this post was submitted on 24 May 2025
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Princess Elisabeth has completed first year of master’s degree but Trump administration’s crackdown may jeopardise studies

Princess Elisabeth, the 23-year-old future queen of Belgium, has just completed her first year at Harvard University but the ban imposed by Donald Trump’s administration on foreign students studying there could jeopardise her continued attendance.

The US president’s administration revoked Harvard’s ability to enrol international students on Thursday, and is forcing current foreign students to transfer to other schools or lose their legal status in the US, while also threatening to expand the crackdown to other colleges.

“Princess Elisabeth has just completed her first year. The impact of [the Trump administration’s] decision will only become clearer in the coming days/weeks. We are currently investigating the situation,” said a spokesperson for the Belgian royal palace, Lore Vandoorne.

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[–] KayLeadfoot@fedia.io 193 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I'm sure this will work wonders for American soft power on the world stage.

Having a literal fucking queen with fond memories of America from her youth is political influence that money cannot buy. What an idiotic fumble.

[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 85 points 1 day ago (2 children)

What soft power? We pissed that all away months ago.

[–] KayLeadfoot@fedia.io 51 points 1 day ago

Fuck! I'm living in the past.

[–] pupbiru@aussie.zone 8 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

every day that passes it gets harder and harder to just say “lol sorry” and the world to have the memory of a goldfish and just reply “ahhhh water under the bridge” as soon as a suitcase of money is waved under our collective noses

[–] MBM@lemmings.world 12 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

Yeah... electing Trump a second time kind of ruined that

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[–] kernelle@0d.gs 71 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Belgian chiming in, people here really have* developed a strong distaste for the US. I'd say 90% of people I know don't care at all for the monarchy, but this is blasted in the news as an example no one is safe from USA's shenanigans.

Professors and Universities are condemning this, it's such a major step in the wrong direction once again.

[–] lupusblackfur@lemmy.world 32 points 1 day ago (2 children)

people here really have* developed a strong distaste for the US

And rightly and deservedly so...
🤷‍♂️ 🙄 🖕

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 31 points 1 day ago

Yeah, we hate us too, friend

[–] kernelle@0d.gs 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I personally know two people who've cancelled US trips, one of which is because she's gay.

Really wondering when they'll realise just how fucked they are.

[–] cmbabul@lemmy.world 15 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

When you say they, do you mean Americans paying attention, Trump voters and supporters, or the assholes making these decisions?

The first group are painfully aware of how fucked we are, the second MIGHT when they lose their home/job or have a loved one hauled away to a concentration camp but even then they might never because pro American propaganda has burrowed itself so deeply into their minds they truly believe the exceptionalism horseshit, the third either knows and is fine with it because they are just trying to consolidate power or is one of the ignorant true believers like the second group.

I fucking hate my country

[–] kernelle@0d.gs 9 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Mostly the people making the decisions, but don't feel too bad, the EU is rapidly shifting to the right as well. The main positive takeaway is I've never seen the EU this unified.

[–] cmbabul@lemmy.world 6 points 17 hours ago

Really hope y'all are able to right that specific ship, we’re gonna need help but I also just wouldn’t wish this on anyone

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[–] pohart@programming.dev 27 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

That's soft power for the country, he doesn't care what happens to the country

[–] lepinkainen@lemmy.world 13 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Also the effects aren’t immediate so he doesn’t understand nor care about them

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If the Trump admin wasn't obviously a fascist dictatorship I might be able to feel good about Belgian royalty being treated the same as anyone else. However, this has nothing to do with traditional American values of an even playing field, because the Trump admin just refuses to recognize any royalty except Trump.

[–] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 54 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (2 children)

Someone told me this whole attack on Harvard is all because Harvard rejected Baron trump and while I haven’t looked into it that would make so much sense

[–] TassieTosser@aussie.zone 11 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Trump doesn't care about anyone but himself. This is because Harvard is refusing to bend the knee.

[–] Infinite@lemmy.zip 8 points 11 hours ago

Narcissists are likely to treat offspring as a personal extension into the future.

[–] yeather@lemmy.ca 5 points 6 hours ago

I’ve looked into it, there really is not any indication Barron ever applied to Harvard, he is going to the same business school as his brothers and father, the likelyhood he applied anywhere else is low. The attack on Harvard can be recontextualized as a big liberal name in a big liberal state going against what he wants.

[–] svcg@lemmy.blahaj.zone 52 points 10 hours ago (3 children)

I am anti-monarchy and I don't particularly give a shit that this woman has to change universities or whatever, but quite frankly I'm shocked by the amount of comments here hoping for horrific things to happen to a woman just for being born into a family they don't like.

[–] poopkins@lemmy.world 13 points 8 hours ago (4 children)

It's the toxic cesspool of the anonymous internet. All these communities are the same.

[–] Bahnd@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

Its just "The Greater Internet Dickhead Theory", if there are no consequences for what you say, dickheads will say anything they can get away with.

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[–] Zenith@lemm.ee 36 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Why does he have the power to ban people from going to a private university?

[–] TheRealKuni@midwest.social 31 points 19 hours ago

Because the executive branch has power over student visas.

[–] Ymer@feddit.dk 36 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Of all the people suffering from Trump's deranged actions, European royalty are probably not the most deserving of pity.

[–] THB@lemmy.world 76 points 1 day ago (18 children)

I think you're missing the point. It's not about pitying her, but bringing more attention to the utterly stupid things happening

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[–] iAvicenna@lemmy.world 34 points 22 hours ago

what a toxic piece of shit, he is like the most obnoxious type of kid who screams, flails arms and legs when he loses a game and gets confronted about his shitty behaviour. except he is also the president of the US

[–] flango@lemmy.eco.br 14 points 5 hours ago

Fuck off! She's rich AF, who's really suffering is the bright and poor immigrant that got this one chance to have a good education

[–] etuomaala@sopuli.xyz 6 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (3 children)

It does raise the question of why her royal highness could not deign to attend a Belgian university in the first place lol

[–] golli@lemm.ee 22 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

Considering her future job as queen will involve a lot of diplomatic and ceremonial functions it does kind of make sense to me that you'd want her to gain some international experience.

Also on a personal level i'd imagine it is much easier to have some resemblance of a private life in a foreign country, especially at a prestigious institution where plenty of others share notable backgrounds, compared to going to a local university where everyone knows who you are. In a small country like Belgium you probably don't even have much choices as to which university even offers a good program in your chosen field.

Edit:

Elisabeth initially studied at St John Berchmans College in Marollen, Brussels from September 2004 until August 2018. This marked a significant change in Belgian royal tradition, being the first time that a future Belgian monarch's education has begun in Dutch

In May 2020, the Belgian Royal Court announced that Elisabeth would undertake military training. On 31 August 2020, Elisabeth entered the Royal Military Academy in Brussels, studying social and military sciences

- wikipedia

Really seems like the worst candidate to make this accuse against

[–] Breezy@lemmy.world 7 points 4 hours ago

Because going to another country where she'll learn to deal with another cultures is important and will be a huge part of her future. You raise a question when the answer should be easily understood.

[–] Tangent5280@lemmy.world 7 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Because the rich go to university primarily to network.

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