Today, the future Dutch Queen, The Princess of Orange, turns 19. Happy birthday Princess Catharina-Amalia! 🎂
Ahead of her birthday, the Dutch Royal House announced that the future Queen has been introduced to the three branches of the Dutch armed forces - Navy, Army, and Air Force - since she turned 18 last year.
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| The Princess of Orange in different military uniforms |
Apart from visiting the Volkel Airbase in April, the Princess of Orange flew on a training flight of an F-16 of the Royal Netherlands Air Force.Â
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| Visited the Royal army ©Dutch Royal House |
In June, Princess Catharina-Amalia visited the 43 mechanized brigades, the heavy infantry brigade of the Royal Army. She also visited the Royal Navy in Den Helder in August this year where she steered the submarine to let it surface above the water.
She will continue to take part in military training in the years to come as part of her preparation for her future role as Dutch Queen regnant.
Unlike other future young Queen regnant in Europe, such as the Duchess of Brabant (Princess Elisabeth of Belgium), and the Princess of Asturias (Leonor of Spain), the Princess of Orange is yet to take her first solo public engagement.
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| The Princess of Orange wearing her mother's wedding tiara |
She made her tiara debut during the 18th birthday gala dinner of Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway in June this year. She chose to wear her mother's wedding tiara.
About the Princess of Orange
Born Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria on December 7, 2003, in The Hague, the princess is the firstborn child of then Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima. She has two younger sisters, Princess Alexia (born in 2005) and Princess Ariane (born in 2007).
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| The Princess of Orange in the center with her sisters, Princess Ariane and Princess Alexia © Dutch Royal House |
Dutch succession law was altered in 1983 to Absolute Primogeniture making Princess Catharina-Amalia the very first female heir-apparent of the Dutch throne, and the first Princess of Orange in her own right.
The Kingdom of The Netherlands consists of the constituent countries of Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten in the Caribbean, and the Netherlands in Europe.
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| Visit an art exhibit ©Dutch Royal House |
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| Summer family portrait ©Dutch Royal House |
She is a goddaughter of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. In turn, her father, King Willem-Alexander, is also the godfather of Crown Princess Victoria's eldest child, Princess Estelle.
Since September 2022, the Princess of Orange is attending classes at the University of Amsterdam for a Bachelor's degree in Politics, Psychology, Law, and Economics.Â
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| First day of college life © Getty Images |
Weeks later after attending her first classes, she was placed under heightened security and moved out of her student flat after a security threat was identified.
As a future Dutch monarch, her birthday is traditionally celebrated with a concert at the Kloosterkerk in The Hague, attended by ambassadors and members of the royal household and the Council of State of the Netherlands.
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| Opening of Parliament © Getty Images |
Since turning 18 last year, the Princess of Orange has been attending public events with her parents, the King and Queen.Â
She was inducted to the State of the Council by her father in December 2021 and attended her first State of the Council reception in September this year.
She also attended the Opening of the Dutch Parliament in September this year for the first time.
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