Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Catharina-Amalia |
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| Princess of Orange | |||||
Catharina-Amalia in 2023
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| Born | 7 December 2003 The Hague, Netherlands |
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| House | Orange-Nassau | ||||
| Father | Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands | ||||
| Mother | Máxima Zorreguieta | ||||
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Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (born 7 December 2003) is the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This means she is next in line to become queen. The Kingdom of the Netherlands includes the countries of Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten.
Princess Catharina-Amalia is the oldest child of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. She has two younger sisters, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane. She became the heir to the throne when her father became king on 30 April 2013.
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Early Life of Princess Amalia
Princess Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria of the Netherlands was born on 7 December 2003 in The Hague. She was the first child of the then Prince Willem-Alexander (now king) and Princess Máxima. When she was born, 101 special gun salutes were fired in different parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
On 12 June 2004, Catharina-Amalia was baptised in the Great Church in The Hague. Her godparents include her uncle Prince Constantijn and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. Her maternal grandparents were not able to attend her parents' wedding in 2002, but they were present at her baptism, which was a private family event.
Princess Catharina-Amalia has two younger sisters: Princess Alexia (born in 2005) and Princess Ariane (born in 2007). The family lived at Villa Eikenhorst in Wassenaar for many years. In 2019, they moved to Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague.
On 30 April 2013, her grandmother, Queen Beatrix, stepped down from the throne. Her father then became king. As the new heir, Catharina-Amalia received the title of Princess of Orange. She was the first to hold this title in her own right.
Education and Learning
In December 2007, Catharina-Amalia started attending Bloemcamp Primary School, a public school in Wassenaar. After primary school, she went to the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague. She was part of the student council and took part in Model United Nations conferences. She graduated in 2021 with excellent grades.
After finishing high school, Catharina-Amalia took a gap year. During this time, she worked as an intern and volunteered for different groups. In June 2021, she said she would not accept her yearly income of €1.6 million from the state. She felt "uncomfortable as long as I do not do anything for it in return."
Since September 2022, Catharina-Amalia has been studying for a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Amsterdam. Her studies are in Politics, Psychology, Law, and Economics (PPLE). After two months at university, she moved back to the royal palace from her student housing due to safety concerns.
Catharina-Amalia speaks Dutch, English, and Spanish. She also took classes in Mandarin Chinese.
Public Life and Duties
Catharina-Amalia and her sisters attend the yearly Koningsdag (King's Day) celebrations. On 19 June 2010, Catharina-Amalia was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
For her 18th birthday in 2021, a book about Catharina-Amalia was published. It was called "Amalia" and written by Dutch entertainer Claudia de Breij. On 8 December 2021, the day after her 18th birthday, Catharina-Amalia took her seat in the Advisory Division of the Council of State. This is a group that advises the government. On the same day, she gave her first public speech at a Council of State meeting. A birthday party held by her family was later found to have broken rules during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her father, the King, said it was not right to organize it.
On 17 June 2022, she attended the 18th birthday party of Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway with her parents. This was her first public event outside the Netherlands and the first time she was allowed to wear a tiara. On 20 September 2022, she attended Prinsjesdag with her parents. This is a day when the King outlines the government's plans for the year. In November 2022, Catharina-Amalia and her family visited an exhibition about Queen Juliana. In December 2022, she visited the three parts of the Dutch military: Air Force, Army, and Navy.
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In early 2023, Catharina-Amalia went on her first official royal tour with her parents. They visited the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. In April 2023, she and her sister Princess Ariane attended the King's Day concert in Rotterdam. On 5 May 2023, she went with her grandmother to a reception at Buckingham Palace before the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in the United Kingdom. In June 2023, she and her parents attended a special dinner for the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan. She made her first solo official trip abroad in October 2023. She attended Prince Christian of Denmark's 18th birthday celebration in Denmark. In April 2024, Catharina-Amalia attended her first state banquet, honoring King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain.
Annual Allowance
When Catharina-Amalia turned 18, she became entitled to a yearly allowance from the Dutch state. This money was for her personal income and for staff and other costs. After she finished high school, she chose not to accept this allowance until she finished her studies.
In May 2024, Catharina-Amalia announced that she would start using the part of her allowance meant for staff and operational expenses. This decision will begin in January 2025, even though she is still studying. The amount for staff and expenses has grown and was €1.5 million in 2024.
Titles, Honours, and Family Arms
Titles
Since her birth, Catharina-Amalia has been a Princess of the Netherlands and a Princess of Orange-Nassau. When her father became king on 30 April 2013, she also became the Princess of Orange. Her full title is "Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange, Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau."
Honours
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (since 7 December 2021).
Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (since 7 December 2021).
Arms
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See also
- List of current heirs apparent
