Princess in hiding: Amalia of Orange's secret life in Madrid

Princess Amalia of the Netherlands lived in Madrid for a year due to threats against her by Dutch organized crime. She spent her life in hiding throughout 2023.

The Princess had started attending the University of Amsterdam in September 2022 to obtain her bachelor's degree in a program called Politics, Psychology, Law, and Economics. She was excited to start her life as a student, photographed here on her first day.

Image: Dutch Royal Palace RVD, Mischa Schoemaker

In the picture is the student house where Princess Amalia was going to live in Amsterdam. She would be able to bike from that apartment to university every day. However, her student life was cut short due to death threats from the so-called 'Mocro Mafia'.

Just when Princess Amalia left the royal palace to go live on her own in Amsterdam, one of the biggest trials in Dutch history was being prepared. It involved seventeen criminals from the Dutch-Moroccan drug cartel charged with six murders and many more attempted liquidations.

In the months before and during the trial, several people's lives were threatened. Crime journalist Peter R. de Vries had been shot on the streets of Amsterdam in 2021, and so were a key witness and his lawyer. Then, in 2022, Amalia's name reportedly turned up on the Mocro mafia's hit list.

On her family's trip to St. Martin in February 2023, Amelia told Dutch broadcaster NOS she regretted not having the normal student life she longed for. "I went into my student days with the idea that I would live the life of an ordinary student. And the reality was unfortunately anything but that."

So what was the Dutch princess to do? Thanks to an exchange between the Spanish IE University and the University of Amsterdam, Amalia could continue her studies in Madrid for about a year.

The most striking part of her year abroad was that no one knew about it. It was one of the best-kept secrets among the royalty press.

In Madrid, the Dutch Princess enjoyed the anonymity that she didn't have in the Netherlands. She spent her year in the Spanish capital jogging, going for walks, having coffee in the sun, and shopping at the supermarket.

Taking advantage of her anonymity, she was spotted strolling through the famous Madrid park El Retiro, located in the center of the city. It is very close to the posh Salamanca neighborhood where Amalia reportedly lived.

Photo: Diego Allen / Unsplash

According to Vanitatis, she also enjoyed typical Spanish food in different restaurants in the Salamanca neighborhood.

Huevos rotos con jamón (fried eggs with bacon - image), gazpacho, and torreznos (fried bacon) are some of the traditional Spanish foods that Princess Amalia was seen eating.

The Golden Mile is an exclusive area of Madrid where you can find stores of the most luxurious brands. It is located in one of the neighborhoods with the highest purchasing power in Madrid. Of course, a princess will have a budget to go shopping there!

Image: Jack Gisel / Unsplash

On occasion, Amalia and Queen Máxima were seen strolling through the streets of these exclusive stores in the company of Mambo, the small and furry royal pet.

Whenever Spanish photographers spotted the mother and daughter, they suggested that the two were only visiting Madrid - not that one of them was actually living there.

As part of the normal life of a young university student, Amalia also went out partying with Spanish and Dutch friends in clubs in the Recoletos area.

Another activity in the Princess' routine was to have a drink on a terrace in the city. In this photo, a woman - presumably royal staff - accompanies her on a terrace in front of the Retiro Park in November 2023.

It seems Amalia, 19 years old at the time, was able to live life as normally as possible and away from threats. What's more, she got local support from the Spanish King Felipe and Queen Letizia, good friends of the Dutch royals.

Only in April 2024, when the Spanish royal couple visited Amsterdam for a banquet with the Dutch king, queen, and Princess Amalia, did her father reveal that she had been in hiding.

Image: Dutch Royal Palace RVD, Patrick van Katwijk

As King Willem-Alexander while making a speech to his Spanish guests, "Last year, circumstances made that [Amalia] resided in Madrid... All this was possible thanks to the affectionate dedication of a large number of her fellow citizens and Their Majesties." The king gave special thanks to Felipe and Letizia of Spain.

If you want to enjoy Madrid just like the princess did, start in the Retiro park and explore the neighborhood of Recoletos and the district of Salamanca from there. You'll love it!

Image: Daiji Umemoto / Unsplash

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