Meghan Markle was once dubbed the ‘cleverest royal’ – and many have praised the Prince and Princess of Wales for their prestigious St Andrews University education.
But Belgium’s brainy Princess Elisabeth appears to be putting our Firm in the shade with her cerebral endeavours. At 22 years old has attended the infamous Oxford University, a notoriously opulent college dubbed ‘hippie Hogwarts’ and has even undergone military training. And that’s not all for the heiress apparent – who is also setting off to Harvard University this year.
In 2021 a study revealed that the Duchess of Sussex topped the list as the smartest member of the English royal family thanks to her time reading theatre studies and international relations at Northwestern University. Oxford Royale, as reported by the London Economic, said: ‘Life as a royal isn’t always an easy job and involves a lot of dealing with extensive scrutiny and life in the public spotlight, and Meghan Markle’s academic strengths have equipped her perfectly for this role.
‘While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may have resigned from their roles as working royals, they have captured the interest and attention of the world, and Meghan’s desire to use her platform to raise awareness over serious world issues reflects her intelligence, analytical mind and educational pedigree.’ The study looked at members’ A-level results and university place in the QS World University Rankings.
Kate Middleton came in second after Meghan, and was closely followed by her husband, Prince William. But one European royal who can rival their academic prowess is the eldest of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium’s four children – born on October 25, 2001. When her father became King in 2013, Elisabeth became the heir to the throne and Duchess of Brabant.
Elisabeth – who speaks Dutch, French, German, English, and has also taken classes in Mandarin Chinese – began attending royal engagements from a young age and was just nine when she delivered a speech at the opening of the Princess Elisabeth Children’s Hospital. Like a number of other European royals, including Princess Leonor of Spain and Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, Elisabeth attended Atlantic College in Wales before moving on to Oxford.
