A historic royal romance for the ages may very well be brewing between two European royal families. A photo that's been circulating on social media has sparked speculation that Belgian Crown Princess Elisabeth may be linked to Prince Georg of Liechtenstein. Both palaces are yet to confirm whether the image is real or if there is indeed a relationship between the two royals. When asked about the picture, a spokesperson for the Belgian Royal Palace in Brussels told reporters: "We saw the photo too. We don't know if it's real or AI. We aren't commenting [on private matters]." However, if there is indeed a royal romance between the Princess and Prince, it would mark the first royal pairing between heirs of two reigning houses in nearly half a century since King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía of Spain married in 1962.
Belgian royal journalist, Wim Dehandschutter, tells HELLO! that the royal pairing would naturally make sense: "Elisabeth and Georg, it would certainly be a wonderful royal match. Royal families are close in general, and Belgians and Liechtensteiners know each other well; there are branches. Their parents are colleagues, friends, in some way family. Elisabeth and Georg are believed to have known each other since childhood."
On the authenticity of the photo of Elisabeth and Georg, Wim tells HELLO!: "King Philippe and certainly Queen Mathilde guard their privacy like lions, and even more so that of their children. And the Liechtensteiners are also legendary secretive. They're an unknown but prestigious royal family and one of the wealthiest. Why would Elisabeth and Georg have any interest in leaking their relationship? And then in such a clumsy way, via a private photo that's never completely private on Instagram?"
The Princely House of Liechtenstein has confirmed to HELLO! that the photograph does not depict H.S.H. Prince Georg of Liechtenstein; it is an artificial image generated with the use of AI.
Who is Princess Elisabeth of Belgium?
Born on 25 October 2001, Princess Elisabeth is the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and is the heir apparent to the Belgian throne. If she succeeds her father, Elisabeth will become Belgium's first Queen Regnant. The heir to the throne initially studied at St John Berchmans College, and she later studied at UWC Atlantic College in Wales, a favourite among the young European royal families.
© Getty ImagesWhile studying at the institute, she used the surname de Brabant, a reference to her being the Duchess of Brabant. After her education, Elisabeth joined the Belgian military and currently has the rank of second lieutenant. In 2024, it was confirmed that the young royal would begin studying at the Harvard Kennedy School, where she is pursuing a master's degree in public policy.
© GettyOver on The HELLO! Royal Club, HELLO!'s royal editor Emily Nash has addressed recent rumours of a rift between King Charles and his heir, Prince William. Emily spoke to royal insiders to get to the truth of the matter, and you can find out what they said by clicking the button below and joining HELLO!'s biggest royal fans in the biggest royal community online.
Who is Prince Georg von und zu Liechtenstein?
Born on 20 April 1999, Prince Georg is the third child of Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie and is third in line to the throne. According to his LinkedIn bio, Georg is a business development representative at Guidewheel, which works with factories across the world.
