Princess Elisabeth of Belgium swaps high-society snapper for fellow student in new Harvard portraits

The photographer tasked with taking Princess Elisabeth of Belgium’s latest portraits has been unveiled as a fellow student.

When the 22-year-old joined Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) in Cambridge, Massachusetts last week, the royal household shared a selection of glittering images of the royal at her new all-American college.

It has now been revealed that the man behind the camera is not a high-society snapper but Max Bueno from Connecticut – a scholarship student studying at the same school as Elisabeth, who is also a professional photographer, according to the HKS website.

The student highlighted his skills behind the camera, capturing the heir to the Belgian throne outside her school building, where she is studying for an MA in public policy.

According to HLN News, Elisabeth, who previously studied at Oxford University, is settling into her new American school because, perhaps unsurprisingly, ‘quite a few people want to be her friend’.

In the images, Elisabeth dressed the part and donned a pair of £210 Crest high rise wide leg jeans from classic American brand Tommy Hilfiger with a brown sleeveless tank top.

Photographer and student Max boasts an impressive background, having been commissioned as a naval intelligence officer with the US Naval Academy and graduated with a B.S in Quantitative Economics.

After his time at Harvard, Max hopes to assume a career in the military and advance US intelligence-sharing capabilities.

After the Belgian royal household shared Max’s images, Elisabeth gained floods of support from observers, with many praising her for being ‘normal’.

Onlookers tried to ‘imagine’ what it would be like to become friends with her, only to find out she’s a princess, while others joked that it seemed like something out of a ‘movie.’

Social media users also praised the princess for opting for a ‘normal’ lifestyle despite hailing from such a prominent family. ‘Imagine becoming friends with her and then finding out she’s the crown princess of Belgium,’ one person wrote.

‘Can’t imagine how it feels being her friend,’ someone else replied. ‘When they [joke] around, they’ll be like, ”OK queen,” the user comically added.

‘When’s the movie [coming out]?’ another person asked. ‘The new Legally Blonde,’ a fourth comment read, referring to the 2001 hit film starring Reese Witherspoon.

The royal, who previously studied at the University of Oxford, posed outside her new school in Massachusetts 

Max Bueno (pictured), who is also studying at Harvard Kennedy School, was the man behind the camera

After Elisabeth finished her studies in England, she took part in various engagements throughout the summer with her parents – King Philippe and Queen Mathilde for Belgium – including marking National Day.

In July, Princess Elisabeth of Belgium thanked the University of Oxford for three ‘wonderful’ years – as she prepares to move to Cambridge for her MA at Harvard.

The royal, 22, moved to the UK in the autumn of 2021 to start her History and Politics undergraduate course at Lincoln College.

The future European Queen enrolled at the institution under the name ‘Elisabeth de Saxe-Coburg’ and was a member of Lincoln College. 

Speaking about her time there, a spokesperson for the Belgian Royal Palace told the Oxford Mail: ‘The Princess loved studying in Oxford and had a wonderful time in Lincoln College.’

As well as being an active member of her college’s boat club, Elisabeth would have completed around six written papers and a thesis in History or Politics in her final year to complete the degree. 

Now, Princess Elisabeth’s has joined the renowned Harvard University in Cambridge, where the Princess passed entrance tests to.

The palace told Brussels Times: ‘The Princess was also selected for an ‘Honorary Award’ from the Fullbright Program, the US Department of State’s international educational exchange programme.’

And it seems Princess Elisabeth is already immersing herself in American culture. In March, she hosted former US president Barack Obama when she joined her father King Philippe in Brussels.

She took time out of her studies to carry out the rare royal engagement in her home nation. 

Elisabeth is next in line to the Belgian throne as she is the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.

Max boasts an impressive academic history, and hopes to pursue a career in the military after his studies

The heir to the Belgian throne was praised by onlookers for appearing ‘normal’ in her new portraits

According to Belgian newspaper Le Soir, the princess completed a written Oxford entrance exam in history ‘anonymously’ so that her royal status would not affect her chances of being offered a place. 

Elisabeth is believed to have chosen the course herself, in agreement with her parents, and reportedly consulted with graduates from various universities and made her decision based on what would be most useful to her in her role as Queen later in life.

During her time at Oxford there was speculation about her love life amid reports she was dating an ‘ordinary’ young man. 

Belgian media reported that the 20-year-old had found love with fellow student Nicholas Dodd, 20, from Rochdale.

Mr Dodd read History at the same college according to Het Laatste Nieuws, a Dutch-language newspaper based in Antwerp, Belgium. 

However, the rumours were quashed when Dodd’s family said the reports were ‘false’.

‘They just go to the same college and study together. Just like all his other friends, I can’t comment any further,’ an unnamed family member told Manchester Evening News. 

When asked about the rumours, the Royal Palace refused to comment, according to French-language, Belgium-based television station RTL. 

An accomplished 22-year-old by any measure, the official royal website says Elisabeth enjoys walking in nature, reading and playing the piano – although like ‘all youngsters her age’, writes the palace, ‘her taste in music is varied.’

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.