Crown Princess Catharina Amalia of the Netherlands will attend her first-ever state banquet this month, Dutch media report, as her family welcomes King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain to their country for a state visit.
The occasion marks the 20-year-old’s first participation in a state banquet alongside her parents, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.
Royal fans will note that it is another step forward for the future Queen of the Netherlands, after she made a state visit to the Dutch Caribbean islands with her mother and father last year, during which she delivered a speech to her hosts.
As she takes baby steps onto the big world stage before one day ascending the throne, her parents have carefully prepared her for the role of a lifetime, ensuring her eventual transition to Queen will be as smooth as possible.
When it came to the princess’s upbringing, the King and Queen of the Netherlands did their best to keep her upbringing as down-to-earth as possible in an effort to keep her feet on the ground despite the fact that she would one day become the monarch. .
Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands will participate in her very first state banquet with her parents next week, Dutch media report
She went to a public primary school near her parental home in The Hague and cycled there every day, just like her peers. After this she went to a Protestant secondary school.
Childhood friends of the princess told the story BBC on her 18th birthday, Amalia was just like all the other students when she was still a schoolgirl – with the only difference that when she cycled home at the end of the day, she went back to Huis ten Bosch Palace.
Her parents led by example when raising Amalia, with King Willem-Alexander previously revealing that he and Argentina-born Queen Máxima’s marriage is a happy one because they are “open and honest” with each other.
Perhaps the reason the young princess is undeterred by the responsibilities she will one day take on is because she has been taught to prioritize her happiness.
The 20-year-old Princess of Orange (pictured with her father in 2022) is prepared for her eventual role as queen
As a student, the princess attended a state institution and cycled to and from school every day
In an authorized biography published on her 18th birthday, the princess was quoted on the subject of choosing a husband one day – and her willingness to abdicate the throne if Parliament deemed her partner unsuitable.
She said, “I can’t choose at my own expense. Then I cannot give the best for our country.’
The future queen also gave a candid glimpse into her teenage love life, claiming she briefly dated a fellow student when she was in high school before finding out he only got involved with her as a bet .
Elsewhere in the biography, the princess expresses her progressive views, revealing that she has taken part in school solidarity actions for the LGBT+ community.
King Willem-Alexander said his three daughters “see everything” about them posting on social media. In the photo L-R: Princess Ariane, King Willem, Princess Alexia, Queen Máxima, Princess Amalia
He said he has “very open conversations” with his three daughters Catharina-Amalia (center), Alexia (right) and Ariane (left), who are encouraged to share their feelings about online trolls.
King Willem-Alexander spoke yesterday with Edwin Evers about his reign so far on the podcast Through the Eyes of the King
She also took a part-time job as a waitress at a beach club to take on the responsibility early on – and reportedly mixes a decent drink, which has earned her the nickname “cocktail queen.”
Although the king and queen have made sure Amalia could enjoy being a child, the monarch has previously revealed that he and his eldest daughter have had serious and personal discussions about when he will decide to step down and she will take over .
During his speech on the podcast Through the Eyes of the King last April, when he had been on the throne for ten years, Willem-Alexander said that he hopes his eldest daughter can spend time on herself and with her family before she dies in the ‘distant future’ becomes a monarch. ‘.
He said he wished the heir to the throne plenty of time to prepare for the role so she can start a family or do whatever she wants.
He then revealed that he would sit down with his daughter to decide together when she will take the throne, but added that it was a decision to be made “between Amalia and me.”
He also revealed that he and Queen Máxima do not protect her, nor her younger sisters Alexia, 18, and Ariane, 16, from the “reality” of their lives as public figures.
‘They are not blind and deaf, they see everything on social media, they read everything, they hear everything. We do not exclude them from anything. And they are talking about it,” he said.
“It affects them,” he added, saying that he has also had to learn to deal with negative comments on social media during his time in the public eye.
The monarch explained that he encourages his daughters not to see criticism on social media as a personal attack, saying it was “very annoying” for growing children to see the criticism appear online.
‘Children have no filter on that, but it is reality and they have to learn to deal with it.’
He said it’s important to teach his children not to take things personally because, for the most part, he believes online trolling isn’t personal.
Of course, despite the king and queen’s best plans, they have not always succeeded in keeping Amalia’s life normal.
When she moved to Amsterdam in 2022 to study for her studies at the city university, the Princess of Orange started living in university halls to live a life similar to her peers – something she had always done during her course.
However, within weeks she was forced to leave the student residence after threats against her kidnapping were made.
A few months after the terrifying incident, Amalia spoke about ‘missing normal life’.
In an interview with NOS, she said: ‘I’m going to be very honest, I’m still having a very difficult time.
‘I miss normal life, the life of a student. Walking the streets, being able to go to a store,” she added.
Her uncle Prince Constantijn spoke of the princess’s “very restrictive” existence.
Boris Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, 26, has been linked by a Dutch magazine to Crown Princess Amalia of the Netherlands, 20
According to RoyalCentral, he said during his speech on NPO 1: ‘If you are a young woman, you want to be able to live freely during your student years and she is not allowed that.’
Máxima spoke candidly about her daughter’s situation during a state visit to Sweden and was quoted by the Dutch news agency ANP: ‘She can hardly leave the house.
‘The consequences are very difficult for her. There is no student life for her like others.’
Despite going through a difficult time, the Princess of Orange has continued to grow in her role as heir to the throne over the past year, as she continues her studies from the safety of the royal residence.
She may also have finally found her prince charming, as Dutch media have linked the princess to a Spanish-born sculptor who is heir to the defunct Belgian throne.
Privately suggested that Amalia may have found love with Boris of Bulgaria, also known as the Prince of Turnovo.
Spanish-born Boris, 26, is the son of the late Prince Kardam of Turnovo, who died in 2015 at the age of 52.
The sculptor, who studied at the London School of Fine Arts in Wimbledon, is the heir to the defunct throne of Bulgaria.