She isn't even ten yet, and already a huge responsibility falls on the small shoulders of the Netherlands' Princess Catharina-Amalia. On April 30, the youngster will be styled as the new Princess of Orange, and become the heir to the Dutch throne when her father is inaugurated as Willem IV of the Netherlands. Her future, and that of her father, has been brought sharply into focus following the abdication of her grandmother, Queen Beatrix.
Even the hypothetical birth of a male sibling wouldn't change the order of succession, given that women have had equal rights to the throne in the Netherlands since 1983. The future Princess of Orange was born on December 7, 2003, in The Hague, receiving the name Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria. She would later be baptized on June 12, 2004, in Amsterdam's St. James' church. Since then, her parents Maxima and Willem-Alexander have tried to give Amalia and her two younger sisters, Alexia and Ariane, as normal a childhood as possible. However, both are aware of the role that their daughter will have to play in the future, so the presence of their eldest child at official functions is becoming increasingly common.
As delicate as the balancing act is, Amalia's increasing profile is the perfect training for her new royal role as the Princess of Orange. HELLO! Online presents the little girl who will soon be heir to the Dutch throne.
