Future Queen of the Netherlands Princess Catharina-Amalia Is Set for a Major Royal First

The heir to the Dutch throne has already worn her first tiara...but she might don another headpiece soon

Princess Amalia of The Netherlands at the balcony of Palace Noordeinde after the opening of the parliamentary year on September 20, 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands.
Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands on Sept. 20, 2022. Photo:

P van Katwijk/Getty

Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands has already sported her first tiara and joined her first royal tour, and there's another major milestone around the corner.

The 20-year-old heir to the Dutch throne is expected to participate in her first state banquet when King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain visit the Netherlands on April 17 and 18, according to RTL Boulevard.

Princess Amalia's parents, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, will host the Spanish royal couple for the grand dinner, which usually takes place at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, and both monarchs traditionally give a speech.

The glamorous evening calls for black ties and evening dresses, so it's likely that Princess Amalia will sport a tiara for the occasion.

Princess Amalia of The Netherlands and Princess Elisabeth of Belgium attend the gala diner to celebrate the 18th birthday of H.K.H. Prince Christian's at Christiansborg Palace on October 15, 2023 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands attends Prince Christian's 18th birthday gala on Oct. 15, 2023.

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty

For her tiara debut in June 2022 at Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway's 18th birthday gala, Princess Catharina-Amalia wore the Dutch Star Tiara. She sported more sparklers for the royal wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa of Jordan in June 2023 and Prince Christian of Denmark's 18th birthday celebrations in October 2023.

"I love tiaras," Princess Amalia said in her biography, published in 2021 ahead of her 18th birthday. "Show me a tiara, and I'll know where it came from. I can recognize all the tiaras of Europe. I used to put them on from my mother. Then there would be one on her make-up table and I would have it directly on my head."

She continued, "I really liked to be in my mother's jewelry anyway. When I was very little. She was preparing for an important dinner, and she shouted around the house, 'Amalia, where's that ring?' "

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Princess Amalia of The Netherlands, King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands leave their hotel for the wedding banquet of Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah of Jordan and Rajwa Al Saif on June 1, 2023 in Amman, Jordan.
Princess Catharina-Amalia, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands attend Jordan royal wedding banquet on June 1, 2023.

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty

She's still a student at the University of Amsterdam, but Princess Amalia has been slowly introduced to more elements of royal life. While some monarchs reign until their deaths, the Dutch royal family has a tradition of abdicating the throne for their heir to take over during their lifetime. However, the young heir hopes she still has some time to learn the ropes.

Princess Amalia told biographer Claudia de Breij that she didn't feel ready to be queen and would ask her mother to step in should her father, 56, unexpectedly die in the near future.

"I said to my father, 'You just keep on eating healthy and exercising a lot,' " she said.

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