Dutch princess moved from student housing to palace over security concerns, crime gang threats

Princess Catharina-Amalia

Dutch Princess Catharina-Amalia, the future queen of the Netherlands, has moved into a palace in The Hague and “can’t really go outside” in a sharp reversal from her plans to attend college and live like a “regular student.”

“It has enormous consequences for her life,” Queen Maxima said at a news conference Thursday during a state visit to Sweden. “It means that she’s not living in Amsterdam and that she can’t really go outside.”

The princess has made efforts to try and live a more normal life, such as foregoing her entitled allowance when she turned 18, a sum of roughly $1.9 million per year. 

“I find that uncomfortable as long as I am not doing a lot in return and other students have it much harder,” Amalia wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Rutte of her decision. 

Her first day at the University of Amsterdam drew immense public attention. After the initial buzz died down, she found her security threatened. Local media reported that Amalia’s name appeared in communications between organized crime gangs, raising fears of an attack or a kidnapping, Euronews reported. 

The princess will still attend classes but will no longer stay in a student residence as she had been at the start of her education. 

“No student life for her, like other students have,” the queen said. “I’m very proud of her and how she keeps it all going.

“It makes me a bit emotional,” the queen added. “It’s not nice to see your child live like that. She can go to university, but that’s it.”

King Willem-Alexander, Amalia’s father, said he found the situation “really very difficult.” 

Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius said she could “guarantee” that security services have worked hard to ensure the princess remains safe, but she said she could not share any specific details of the security threats. 

The princess has attended college with plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in politics, psychology, law and economics, according to People Magazine. She took a gap year after passing her exams to qualify for university.