Princess Amalia of the Netherlands may be the heiress to the Dutch throne, however, she is not dominating headlines like the rest of the European royals.
According to Spanish media, the eldest child of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, who just turned 21 on December 7, keeps her life largely private.
Dutch biographer Justine Marcella, who’s been promoting her new book “Amalia, The Royal Lifestyle”, claimed to the Spanish press that the public hardly know anything about the princess’s life.
Amalia has made a series of high-profile appearances this year, including at the state banquet held on Tuesday in honour of Portuguese president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, with the Dutch press saying that she is “still blossoming”.
But royal watchers have questioned why so little is known about the heiress’s dreams and passions, with her biographer claiming that there is still one heartfelt hope she wishes to remain true in the foreseeable future.
Ms Marcella gave an interview to Spanish magazine Mujer Hoy and explained how the there is “nothing normal” about the princess’s life.
According to the author, Amalia is “at peace” with her future unlike her father and grandmother however, she hopes that she will remain a princess for a long time.
She said: “Amalia is very intelligent, thoughtful, sociable and beautiful. But the fact that she is the king’s first daughter is enough for her to become queen.
“Her father and grandmother had a hard time accepting her destiny. Amalia now seems at peace with her future. Although she sincerely hopes that her father will be king for a long time and she ‘just’ a princess.”
On her parents’ influence on her, the author claimed that the young royal was “encouraged” to make mistakes, “because that’s how you really know yourself”. However, she stressed that she hasn’t really made any big mistakes.
She added that style-wise, Amalia has not copied her mother as she has her “own style”.
The author said: “I have the idea that her parents don’t try to influence her too much, but rather encourage her to be who she is.”
Regarding her relationship with her two sisters, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane, Ms Marcella said that their bond is “the most normal thing” in the heiress’s life.
She said: “They really are three sisters! But they don’t see each other very often at the moment. Alexia studies in London, Amalia in Amsterdam and Ariane lives in Italy.
“Amalia is really the eldest. From a very young age she took charge of the official moments. She showed Alexia her chair during the investiture of King Willem-Alexander, and she can also be heard clearly during the directional instructions during photo shoots.”
On Amalia’s royal future, the author claimed that the heiress will “have it easier [than her father] because she is a woman”.
She explained: “The Netherlands is used to queens! Willem-Alexander is the first king since 1849. Willem-Alexander couldn’t steal the spotlight with beautiful tiaras and gala dresses. What is different, though, are social media and mobile phones.
“Willem-Alexander could drink a beer on the terrace without immediately worrying about being photographed. Now everyone has a camera on their phone and can take photos or videos.”
