variety of hobbies, including playing the piano and sports such as tennis, hockey, sailing and skiing.
He also worked as a volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic, holding phone conversations with the lonely and isolated living in residential care centres.
Gabriel has also been heavily involved with the Scouts since he was eight, having served as a patrol leader over the last few years.