Belgium, here is the Christmas photo of the royal family

To release the first traditional Christmas family photo were i Dukes of Cambridge, followed in no particular order by sovereigns of Holland, dai royals of Jordan, and come on Bourbon of Spain. Now they also come greetings from the royal family of Belgium: re Filippo, his wife Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz and their four children: Elisabetta, who turned 20 on 25 October, Gabriele, who turned 18 in August, Emanuele, 16, and the little girl, Eleonora, 13.

«It is with great pleasure that we share a new photo of the Royal Family on the occasion of the end of year celebrations»Reads the official Instagram profile of the Belgian royal house,« This image also appears on the greetings cards of the Sovereigns ».

Princess Elisabetta, who, thanks to the abolition of the Salic law, will not have to give the throne to her brother Gabriel, born after her, will be the first sovereign queen of Belgium at the end of his father Philip’s reign. For the moment, however, he is studying: after having obtained the international baccalaureate at the Atlantic College of Wales, the same where the princesses of Spain and Holland, Leonor and Alexia study, was admitted al Lincoln College, one of the constituent collegesOxford University.

His brother Gabriele, who is noted as one of the most promising young princes, is instead studying in Warwickshire, England, al National Mathematics and Science College of Coventry University. After graduation, he preferred to continue studying scientific subjects, without forgetting sports activities: he practices a bit of everything, from football to cycling through tennis, swimming and skiing, up to hockey, thus justifying his athletic physique.

Equally athletic is the brother Emanuele, 16, who practices cycling, swimming and sailing, and more plays the flute. Prince Emmanuel, who attended the same school as Elizabeth and Gabriel for a while, was then moved to the special Eureka institute in Kessel-Lo, specifically for children with dyslexia. While the little one of the house, Eleonora, still in middle school and enrolled in the same Sint-Jan Berchmans Catholic college where her older brothers and father studied.

The family Christmas photo follows that of the Christmas tree in front of the Royal Palace, published by the Royal House a few days ago, upon the return of the Sovereigns from their official trip to Italy, where – in Rome – they met the president Mattarella, Prime Minister Mario Draghi and the mayor of the capital Roberto Gualtieri.

The link between Belgium and Italy is very close: King Philip’s mother – the queen consort of King Albert who abdicated in 2013 – is indeed Paola Ruffo of Calabria, born in Tuscany and descendant of one of the noblest families of the Kingdom of the two Sicily. In addition to being considered, in her youth, one of the most beautiful princesses in Europe.