Security Threat Ruins Princess' University-Life Plans

Dutch heir Princess Amalia, 18, is reportedly a target of criminal gangs
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 14, 2022 7:43 AM CDT
Security Threat Ruins Princess' University-Life Plans
Princess Amalia, center, and Prince Constantijn, left, listen as Dutch King Willem-Alexander marks the opening of the parliamentary year with a speech outlining the government's budget plans at the Royal Theatre in The Hague, Netherlands, on Sept. 20, 2022.   (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

It's not always easy being a princess, a fact the 18-year-old heir to the Dutch throne was just painfully reminded of. Last month, Princess Amalia moved into a shared student house in the heart of Amsterdam's historic canal district as she enrolled at the University of Amsterdam. But the AP reports she has already been moved back home to the royal palace in the Hague due to the threat of an attack or kidnapping. Princess Amalia and the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte have apparently been mentioned as possible targets in organized crime communications, reports the BBC. Amalia's college experience was supposed to be relaxed, following a summer that saw her working at a beach bar in Scheveningen.

But "there is no student life for her like others have," an emotional Queen Maxima told reporters during a state visit to Sweden with King Willem-Alexander on Thursday, per Reuters. "She can hardly leave the house." The king acknowledged the "heavy situation" without going into detail on the security threats, per the BBC. The prime minister also refused to go into specifics Thursday but said "everyone involved is doing everything possible to make sure she is safe," per Reuters. "It is terrible that this is necessary, in particular for the Crown Princess herself," said Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgöz-Zegerius. The princess is still working on a degree in politics, psychology, law, and economics, though remotely. (More Netherlands stories.)

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