
Dutch Princess Amalia was photographed and filmed by her father on his iPhone Monday evening at their Wassenaar residence Eikenhorst as she left for her first day of high school. Amalia took her bicycle for the 10 km ride to the Sorghvliet school in The Hague. A school with 730 pupils she had selected herself, albeit with some supervision of her parents King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.

If it is up to her parents Monday was the first and only day their eldest daughter would be photographed during her secundary school years. In a statement accompanying the release of the photo the need and desire for privacy was once again stressed and the Royal House underlined that her school years are 'private'. Dutch media therefore were discouraged to come to the school and see the Princess of Orange arrive for her big day.

Unlike for instance Princess Elisabeth, heiress to the throne of Belgium, Amalia, 11, will not be taking part in official functions or activities till she reaches 18. King Willem-Alexander wants his daughters to have a childhood without royal obligations and the priying eyes of media and general public. His investiture and the annual King's Day are the exceptions to that rule, along with one or two photo calls a year, in Winter and Summer.

In her last weekend before the new school life started, Amalia and her sisters Alexia and Ariane enjoyed SAIL Amsterdam 2015 aboard the royal yacht De Groene Draeck, and aboard a police boat. The Groene Draeck was easily spotted and needed a police cordon to fend off skippers who chose to get to close to it for comfort or security, but aboard the police boat the princesses went virtually unnoticed.

Amalia's grandmother, former Queen Beatrix, was also on board her own ship Saturday, as she enjoyed the company of 5 of her 8 grandchildren, including countess Luana and countess Zaria, who were joined by their mother Princess Mabel.

On Sunday, when the young girls took sailing lessons and enjoyed the scenery on Amsterdams' IJ, Prince Maurits and his wife Princess Marilène had the honour of taking the Admiral's Salute from over one hundred traditional boats.

Prince Maurits was patron of the nautical event, a position he inherited when his cousin Willem-Alexander became King. In 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010 the present King had taken the salute on board of the Groene Draeck, often joined by other members of the Royal Family. Prince Maurits continued in that tradition by taking along his children Anna, Lucas and Felicia.
© Royalblog, Hans Jacobs; For more: Royalblog Facebook
Photos by © RVD HM The King, © Monarchy Press Europe, Patrick van Katwijk and © RPE Albert Nieboer
Recent Comments