Prince Gabriel joined his parents for a special night in Brussels as the Belgian royal family marked the 50th anniversary of the Memorial Van Damme.
The 23-year-old prince accompanied King Philippe and Queen Mathilde to the landmark edition of the prestigious athletics meeting, stepping into the spotlight alongside the royal couple for an evening that brought together Belgian royalty and some of the biggest names in sporting history.
Dressed in a dark suit with a blue polka-dot tie, Gabriel was pictured arriving alongside his father before joining both of his parents inside the stadium. The young royal also took part in meetings with athletes and sporting figures, making him a particularly visible member of the royal delegation throughout the anniversary celebrations.
© Koninklijk Paleis/Palais royalA special night for the Belgian royals:
The Memorial Van Damme was founded in memory of Belgian middle-distance runner Ivo Van Damme, who won silver medals in both the 800 and 1,500 meters at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
Just months after his Olympic triumph, Van Damme tragically died in a car accident at the age of 22. The athletics meeting was subsequently created in his honor and has grown over the past five decades into one of the most important fixtures on the international athletics calendar.
© Koninklijk Paleis/Palais royalKing Philippe, Queen Mathilde and Prince Gabriel were on hand as the Memorial celebrated its 50th anniversary in Brussels, where they met several legendary athletes who have helped shape its history.
Among the sporting icons attending were Carl Lewis, Dwight Stones, Mike Boit and Sergey Bubka, bringing together different generations of athletics stars for the milestone occasion.
© Koninklijk Paleis/Palais royalPrince Gabriel’s increasingly prominent appearances:
Gabriel’s presence alongside the King and Queen was particularly notable as the prince continues to balance his position within the royal family with his own education and military training.
The second child and eldest son of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde has made a number of public appearances with his family over the years, although his older sister, Princess Elisabeth, remains first in line to the Belgian throne.
© Koninklijk Paleis/Palais royalAt the Memorial, however, Gabriel was front and center. Photographs from the evening showed him standing alongside his parents during the competition, meeting guests with his mother and joining the official group assembled beneath the monument honoring Ivo Van Damme.
The outing offered another glimpse of the next generation of Belgium’s royal family alongside the King and Queen, fittingly at an event that was itself celebrating five decades of sporting history.
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