Former President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to a castle over the weekend to greet the Belgian royal family. Yesterday, the 44th U.S. president visited Laeken Castle, where he was warmly welcomed by King Philippe and Princess Elisabeth.
Obama made a trip to Belgium to take part in a discussion called “An Evening With President Barack Obama” in Puurs-Saint-Amand, Antwerp, as reported by the Brussels Times. This talk was a part of the Supernova technology festival, which was organized by Flanders Technology and Innovation (FTI). The event, which took place last night, involved a moderated conversation about the challenges we are currently facing and Obama’s vision for the future.
As of now, President Obama has not shared any posts about his visit. However, his only social media post from yesterday featured a picture of him and former First Lady Michelle Obama in Ireland, with a caption wishing everyone a happy St. Patrick’s Day! Interestingly, the caption referenced a humorous folk song called “O’Leary, O’Reilly, O’Hare and O’Hara There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama!” written in 2008.
Meanwhile, the Belgian royal family shared a photo of Elisabeth, Philippe, and Obama on their social media platforms. Princess Elisabeth, who is next in line to the Belgian throne, is currently studying at Oxford University but was back home for a break. She is currently in the last year of her undergraduate studies, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in History and Politics at Lincoln College, University of Oxford. For the reception with Obama at Laeken Castle, Princess Elisabeth looked elegant in a royal blue suit, with the blazer designed by Jigsaw.
Elisabeth, also known as the Duchess of Brabant, celebrated her 22nd birthday in October last year. Since then, she has assumed a more significant position within the Belgian royal family. She attended Prince Christian’s 18th birthday gala in October, accompanied her father to the royal wedding of Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif in June, and joined the pre-coronation reception celebrating King Charles and Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace in May.