Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) October 26, 2026 – Crown Princess Elisabeth of Belgium has marked her 25th birthday by releasing a personal video message expressing gratitude to the public for their well-wishes. The Belgian Royal Palace accompanied the release with a new official black-and-white portrait taken by photographer Bas Bogaerts. To celebrate the milestone on Sunday, October 25, the national postal service Bpost introduced a historic self-adhesive stamp, alongside a commemorative coin minted by the Royal Mint of Belgium.
Princess Elisabeth Expresses Appreciation in Dual-Language Personal Message
Crown Princess Elisabeth of Belgium addressed the public directly in a personal video message released by the Belgian Royal Palace following her 25th birthday celebrations on Sunday, October 25. Speaking in both French and Dutch, the heir presumptive expressed her appreciation for the widespread public response and birthday greetings she received from across the country and abroad.
In the French portion of her message, Princess Elisabeth stated: “I simply wanted to thank you for all the messages for my 25th birthday.” She went on to acknowledge the substantial volume of personal letters, digital greetings, and social media posts sent to mark the milestone occasion.
Although she noted that she had not yet managed to read through every individual submission, Princess Elisabeth explained that the overwhelming response had touched her deeply and left her with a warm feeling.
The video recording presented a informal appearance of the royal, featuring her hair worn loosely around her shoulders with visible wired earphones as she addressed the camera directly in a selfie style.
National Postal Service Unveils Historic Commemorative Self-Adhesive Stamp
To mark the occasion of Princess Elisabeth’s 25th birthday, Belgium’s national postal operator, Bpost, formally unveiled a special commemorative stamp. The release represents a notable milestone in Belgian philatelic history, marking the first time a self-adhesive stamp has been dedicated specifically to an individual member of the Belgian royal family.
The design for the stamp utilizes a black-and-white portrait captured by photographer Bas Bogaerts. According to official details released by Bpost, the project required several months of close collaboration between the postal service and the royal household. The royal household coordinated the formal photo session and selected the final photograph used for the issue.
Graphic designer Myriam Voz subsequently adapted Bogaerts’ portrait into a finalized stamp sheet layout featuring refined gold accents. The official issue went on sale to the public on Monday, October 26.
While Princess Elisabeth has previously appeared on official Belgian postage stamps—most notably on a joint issue released for her 18th birthday in October 2019—this project marks her first dedicated solo sheet in the self-adhesive format.
Royal Mint of Belgium Issues Special Edition Commemorative Coin
In addition to the national postal release, the Royal Mint of Belgium commemorated the heir to the throne’s 25th birthday through the issuance of an official commemorative coin. The coin features a detailed profile portrait and likeness of Princess Elisabeth, created specifically for the royal milestone.
The release of both national tributes highlights the formal recognition surrounding the future monarch. As the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Princess Elisabeth occupies the primary position in the line of succession to the Belgian throne following the abolition of male-preference primogeniture in Belgium in 1991.
Background and Historic Significance of the Heir Presumptive
Born on October 25, 2001, Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, is positioned to become Belgium’s first reigning queen regnant upon her accession to the throne. Over recent years, her public profile has expanded through academic achievements, military training at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels, and international studies.
Despite the historic public and constitutional significance of her 25th birthday, the princess maintained a focus on direct public engagement in her personal release, concluding her video message with an expression of gratitude to all those who participated in marking the milestone.
