Princess Elisabeth

Princess Elisabeth, the heir to the Belgian throne, is signing up to do a year in military school to help her prepare for her royal duties.

The palace announced Wednesday that the princess, 18, will enter the Royal Military School in central Brussels for a one-year course in social and military sciences. Her father, King Philippe, also attended the school.

“She joins a long tradition within the royal family,” the statement said.

She is set to graduate from the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales at the end of the month.