Her mother is an ocean away, but Princess Amalia said that Queen
Máxima is her role model at the beginning of a two-day official
visit to Amsterdam on Thursday.
When asked during a roundtable discussion who her role model is,
the future queen of the Netherlands spoke lovingly of her mother,
saying, “If I could only be half a woman like she is, I would
be happy.”
She has previously revealed that if she had succeeded her
father, King Willem-Alexander, while still young,
she would have asked Queen Máxima to step in as serve as regent
while she trains in her role.
The Princess of Orange is visiting
Amsterdam at the invitation of Mayor Femke Halsema to learn
more about the city’s sectors and to receive briefings on
“science, sports, culture, housing, and social cohesion,”
according to the Dutch Royal House.
Princess Amalia arrived for her first engagement on Thursday
afternoon at the Science Park after first attending a brunch with
Mayor Halsema at her residence. At the Science Park, the future
queen learned about its work with digital innovation and artificial
intelligence and attended a roundtable discussion on the
technological challenges facing the industry. She also received a
tour of the AMOLF labs to learn about their work with solar
energy.
two-day visit to Amsterdam YouTube Screenshot / Fair
Use
Afterwards, the future queen traveled to Amsterdam-Zuidoost to
meet with young people at 3x3Unites, a sports foundation where they
learn leadership and social skills. Princess Amalia played a game
of three-on-three basketball and joined in a roundtable discussion,
where she said, “I am Amalia. I am 22, and I hope to offer a
listening ear.”
The young royal then traveled to Amsterdam Nieuw-West to see a
housing development and learn how the neighbourhood works with
partners to create a vibrant living area. She also visited a social
programme that helps women in vulnerable situations, where the
future queen heard from those benefiting from its training
programmes.
The final engagement of Princess Amalia’s visit to Amsterdam
celebrated the city’s vibrant nightlife. The future queen paid a
visit to two nightlife venues where she learned more about
Amsterdam’s music and entertainment exports and listened as
recently-trained DJs performed during the event.
On Friday,
Princess Amalia will undertake engagements in the Zuidas, the
Zeedijk, and Amsterdam-Noord. She will meet with lawyers, bankers
and consultants to talk about their work and how geopolitics plays
a role in what they do. She will also meet with artists, social
change, homelessness, and the Amsterdam police, who will show the
future queen their dispatch operations and take her out on
patrol.
Princess Amalia is currently a student at the University of
Amsterdam, having received a bachelor’s degree in Politics,
Psychology, Law and Economics last year. She is currently reading
for a bachelor’s degree in Dutch law. She is also a reservist with
Defensity College, having recently been posted to the Royal
Netherlands Air Force.
