Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange

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Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (Template:IPA; Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria; born 7 December 2003) is the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the constituent countries of Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten.

Catharina-Amalia is the eldest child of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. She has two younger sisters, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane. She became heir apparent when her father ascended the throne on 30 April 2013.<ref name="princessoforange"/>

Early life

Princess Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria of the Netherlands was born at 17:01 CET on 7 December 2003 in the HMC Bronovo in The Hague,<ref name="birth">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the first child of the then Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange (now king) and Princess Máxima. Upon the public announcement of her birth, 101 salute shots were fired at four places in the Kingdom of the Netherlands: Den Helder and The Hague in the Netherlands, Willemstad in Curaçao, and Oranjestad in Aruba.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 12 June 2004, Catharina-Amalia was baptised by the Rev. Carel ter Linden in the Great Church in The Hague. Her godparents are her uncle Prince Constantijn, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, the (then) vice-president of the Council of State of the Netherlands Herman Tjeenk Willink, her mother's friend Samantha Deane, her uncle Martín Zorreguieta, and her father's friend Marc ter Haar.<ref name="royalhouse">Template:Cite web</ref> Catharina-Amalia's maternal grandparents, Jorge Zorreguieta and María del Carmen Cerruti, were prohibited from attending her parents' wedding in 2002 due to Zorreguieta's involvement in the regime of General Jorge Rafael Videla, but were present at her baptism, which was a private rather than a state affair.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Princess Catharina-Amalia has two younger sisters: Princess Alexia (born in 2005) and Princess Ariane (born in 2007). The family spent the princesses' formative years at Villa Eikenhorst on the De Horsten estate in Wassenaar. In 2019 they moved to Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Her birthdays are traditionally celebrated with a concert at the Kloosterkerk in The Hague, which is attended by ambassadors and members of the royal household and the Council of State of the Netherlands.<ref name="birthday">Template:Cite news</ref> Catharina-Amalia's paternal grandmother, Queen Beatrix, abdicated on 30Template:NbspApril 2013 and her father ascended the throne. Catharina-Amalia, as the new heir apparent, assumed the title of Princess of Orange,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> becoming the first to do so in her own right.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Education

In December 2007, Catharina-Amalia started attending Bloemcamp Primary School, a public primary school in Wassenaar.<ref name="school">Template:Cite news</ref> After graduating from primary school, she attended the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague, where her aunt Princess Laurentien attended.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She participated in the student council and attended both the Model United Nations of the International School of The Hague and The Hague International Model United Nations conferences.<ref name="princessoforange">Template:Cite web</ref> She graduated in 2021 with distinction.<ref name="princessoforange"/> After completing her studies at Sorghvliet, Catharina-Amalia took a gap year, during which she interned at the Orange Fund and volunteered at other organisations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="princessoforange"/>

Catharina-Amalia studied at the University of Amsterdam for a Bachelor of Science<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> degree in Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics (PPLE).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During her second month in university, she was moved back to the royal palace from her student housing in Amsterdam due to security risks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In April 2024, King Willem-Alexander revealed that Catharina-Amalia lived in Madrid in 2023 under the protection of the Spanish monarchy, while she continued her studies online, due to the threats from the Moroccan mafia, a criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking that has been threatening to kidnap her.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In August 2024, the Dutch Broadcasting Foundation announced that Catharina-Amalia joined Amsterdam corps, a Dutch student association.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Catharina-Amalia graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in PPLE in July 2025.<ref name="Hello-July25">Template:Cite magazine</ref> She is set to participate in the Defensity College training program at the University of Amsterdam for two academic years to earn a bachelor's degree in Dutch Law.<ref name="Hello-July25"/>

Catharina-Amalia speaks Dutch, English, and Spanish (her mother's first language).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, she took classes in Mandarin Chinese.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Public life

Catharina-Amalia and her sisters attended the annual Koningsdag.<ref name="princessoforange"/> On 19 June 2010, Catharina-Amalia served as a bridesmaid at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the occasion of her 18th birthday in 2021, a biography of Catharina-Amalia was published. Similar books were published on the 18th birthday of Princess Beatrix in 1956 and Prince Willem-Alexander in 1985. The book titled "Amalia" is written by Dutch entertainer Claudia de Breij.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> On 8 December 2021, Catharina-Amalia assumed her seat in the Advisory Division of the Council of State when she reached the age of majority at 18 the day before.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On the same day, she gave her first public speech at the Council of State meeting in Kneuterdijk Palace.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> An outdoor birthday party thrown by her family to mark the occasion was found to be in breach of regulations and restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made her father admit that "it was not right to organize this".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 17 June 2022, together with her parents, she was among the royal guests invited to the celebrations of the 18th birthday of Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway. This was Catharina-Amalia's first public engagement outside of The Netherlands and the first occasion to which she was allowed to wear a tiara.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 20 September 2022, together with her parents, Catharina-Amalia attended Prinsjesdag, where the King addressed a joint session of the States General of the Netherlands to outline government policy for the upcoming parliamentary session.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In November 2022, Catharina-Amalia and her family visited an exhibition at Nieuwe Kerk dedicated to Queen Juliana.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2022, she visited the three branches of Dutch military: Air Force, Army and Navy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In January and February 2023, Catharina-Amalia went on a tour of the Dutch Caribbean with her parents. They visited Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. It was her first official royal tour.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In April 2023, Catharina-Amalia and her sister Princess Ariane attended King's Day concert in Rotterdam.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 5 May 2023, she accompanied her grandmother to a reception held at Buckingham Palace the evening before the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2023, she and her parents attended a state banquet honoring the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa Al Saif.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She carried her first solo official trip abroad in October 2023 by attending Prince Christian of Denmark's 18th birthday celebration banquet at Christiansborg Palace, Denmark.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Catharina-Amalia attended her first state banquet, honouring King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, in April 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In June 2025, Catharina-Amalia underwent surgery after falling from a horse and fracturing her arm.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Public image

Catharina-Amalia has experienced repeated fat shaming by tabloids and on social media since she was young, most notably by the Portuguese celebrity magazine Caras labeling her as plus size. In response to the body shaming, members of the public have expressed their support for the princess, calling the fat shaming against her unacceptable.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Annual allowance

Catharina-Amalia became entitled to an annual allowance from the Dutch state upon reaching the age of 18. This allowance consisted of two parts: a personal income component of €296,000 and a €1,338,000 allocation for staff and operational expenses. Following her high school graduation, Catharina-Amalia opted to decline the annual allowance until she completed her studies.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In May 2024, citing changed circumstances, Catharina-Amalia announced she would begin utilizing her annual allowance for staff and operational expenses, starting in January 2025. This decision comes despite her ongoing studies. Her annual allowance for staff and operational expenses has continued to increase in recent years and amounted to €1.5 million in 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles

7 December 2003 - 30 April 2013: Her Royal Highness Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange Nassau<ref name="titels" />
30 April 2013 - present: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Orange<ref name="titels">Template:Cite web</ref>