Palace fuels intrigue over future Queen's viral photo with European prince

A photo circulating on social media has sparked speculation that Belgian Crown Princess Elisabeth may be in a relationship with Prince Georg of Liechtenstein.

If true it would be a potential royal pairing that would mark the first between heirs of two reigning houses in nearly half a century.

The image, which appeared online Friday, shows the 22-year-old Duchess of Brabant with Georg, 25, third in line to Liechtenstein’s throne. 

The snapshot, rumored to have been taken during the summer in Greece, quickly went viral among royal watchers and fueled discussions about a possible romance.

When asked about the picture, a spokesperson for the Belgian Royal Palace in Brussels told reporters: “We saw the photo too. We don’t know if it’s real or AI. We aren’t commenting [on private matters].” 

The statement has only added to the intrigue, as it stopped short of denying the authenticity of the image.

Princess Elisabeth, daughter of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, is Belgium’s future monarch and has been in the spotlight for her education at Oxford and Harvard as well as her military training. 

Prince Georg, comparatively less known, belongs to one of Europe’s wealthiest royal families.

Neither royal household has confirmed or denied the reports.