Amalia, Princess of Orange, future Queen of the Netherlands Photograph (c) RVD – Z.M. de Koning |
Today, 7 December, the Princess of Orange celebrates her sixteenth birthday. A new photograph of the princess was released by the Dutch Royal House. The image of Princess Amalia was taken by her father, King Willem-Alexander, at Den Haag (The Hague).
Princess Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria of the Netherlands was born on 7 December 2003 at Den Haag. She is the eldest child of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (b.1967) and Queen Máxima (b.1971; née Zorreguieta Cerruti), who were married in 2002. The princess was followed by two younger sisters: Princess Alexia (b.2005) and Princess Ariane (b.2007).
Princess Amalia lives with her parents and sister at the Paleis Huis ten Bosch in Den Haag. She attends the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet. Her hobbies include hockey, riding horses, and singing.
The Princess of Orange is the granddaughter of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (b.1938) and the late Prince Claus (1926-2002; né van Amsberg). Amalia’s maternal grandparents are Jorge Zorreguieta Stefanini (1928-2017) and María del Carmen Cerruti Carricart (b.1944). The godparents of the Princess of Orange are her paternal uncle Prince Constantijn, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, the (then) vice-president of the Council of State of the Netherlands Herman Tjeenk Willink, Samantha Deane, her maternal uncle Martín Zorreguieta, and Marc ter Haar.
When she succeeds to the Dutch throne, Amalia will follow in the footsteps of three of her ancestresses. Her great-great grandmother Wilhelmina (1880-1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until 1948. Catherina-Amalia’s great-grandmother Juliana (1909-2004) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until 1980. Most recently, her grandmother Beatrix was Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until 2013. Amalia will be the fourth queen regnant of the Netherlands in five generations of the Dutch Royal Family.
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