HRH Princess Catharina-Amalia, the Princess of Orange, celebrated her 18th birthday on December 7, 2021, which means she reached the legal age to sit in the Council of States as a member.
The princess is the eldest child of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Queen Maxima. She is also the king's heir-apparent as the Dutch throne already adopted the absolute law of succession long before the Princess of Orange was born in 2003.
The Council of State is a constitutionally-established advisory body in The Netherlands to the government and States General that officially consists of members of the royal family and Crown-appointed members generally having political, commercial, diplomatic and military experience.
Its current president is the king himself since he ascended the throne in 2013. His wife, Queen Maxima, has been a member since their marriage in February 2002.
Though the Council president, the king seldom chairs meetings. Its Vice President who usually presides the meetings and assemblies.Â
Under the Dutch constitutional law, the Vice President of the Council is the acting head of state when there is no monarch or if the royal family becomes extinct.
The current VP of the Council is Thom de Graaf, a Democrat politician and researcher. The official seat of the Council of State is at the Kneuterdijk Palace in The Hague.
King Willem-Alexander officially inducted his daughter to the Council as its newest member-appointee, joining her mother, Queen Maxima, as Crown members. They will act as regents of the throne, together with the VP of the Council, in case the king will become incapacitated or when out of the country.
Before the induction ceremony, the princess planted a tree in the French Garden of Kneuterdijk Palace to mark her entry into the Council of State.
On her schoolingÂ
Princess Catharina is the eldest among the three daughters of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. Her younger sister, Princess Alexia is 16 years old and currently in Wales, United Kingdom for her baccalaureate degree, and Princess Ariane, 14 years old.
The Princess of Orange just graduated from high school in June this year but will take a gap year before attending the university next year.Â
It is not known where she will go for higher learning or what degree she will be taken, the most possible choice seems to be the United Kingdom where her sister is currently studying.
Two future European Queens are currently in England for their studies, Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, the future Spanish queen, and Princess Elisabeth, the Duchess of Brabant, heir-apparent to the Belgian throne who is taking Politics and History at Oxford University.
0 Comments