Happy 18th birthday to the Princess of Orange, Catharina-Amalia! We’ve learned more about her from her recently published biography, which has made us just a little excited about this Queen-in-Training’s public debut.
Birthday Photos
To commemorate her birthday, the royal house released a series of official photos. Catharina-Amalia was photographed in Huis ten Bosch. The red dress is by Max Mara, and that particular photo was taken in the “Orange Room” – a very appropriate spot. (If you have time, click the link to the information about Huis ten Bosch. It was built between 1645 and 1652 for the Princess of Orange, Amalia van Solms, Princess Consort of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange. It’s a fascinating place.)
The current Princess of Orange is wearing a ruby ring given to her by her grandmother, Princess Beatrix. The ring came to Beatrix through her grandmother, Queen Wilhemina. There is a lot of historical import in these photos.
De Prinses van Oranje, 2021 
De Prinses van Oranje, 2021 
De Prinses van Oranje, 2021
De Prinses van Oranje, 2021 
De Prinses van Oranje, 2021 
De Prinses van Oranje, 2021
Photos: RVD / Frank Ruiter / Dutch Royal Court
Per Royal Arjan on Twitter: “The King of the Netherlands and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg are both Grand Masters of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau. In Luxembourg, it’s the highest-ranking order, while in the Netherlands, it’s a house order.”
In honour of her 18th birthday, the King of the Netherlands has named his eldest daughter, the Princess of Orange, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion and Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau. pic.twitter.com/K9Ww40nV99
— RoyalArjan (@RoyalArjan) December 7, 2021
On the more frivolous side of things, the Hofdames have heard that there is a rumor about a possible tiara purchase for the Princess. Please note: This is purely a rumor and not a particularly reliable one. There is some talk that the Princess will be gifted the “Lotus Tiara”, an aquamarine and diamond tiara by Steltman, the jeweler who designed Queen Maxima’s engagement ring. You can read a bit more about Steltman here.
I’m not sure whether I am on board with this choice or not, since it seems a bit sparse to me. *If* this is true (again, it’s only a rumor at this point) and we see it worn, maybe I’ll change my mind. It is a famous tiara, and it would be quite a surprise if it showed up on Amalia’s head!
Council of State
We have a Dutch Baguette watching the broadcast from The Princess of Orange’s first Council of State. Here are some screenshots of the King, Queen, and Princess in action. Catharina-Amalia quoted her grandmother, Princess Beatrix, from her 1956 appearance at the Council.
The King gets very emotional listening to the words of his mother spoken by his daughter.
Spam your favorite photos of our birthday celebrant, and lay down your own tiara bets!