Princess Catharina-Amalia may be destined to one day be the queen of the Netherlands, but for now she intends to live the life of a normal college student.
The royal is going to get her bachelor’s degree this fall and plans on doing so without all the advantages that come with her privileged position. The palace announced on Instagram Monday that the 18-year-old, who is the eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, will attend the University of Amsterdam in September where she will pursue a degree in politics, psychology, law, and economics. The royal office noted that her schooling is considered private, but confirmed that she did go through the entire application and selection process and will live in Amsterdam with fellow members of her freshman class in the fall. Alongside this announcement, the official palace social media account also shared an image of the princess sitting in front of one of Amsterdam’s famous canals.
Amalia took a gap year after graduating from high school cum laude in 2021. In keeping with Dutch tradition, after completing her studies and passing her final exams at the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague, the princess raised the country’s flag along with her backpack in a video shared on the royal family’s social media accounts. In April, prior to completing her studies, she also announced that she planned to see the world before focusing on her continued education. She told Netherland News Live, “I still want to learn, but just not at school, although I have enjoyed it for the past fourteen years. I want to travel a little, discover the world, do things that I may not be able to do in twenty years’ time.”
The modern royal has long made it clear that she marches to the beat of her own drum as when she turned 18 in December of last year, she revealed that she would not be accepting the $2 million annual allowance allotted to her until she takes on her official royal duties as queen. In a handwritten letter sent to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and published by NOS, Amalia expressed her discomfort with receiving all that money without first giving back to her country, and while so many college students are in serious debt. She wrote, “On 7 December 2021 I will be 18 and, according to the law, receive an allowance. I find that uncomfortable as long as I do not do anything for it in return, and while other students have a much tougher time of it, particularly in this period of coronavirus.” The royal went on to explain that she plans to take a gap year before beginning college and will repay the almost $400,000 she was entitled to during her time as a student and would not claim $1.6 million in expenses “until I incur high costs in my role as Princess of Orange.”
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