Princess Catherine Amalia has debuted a spectacular new look as she returned to the Netherlands for the first time following a kidnapping threat.
The 20-year-old future European queen recently spent more than a year living in Spain as a result of growing fears for her safety, but has made two public appearances in The Hague this week.
On Tuesday evening, the royals cut a glamorous figure in a bottle-green cape dress by Safiyaa London (a favourite designer of the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York) as they attended the opening of the Dutch Parliament.
Last night, the eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima looked equally sophisticated in a navy blue dress for a gala at Noordeinde Palace.
The royal appeared visibly more confident in front of the camera, having been shielded from the public spotlight due to her family’s concerns for her safety, as well as being the subject of cruel body-shaming on social media.
Pictured: Princess Amalia of the Netherlands arrives for the opening of parliament in The Hague in September 2024
Pictured: Queen Máxima of the Netherlands and Princess Amalia, who has just returned to Amsterdam, in February 2023.
Speaking to FEMAIL, SilkFred’s head stylist Megan Watkins said Princess Amalia’s new wardrobe “demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of fashion and personal style.”
“Princess Catharina-Amalia’s changing style shows her growing confidence and refined fashion choices,” he agreed.
‘Her recent preference for bold, structured silhouettes in bold colors like royal blue and deep green highlights her embrace of classic, yet modern elegance.’
The stylist also highlighted the princess’s love for high-end designers, which she found “flattering.”
She said: ‘Designers such as Alex Perry and Safiyaa have become staples in her wardrobe, offering elegant, figure-flattering dresses with high necklines and mermaid skirts that add sophistication.
‘Her use of statement accessories, such as diamond chokers and velvet shoes, enhances her regal presence, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of fashion and personal style.’
In October 2022, the royal began studying Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics at the University of Amsterdam and moved into the residence.
However, the outstanding student was forced to leave her original home after being threatened with kidnapping by Dutch organised crime gangs.
Pictured: King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima’s eldest daughter looked sophisticated in a navy blue dress for a gala at Noordeinde Palace last night.
In April, Dutch public broadcaster NOS revealed that the “Princess of Orange” had finally escaped the confines of The Hague and spent a year studying in Madrid.
Amalia, first in line to the throne, is said to be fluent in Spanish thanks to her mother, who was born in Argentina.
Officials would not confirm details of Amalia’s initial departure from her Amsterdam studies, but the move came weeks after reports that Amalia and Prime Minister Mark Rutte were mentioned in communications from organised crime groups, raising fears of kidnappings.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte said at the time: “I feel very sorry for her and I am obviously very concerned about her.”
He added that Dutch authorities were doing everything possible to ensure the princess was safe.
Pictured: Princess Amalia of the Netherlands with King Willem-Alexander on King’s Day in April 2024
“She cannot live in Amsterdam and she cannot leave the palace… This has enormous consequences for her life. For her, there is no student life like other people,” said an emotional Queen Máxima.
Amalia herself told reporters during a royal family tour of the Caribbean early last year that she missed “normal student life” and was looking forward to enjoying the student experience like her peers.
“Unfortunately, the reality was different,” he said.
Her father, King Willem-Alexander, told the Through the Eyes of the King podcast that the situation had “had a very hard impact” on his daughter and her family.
“Uncertainty, lack of freedom, that’s not how you want to raise your children or what you want to pass on to them,” she said.
Justice and Security Minister Dilan Yesilgöz told reporters in the weeks following Amalia’s withdrawal from her studies in Amsterdam: ‘I guarantee that our security services are working hard day and night to ensure her safety.
“It is terrible that this is necessary, first of all for the Crown Princess herself.”
The future European queen (pictured in 2022) recently spent more than a year living in Spain as a result of growing fears for her safety.
Princess Amalia of the Netherlands visits the Taste of Bonaire festival during the second day of the Dutch royal family’s tour of the Dutch Caribbean islands in January 2023
Princess Amalia of the Netherlands arrives at the Royal Palace for the Princes’ Day on 17 September 2024
NOS told us this week that the threat to Amalia had not completely disappeared, but she was able to return from Madrid to live and study in the Netherlands again due to unspecified “measures.”
Dutch publication Het Parool says Amalia has resumed her studies at the University of Amsterdam.
Before turning 18, the royal spoke openly about the benefits of therapy in an authorised biography, having lost her aunt Ines to suicide in 2018.
She said: ‘Sometimes everything becomes too much for me: school, friends, and then I talk to someone.
“If I need to, I make an appointment… talking to a professional from time to time is normal.”
Princess Amalia of the Netherlands, 20, during King’s Day on April 27, 2024 in Emmen, Netherlands
Princess Amalia of the Netherlands attends a gala dinner of the Council of State at Noordeinde Palace last night
In April 2023, King Willem-Alexander revealed that his three daughters “see everything” posted about them on social media.
Speaking to the Through the eyes of the King podcast, the royal told Dutch radio host Edwin Evers that she has “very open discussions” with her children, who are encouraged to share their feelings about online trolling.
As cited in the The times of HollandHe said: ‘They are not blind or deaf, they see everything on social media, they read everything, they hear everything. We don’t cut off their access to anything. And they talk about it.’
“It affects them,” she added, saying she also had to learn to deal with negative comments on social media during her time in the public eye.
The monarch explained that he encourages his daughters not to see criticism on social media as a personal attack, saying that for children growing up, it is “very upsetting” to see criticism posted online.
“Children don’t have a filter in that sense, but it’s reality and they have to learn to deal with it.”
In February 2023, Princess Catharina-Amalia was the subject of cruel body slamming on social media, prompting royal fans to come to her defense.
Someone wrote on X: ‘The people who body shame Princess Amalia of the Netherlands are the same people who body shame Princess Catherine because she is too skinny and has no curves.
‘That’s the reality on social media, people hate it when you’re happy with yourself and when someone loves you for who you are.’
Another added: “I think she’s absolutely beautiful!”
In July 2020, Portuguese magazine Cara issued an apology to Princess Amalia after labelling the 16-year-old as “plus-size” on a cover and claiming she had “defended her ‘royal woman’ figure”.
One critic wrote on Instagram: ‘Who gave you permission to comment on a 16 year old’s body?’
Another added: “They are talking about the body of a minor, a teenager and growing.”
