Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands joined King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima on Tuesday for the annual Prinsjesdag ceremony in The Hague, appearing in a cream satin caped gown that echoed her mother's neutral-toned ensemble. The royal family gathered on the balcony of Noordeinde Palace for the ceremonial opening of parliament, waving to crowds and marking the start of the parliamentary year.
Queen Maxima, 54, wore a long-sleeved grey scoop-neck gown with a matching fascinator and clutch, styling her hair in a braided low bun and wearing pendant earrings. Princess Amalia, 21, opted for a cream satin gown with a cape and a wide-brimmed headpiece, pairing oversized gold earrings with straightened hair. Princess Alexia, 20, chose a purple caped gown and tied her hair in a low bun, while Princess Ariane, 18, wore a navy satin dress with ruched detailing and a netted fascinator. King Willem-Alexander appeared in formal morning dress for the government address.
After arriving at the Royal Theatre, the king read the government's speech to Parliament, a central feature of Prinsjesdag. The royal family later appeared on the palace balcony to acknowledge assembled well-wishers. Other members of the extended royal family, including Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien, attended the event.
The public appearance comes as Amalia continues to be supported by her family and officials following online abuse involving manipulated intimate videos. Dutch and international investigators, including U.S. authorities, have worked to remove material from websites such as MrDeepFakes after reports that the princess and dozens of other Dutch women were targeted. Dutch officials have said the creation of such deepfake content is a criminal offence; under the country's law it can carry penalties including imprisonment, and authorities have described the matter as subject to ongoing investigation. No arrests have been publicly reported.
Amalia, heir apparent to the throne, has spoken about the issue in recent months and engaged with public officials. Last week she held a solo meeting with Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema and met with local residents involved in civic life, her first such visit to the city since reports surfaced that her image had been manipulated. The reports in August prompted police and other agencies to investigate websites that circulated the content.
The princess has previously written about deepfakes as part of her university work. The royal house recently published a photograph showing Amalia with her completed thesis, titled "Beyond Disclosure: Bridging the Gap Between the Artificial Intelligence Act and the Charter of Fundamental Rights with Deepfaked Bodies." She is studying Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics at Amsterdam University.
Amalia spent more than a year living in Spain after officials said threats to her safety, including references to possible kidnappings in communications by organised crime groups, made her location a concern. The move followed reports that communications by criminal groups mentioned the princess and then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte; at the time Rutte said he was concerned by the reports. The royal household has said little about security arrangements for members of the family beyond confirming ongoing protective measures.
Tuesday's appearances at Prinsjesdag combined ceremonial duty with a visible demonstration of family unity. The event, held every third Tuesday in September, remains one of the Netherlands' most formal royal occasions and is watched closely for both its political significance and the sartorial choices of the royal family.