,type=downsize)
Former President Barack Obama paid a visit to the Castle of Laeken on Sunday. King Philippe of Belgium and his firstborn Princess Elisabeth received the 44th president of the United States at the castle.
The Belgian Royal Palace shared a photo from the visit showing the former president standing between the King and Princess. While Malia and Sasha Obama’s father didn’t share a photo from his meeting with the royals on Sunday, he did mark St. Patrick’s Day with a post on Instagram. Alongside a photo of himself holding a pint, he wrote: “From the O’bama family to yours, we hope you have a happy St. Patrick’s Day!”
The former president was reportedly (via Wim Dehandschutter) in Belgium to participate in “An Evening with President Barack Obama” in Puurs. According to FTI SuperNova, the event on March 17 was “a moderated conversation about the challenges we’re facing and his vision for the future.”
Elisabeth looked business chic for the meeting with former President Obama, wearing a blue suit from Jigsaw, per UFO No More. The 22-year-old Princess is the oldest of Queen Mathilde and King Philippe’s children. They are also parents to Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore.
Elisabeth is first in line to the Belgian throne. The future Queen has been studying at Lincoln College, a college of the University of Oxford, since October of 2021. The Belgian Princess studies history and politics at the university in the UK, though as her page on the palace’s website notes, she “returns regularly to Belgium and remains involved in Belgian public life during activities.”