Former President Barack Obama casually stopped by a castle this weekend for quick hello with the Belgian royal family. Yesterday, the 44th U.S. president was at Laeken Castle, where he was received by King Philippe and Princess Elisabeth.
According to the Brussels Times, Obama traveled to Belgium for a talk—titled "An Evening With President Barack Obama"—in Puurs-Saint-Amand, Antwerp. The talk is part of the technology festival, Supernova, organized by Flanders Technology and Innovation (FTI). The event, which took place last night, was "a moderated conversation about the challenges we're facing and his vision for the future."
As of this writing, President Obama did not post about his visit—his only social media post from yesterday features a snap of him and former First Lady Michelle Obama in Ireland, with the caption reading, "From the O’bama family to yours, we hope you have a happy St. Patrick’s Day!" (The song references a humorous folk song, written in 2008, that goes, 'O'Leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama!')
Meanwhile, the Belgian royal family shared the snap of Elisabeth, Philippe, and Obama on their social media channels.
Princess Elisabeth, the heir to the Belgian throne, is currently a student at Oxford University, but was back home for break. The royal is in the last year of her bachelor's degree in History and Politics at Lincoln College at the University of Oxford. For the reception with Obama at the Laeken Castle, Princess Elisabeth opted for a chic, royal blue suit (the blazer is designed by Jigsaw).
Last year, the Duchess of Brabant (as Elisabeth is also known)—who turned 22 in October—took on a more prominent, public role within the Belgian royal family. She attended Prince Christian's 18th birthday gala in October; she joined her father at the royal wedding of Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif in June; and attended the pre-coronation reception celebrating King Charles and Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace in May.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
