Belgium’s spare finds out that growing up royal means everyone’s talking about you

Prince Gabriel of Belgium has discovered that growing up a royal brings its own unusual aspects.

As the second in line to the throne turns 22, papers in his home country are already speculating about who he might marry.

However, in a sign of changing times, it is the prince who is being spoken about as a potential consort to a future ruler.

One paper asked whether Gabriel was a prime candidate to wed a queen in waiting with Princess Leonor of Spain lined up as a potential bride.

Whether Gabriel or Leonor have any interest in one another isn’t stated. The article continues that other options seem to be somewhat limited.

It’s perhaps a reminder of how quickly the private lives of princes and princesses can become open season. Just this summer, Princess Isabella of Denmark has found herself at the middle of a media storm after wearing a T-shirt with a swear word on it while her older brother, Crown Prince Christian, has also seen his private life poured over as he spent time with a young woman his own age.

Belgium’s Prince Gabriel is the second child and elder son of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians. He was born on August 20 2003. His elder sister, Elisabeth, is the heir to the throne.

The prince, who has studied maths and science to a high level, is currently undergoing military training.

The Belgian royal family currently relies on King Philippe and Queen Mathilde to carry out the majority of its public engagements with Philippe’s sister, Princess Astrid, taking some on, too. Whether there would be a role for Gabriel or any of his younger sisters as full time royals in the future isn’t clear.

Princess Leonor, the royal suggested as a potential bride, is future queen of Spain. She is the elder daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia and is currently undergoing her own military training with a year in the air forces about to start.

Even fifty years ago, potential matches between royal families would have been far more widely talked about. However, the latest generation of monarchs and heirs have married outside of regal families with love being the deciding factor for them all when choosing who to settle down with. Things have changed to such an extent that the idea of marriages between royal dynasties now seems extraordinary rather than the norm.

However, there is recent form for Belgian/ Spanish weddings. King Philippe’s uncle, the much loved King Baudouin, married a Spanish nurse who became Queen Fabiola of the Belgians.

In recent times, the Belgian royal family has developed strong links with their near relatives, the Luxembourg Grand Ducal family. Spain’s royals are close to the Dutch king and queen with the two families holidaying together.