Royal watchers were sent into a spin when a photo emerged of Princess Elisabeth of Belgium alongside Prince Georg of Liechtenstein, sparking suggestions of a new romance.
The photo first appeared on social media and was widely circulated, with the young princess’ brother even commenting on the picture calling for privacy.
But now, an official from the Princely House of Liechtenstein has issued a statement claiming the photo is fake.
Princess Elisabeth of Belgium was recently linked to Prince Georg of Liechtenstein. (Getty)
The statement comes days after the Belgian Royal House refused to rule out whether the photo was real or not, causing confusion.
The image was first posted on Prince Georg’s private Instagram page and purported to show the 26-year-old with his arms around Princess Elisabeth, 23.
It was said to have been taken during a recent summer holiday in Greece.
The photo was posted on the prince’s page before the account was later turned to private.
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Prince Georg of Liechtenstein was linked to Princess Elisabeth of Belgium following a viral photo. (Getty)
Princess Elisabeth’s younger brother Prince Emmanuel appeared to comment on the photo, posting a message which said: “Respect privacy. Show empathy. It’s not that complicated!”
Princess Elisabeth, the Duchess of Brabant, is heir to the Belgian throne and is currently in her second year of a masters degree at Harvard University in Massachusetts.
Prince Georg is the son of Alois Philipp Maria, the Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein and is third in line to the throne behind his father and his elder brother.
Princess Elisabeth is heir to the Belgian throne and will be the first woman to rule the country in her own right. (Photonews via Getty Images)
Their alleged romance created a huge buzz online, with many hoping the two royal houses could one day be united through marriage.
But Liechtenstein’s palace has now dashed any such hopes.
“This photograph does not show HSH Prince Georg of Liechtenstein, it is a fake created with the help of artificial intelligence,” the private secretary for the Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein told Belgian media.
Princess Elisabeth of Belgium and her mother Queen Mathilde at Harvard University, September 2025. (Belgian Royal Palace/Max Bueno)
The official statement followed an earlier comment by the Belgian Royal Palace which said: “We saw the photo too. We don’t know if it’s real or AI”.
The statement, given to royal reporter Wim Dehandschutter on September 28, added: “we aren’t commenting. It is a private matter”.
Dehandschutter said he first came across the photo late last week and believed it was fake.
Writing on X he said: “Belgian King Philippe and especially Queen Mathilde guard their privacy like lions, and even more so that of their children.
“And the Liechtensteiners are also legendary secretive. They are an unknown but prestigious royal family and one of the wealthiest.”
He added: “Why would Princess Elisabeth and Prince Georg have any interest in leaking their relationship? And especially in such a clumsy way, via a photo on his public/open Instagram profile (now switched to a private one that’s never entirely private on Instagram)”.
Interest in Princess Elisabeth’s life is only increasing as she begins to carry out more official duties alongside her parents.
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She will eventually become queen of Belgium, making history in the process.
Elisabeth will be the first woman to rule the country in her own right, as previous queens of Belgium were always consorts, the wife of the king.
The princess is currently a full-time student and was recently visited on campus at Harvard by her mother Queen Mathilde.
The Queen was photographed with Princess Elisabeth at the Boston campus last week before making her way to New York for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which was attended by other royals from across Europe including Prince Albert II of Monaco, Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.
(L to R) Princess Eleonore, Prince Gabriel, Queen Mathilde, King Philippe, Princess Elisabeth and Prince Emmanuel of Belgium. (Getty)
Meanwhile, at the weekend, Princess Elisabeth’s other brother Prince Gabriel was sworn in as an officer to the Royal Military Academy Belgium after completing his Bachelor’s degree in Social and Military Sciences.
In July, the prince took part in the country’s National Day military parade as part of his service, in front of the royal family including his parents King Philippe, 65, and Queen Mathilde, 52.
Princess Elisabeth completed her own military training in 2020. She swore the officers’ oath on September 26, 2023 being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Belgian Army.
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