Princess Amalia of the Netherlands went to a child psychologist as a child and still visits him regularly to “let off steam,” according to a biography published on the occasion of her 18th birthday next month and in which she speaks for the first time about the pressure of throne, their education or social networks.
The heiress to the Dutch throne, who comes of age on December 7, was accompanied last summer by the Dutch comedian and presenter Claudia de Breij,who wrote a portrait of Amalia’s personality, day-to-day life and aspirations, although she also admits that she left too many private issues out “not because she is a princess, but because she is still a girl.”
The book contains 112 pages, and is published by the Dutch publisher Pluim under the title Amalia, with a photo from the private archive of the princess, who sees her future as “an honor”, with the “added advantage that she loves tiaras”. the author jokes.
“I don’t think it’s a taboo. And I have no problem talking about it in public. Sometimes everything becomes too much for me: school, friends, and that’s why I talk to someone. If I have the need, I make a date. I let off steam and I’m ready for another month,”attempt to break the taboo on mental health, which he considers as “important” as physical health.
The young woman mentions Ines Zorreguieta, the younger sister of her mother, Queen Maxima, who took her own life at the age of 33, in 2018. She suffered from an eating disorder and was admitted to a psychiatric clinic for a few months, but failed to improve. . “I think talking to a professional from time to time is quite normal, especially after what happened to my aunt,” he said.
King Willem-Alexander and King Maxima decided to send Amalia to a child therapist when she was little because they were concerned about the impact that the death of her uncle, Prince Friso, who died in 2013 after a ski accident in Lech , could also have on her. , Austria.
The queens with their little sisters, princesses Alexia (16) and Ariadne (14), were also a cause for concern for the monarchs.
De Breij was commissioned to write this book at the beginning of the year. She had a meal with the royal family before accepting the assignment, and afterward she spent several days with Amalia, visiting the Huis ten Bosch palace in The Hague six times, and the two exchanged frequent text messages and emails. comedian to the palace stables to introduce her to her horse Mojito, and to a beach club owned by the parents of a friend of the young woman, a beach bar where Amalia sometimes works making “terrific” cocktails, says the writer. They also talked about religion, social networks, their days at school and their university plans.
Amalia is interested in History, Economics and Law, but she still does not know what she will study, nor if she will study at the University of Leiden, as has been the tradition in the royal family.
The writer describes Amalia as a focused, serious young woman who questions what she has achieved in her life so far, who does not see the throne as a “ballast”, and who is a perfectionist , a trait she would have inherited from her grandmother Beatriz, the queen emeritus
It is the first time that Amalia offers such an extensive interview about her life, since her parents have always kept her away from the spotlight., with a strict agreement with the media in the Netherlands, to whom they offer two photographic appointments a year in exchange for the princesses being able to lead a life outside the media spotlight.
In general, her presence in the media has been limited to spontaneous appearances such as on King’s Day, when Amalia answers a question from the journalists, accompanied by her parents. Similar biographies were also published when the former Queen Beatrix and the current King Willem-Alexander turned 18.
“If I can avoid a bad situation through diplomacy, if I make the world a little better, then I am happy. I am at the service of my country. I give my life to the Netherlands”, says the heiress. Several excerpts from the book show the concern of the young woman for her future role as queen and how she can be useful to the Dutch. In any case, the young woman is clear that, in Should something happen to her father in the short term, her mother, Queen Maxima, will take over the throne until she is ready.It should be remembered that the eldest daughter of Kings William and Maxima renounced the annual allocation of 1.6 million euros that would correspond to her by law from the age of 18, until she begins to practice as a princess.
