Happy Birthday Princess Catharina-Amalia! The future Dutch queen turned 21 on 7 December , and HELLO! is taking a look back at her life in photos so far, in celebration of her milestone.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima's daughter is still a student, but in recent years she has been slowly introduced to her future role.
Catharina-Amalia carried out her first overseas tour to the Dutch Caribbean in January 2023 and attended her first ever state banquet with the Spanish royals in April 2024.
But her tiara debut came in June 2022, when she attended Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway's 18th birthday gala, when she wore the Dutch Star Button tiara.
Since then, we've also seen her in the Ruby Peacock and Queen Emma of the Netherlands' sapphire tiaras.
She became heir apparent in 2013 when her father became King following her grandmother Queen Beatrix's abdication.
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© GettyChristening
Princess Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria was born on 7 December 2003 in The Hague. She was baptised in the Great Church in The Hague when she was six months old, with her uncle Prince Constantijn and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden among her godparents.
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© GettyBig sister
The royal became a big sister at 18 months old when Princess Alexia arrived in June 2005.
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© GettyHoliday tradition
Catharina-Amalia has been enjoying the Dutch royal family's annual ski break in Lech, Austria since she was a tot. We love this sweet picture of her father pulling her along on a sleigh in the snow.
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© GettyFamily of five
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima expanded their family again in April 2007 with the birth of third daughter, Princess Ariane. The three sisters are pictured with their parents in Maxima's home country, Argentina.
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© GettyFirst day at school
Proud parents King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were there to support and comfort little Catharina-Amalia on her first day at Bloemcampschool.
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© GettyRoyal bridesmaid
The princess was given a starring role at Crown Princess Victoria's wedding to Daniel Westling in 2010.
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© GettyBecoming heir apparent
Princess Catharina-Amalia and her sisters attended her father Willem-Alexander's inauguration as King in April 2013, making her the heir to the Dutch throne when she was just nine years old.
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© RVD/GettyFirst day at high school
The beaming princess heading off her bicycle for her first day at Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet high school in 2015.
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© GettyFirst tiara moment
Princess Catharina-Amalia wowed in the Dutch Star Button tiara – the jewels Maxima wore on her wedding day – for Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway's 18th birthday gala in 2022.
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© GettyStarting university
After taking a gap year where she interned at the Orange Fund and volunteered at various organisations, Catharina-Amalia enrolled at the University of Amsterdam in September 2022, where she is studying for a degree in Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics. But due to security threats, the princess was forced to move out of her accommodation and complete the rest of her first year studying online. She also lived in Madrid under the protection of the Spanish monarchy for the second year of her degree.
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© GettyFirst royal tour
In January 2023, the princess joined King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima for her first official overseas tour, where the royals visited Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba.
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© GettyFirst state banquet
Catharina-Amalia made her debut at a state banquet as the king and queen hosted their good friends, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain. The princess looked beautiful in a midnight blue caped gown with the Ruby Peacock parure.
