Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange

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

Catharina-Amalia is the eldest child of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. She became heir apparent to the Dutch throne when her father ascended the throne on 30 April 2013.

Birth

Princess Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria was born at 17:01 CET on 7 December 2003 in the HMC Bronovo in The Hague, the first child of then Prince Willem-Alexander (now king) and Princess Maxima. 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 Curacao, and Oranjestad in Aruba.

On 12 June 2004, Catharina-Amalia was baptized by the Rev. Carel 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, friend of her mother Samantha Deane, her uncle Martin Zorreguieta, and friend of her father Marc Haar.

Catharina-Amalia's maternal grandparents, Jorge Zorreguieta and Maria Carmen Cerruti Carricart, 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.

Early Life and Education

Princess Catharina-Amalia has two younger sisters: Princess Alexia (born in 2005) and Princess Ariane (born in 2007). She lives with her parents and one of her sisters in Huis Bosch Palace in The Hague.

In December 2007, Catharina-Amalia started attended Bloemcamp Primary School, a public primary school in Wassenaar. After graduated from primary school, she attended the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague, where her aunt Princess Laurentien attended. She participated in the student council and attended both Model United Nations of the International School of The Hague and The Hague International Model United Nations conferences. She graduated in 2021 with distinction. Upon graduation, she announced that she would take a gap year and refused to accept her right to $1.6m a year income for the time period, adding that it would make her uncomfortable as long as I do not do anything for it in return." The Princess spent her gap year in an internship at the Orange Fund and volunteered at other organizations.

May 2022, it was announced that Catharina-Amalia would be studying Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics (PPLE) interdisciplinary degree at the University of Amsterdam.

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. She speaks Dutch, English, and Spanish. Additionally, she took classes in the Mandarin Chinese language.

On her seventh birthday, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain once owned by her great-grandfather, Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, was named after Catharina-Amalia by Peter Hartman. The princess herself was prevented from attending the naming ceremony owing to school obligations.

Catharina-Amalia's paternal grandmother, Queen Beatrix, abdicated on 30 April 2013 and her father ascended the throne. Catharina-Amalia, as the new apparent, assuming the title of Princess of Orange, becoming the first to do so in her own right. On 8 December 2021, Princess Catharina-Amalia assumed her seat in the Advisory Division of the Council of State of the Netherlands when she reached the age of majority at 18 the day before.

In 2020, a new regiment of the Royal Netherlands Army, the Regiment Huzaren Princess Catharina-Amalia, was named for Catharina-Amalia.

Public Life

On June 17th 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 her first public engagement outside of The Netherlands and the occasion for the Princess to wear publicly a tiara for the first time.

On 20 2022, together with her parents, she attended Prinsjesdag, where the King addressed a join session of the States General of the Netherlands to give the throne speech outlining government policy for the upcoming parliamentary session.

In January 2023, Catharina-Amalia will go on a tour of the Dutch Caribbean with her parents. They will visit Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. It will be her first official royal tour.

Titles

7 December 2003-30 April 2013: Her Royal Highness Princess Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau

30 April 2013-present: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Orange, Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau

Like her sisters, Catharina-Amalia was born a Princess of the Netherlands and a Princess of Orange-Nassau. As heir apparent she is also the Princess of Orange.

This title substantive and used without her name.

Honours

-Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (7 December 2021)

-Netherlands: Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (7 December 2021)

House: Orange-Nassau (official), Amsberg (agnatic)

Religion: Protestant Church in the Netherlands

(https://en.wikipedia.org)