Princess Eléonore will soon start secondary school, but not where she’d been previously studying due to a rule change within the school district.
The Brussels Times reports that the 12-year-old princess, who’d been studying at the Saint-Jan Berchmans College in Brussels, will now have to find a new school as the Belgian Royal Family lives too far away from their choice.
The newspaper reports that priority for spaces at the school are given to students who live closer to the premises, and Princess Eléonore’s family is based at the Palace of Laeken, in the northern part of Brussels—too far from the central Brussels school.
Princess Eléonore was the only child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde still attending the Saint-Jan Berchmans College. Her older brother, Prince Emmanuel, attends the Eureka Special School where he can study and manage his dyslexia. Her other older brother, Prince Gabriel, transferred to the International School of Brussels last year; her oldest sister, Princess Elisabeth, recently graduated from an international baccalaureate programme in Wales.
The Belgian Royal Family has a long history with Saint-Jan Berchmans College, beginning with Prince Amadeo, the oldest son of Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz, and continuing with all their children, Prince Joachim, Princess Maria Laura, Princess Laetitia Maria, and Princess Luisa Maria, as well as the children of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.
Princess Eléonore will begin her secondary studies at the Sacred Heart College in Wezembeek-Oppem soon. It is attended by several of her friends from Saint-Jan Berchmans College. The school, a Dutch-language school, focuses on inspiring and challenging students through learning, contributing to development and well-being, and teaching with a strong Christian character.
Princess Eléonore was in the news back in May as school restrictions eased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her father, King Philippe, walked her to school and posted a special message on the official Belgian royal Instagram account in which the family said “Thank you to school administrators, teachers and educators for the preparations and adaptations aimed at allowing a partial and gradual return of students.”
