King Philippe of Belgium has discussed when he might step down from the throne to allow his daughter, Princess Elisabeth, to take over.
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The 65-year-old monarch recently spoke about the topic in an interview shared by The Belgian Monarchy. The palace explained that he answered 30 questions chosen from 2,614 video messages sent for his April 15 birthday, including one about when he might step down.
“A King steps back, but is not retired,” King Phillipe quipped in French, per Hola!.
“I will continue to work for Belgium, and I must give my daughter time to enjoy her youth, develop herself, and see the world. I support her 100 percent in that, and I will do everything I can to give her all the time she needs to do,” he explained.
According to PEOPLE, voluntary abdications have happened before in Belgium. In 2013, King Philippe became king at 53 after his father, King Albert II, stepped down at 79 due to health issues. Earlier, in 1951, King Philippe’s grandfather, King Leopold III, also abdicated during a political crisis to protect the monarchy.
Princess Elisabeth Is the Eldest of King Philippe’s Children
Princess Elisabeth, 23, is the eldest child of the King and the heir to the throne. She is set to make history as Belgium’s first reigning female monarch.
Hello USA ! 👋 La Princesse Elisabeth a commencé son master en politiques publiques à la @Kennedy_School. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/NZWX5PlvgX
— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) September 18, 2024
In 1991, ten years before Elisabeth was born, Belgium changed its succession laws to absolute primogeniture. This ended the tradition of male-preference primogeniture, where sons were favored over daughters in the line of succession. The new law allowed female descendants of King Albert II, Philippe’s father, to inherit the throne based on birth order, ensuring sons could no longer bypass their older sisters.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have four children: Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel (21), Prince Emmanuel (19), and Princess Eléonore (17). They balance their education with their royal duties.
Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, graduated from Oxford University in July 2024 with a degree in History and Politics. She is now pursuing a two-year master’s in Public Policy at Harvard University, starting in September 2024.
Princess Elisabeth balances her studies with her royal duties, frequently traveling back to Belgium to stay active in public life.