The Kingdom of Belgium is marking Princess Elisabeth’s 25th birthday on 25 October 2026 with two commemorative releases: a new bpost postage stamp and a €12.50 gold coin featuring the future queen.
The stamp, issued by bpost, features a black-and-white portrait selected by the Royal Palace. The coin, released by the Royal Mint of Belgium, depicts Elisabeth on one side and her father, King Philippe, on the other.
Black-and-white portrait for commemorative stamp
The new stamp sheet was developed in collaboration with the Royal Palace, which organised the photo session, selected the portrait taken by photographer Bas Bogaerts and opted for a black-and-white image.
Myriam Voz, a designer at bpost’s stamp printing department, adapted the photograph for the stamp sheet, balancing the technical requirements of philately with the Palace’s preferences. Subtle gold accents were added to give the design a commemorative feel.
“Designing a stamp sheet for Princess Elisabeth’s 25th birthday was a special project,” Voz said. “I was fortunate to work with a beautiful photograph. The portrait selected by the Palace conveys both modernity and timelessness. I wanted to preserve that visual purity while adding subtle gold accents. The gold printing gives both the stamp and the sheet a royal appearance, while highlighting the future of a young woman who will become our first reigning queen.”
Elisabeth has appeared on Belgian stamps before, including in 2002, in a family portrait in 2016 and for her 18th birthday in 2019. The new issue is the first special self-adhesive stamp dedicated to a member of the Belgian royal family, according to bpost.
The stamp sheet contains five stamps, each valid for domestic postage, and costs €8.15. It went on sale on 26 October through the bpost online shop and at post offices. The print run is limited to 41,790 sheets.
Gold coin features father and daughter
The Royal Mint of Belgium has also issued a €12.50 gold coin to mark the milestone. Struck in pure gold in proof quality, it continues a series of commemorative coins dedicated to members of the royal family.
The obverse features a portrait of Elisabeth, with the number ‘25’ beside her and her personal monogram above. The portrait was designed by Iris Bruijns. The reverse shows the standard effigy of King Philippe, designed by Luc Luycx, alongside the coin’s face value and Belgium’s name in three languages.
The combination of the future queen and the reigning king on the same coin is a first for this series. Each coin comes in a presentation case with a numbered certificate of authenticity.
Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, was born in Anderlecht on 25 October 2001. As the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, she is first in line to the Belgian throne. She received the title Duchess of Brabant on 21 July 2013, following her father’s accession to the throne.
The stamp and coin are the latest in a series of royal commemorative issues that have also marked Queen Mathilde’s birthday, the royal couple’s wedding anniversary and King Philippe’s birthday.
