Princess Catharina-Amalia to undertake major royal milestone – details
Princess Catharina-Amalia, the heir to the Dutch throne, is set to pass an exciting royal milestone next month when she undertakes her first solo engagement.
On 22 February, the royal will travel down to a port in Vlissingen, in the south of the country, in order to baptise the Den Helder, an auxiliary ship that will be used by the Dutch navy. A statement from the Palace confirmed: "After the christening, Princess Catharina-Amalia will tour the ship and talk to the crew members and people involved in the construction of the Den Helder."
The milestone will mark an important moment for the 21-year-old royal as she continues her training for the day that she succeeds her father, King Willem-Alexander, to the throne.
Christening ships have often been used by royals for a first solo engagement, with Catharina-Amalia's younger sister, Princess Alexia, undertaking a similar outing in 2023 for the Vox Alexia, a dredging ship.
Ahead of her 2011 wedding to Prince William, the Princess of Wales carried out her first engagement when she joined her then fiancé to launch the RNLI's new lifeboat, the Hereford Endeavour. The royal's first solo engagement came at short notice when she had to fill in for the then Prince Charles in hosting a charity event at Clarence House.
Catharina-Amalia is reaching several milestones as she prepares to one day inherit the throne. Last year she took part in her first state visit when King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain headed to the Netherlands.
The preceding year, the royal travelled on her first tour of the Caribbean alongside her parents. During the trip, she addressed several security threats made against her, some of which resulted in her having to study abroad in Madrid for a year.
"I miss the normal life, the life of a student," she told the media. "Walking the streets, being able to go to a store."
Following the conclusion of her studies in the Spanish city, Catharina-Amalia donated tulip bulbs in order for a small tulip garden to be grown.
The news was confirmed by the Dutch Palace, which said: "The Princess of Orange thanks Madrid and its people for the warm welcome in their city, which she was able to call home for some time, with a small tulip garden on Plaza de Oriente. The ambassador and the mayor of Madrid planted the first bulbs."
