The down-to-earth upbringing which made a future Queen: How Crown Princess Amalia's state education, part-time job and closeness with her parents prepared her for the role of a lifetime as she's set to attend her first state banquet

Crown Princess Catharina Amalia of the Netherlands will take part in her first ever state banquet this month, Dutch media has reported, as her family welcomes King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain to their country on a state visit.

The occasion will mark the 20-year-old's first participation in a state banquet alongside her parents, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of The Netherlands.

Royal fans will note it is another step up for the future queen of the Netherlands, after she joined her mother and father for a state visit to the Dutch Caribbean Islands last year, during which she made an address to her hosts.

As she takes small steps onto the big world stage ahead of one day ascending the throne, her parents have carefully prepared her for the role of a lifetime, ensuring her eventual transition into Queen will be as smooth as possible.

When it came to raising the princess, the King and Queen of the Netherlands did their best to keep her upbringing as down-to-earth as possible in a bid to keep her feet on the ground despite the fact she would one day become the monarch.

She attended a state primary school close to her family home in The Hague and rode her bike in every day, just like her peers. Following this, she went to a Protestant secondary school.

Childhood friends of the Princess told the BBC on her 18th birthday that Amalia was just like all the other pupils when she was a schoolgirl - the only difference being that, when she ride her bicycle home at the end of the day, she was heading back to the Huis ten Bosch Palace.

Her parents led by example when they raised Amalia, with King Willem-Alexander previously revealing he and Argentine-born Queen Máxima's marriage is happy because they are 'open and honest' with each other.

Perhaps the reason the young princess doesn't seem daunted by the responsibilities she will one day assume is that she has been taught to prioritise her happiness.

An authorised biography published on her 18th birthday quoted the Princess on the topic of choosing a husband one day - and her willingness to renounce the throne if Parliament considered her partner unsuitable.

She said: 'I can't choose at my own expense. Then I can't give the best for our country.'

The future Queen also revealed a candid glimpse into her love life as a teenager - claiming that she had briefly dated a fellow pupil when she was in high school, before learning he had only got involved with her as a bet.

Elsewhere in the biography, the princess expresses her progressive views - revealing that she took part in school acts of solidarity for the LGBT+ community.

She also took on a part-time job as a waitress at a beach club to take on early responsibility - and reportedly mixes a decent drink which has earnt her the nickname 'cocktail queen'.

Although the King and Queen have taken care to ensure Amalia could enjoy being a child, the monarch has previously revealed he and his eldest daughter have had serious and private discussions about when he will choose to abdicate and she will take over.

Speaking on the Through the Eyes of the King podcast last April as he marked a decade on the throne, Willem-Alexander said he hopes his eldest daughter can enjoy spending time on herself and with her family before she becomes a monarch in the 'distant future'.

He said he wished the heir apparent a long time to prepare for the role so she can start a family or do whatever she pleases.

Then he revealed he will sit down with his daughter to decide together when she will ascend the throne, but added it was a decision to be made 'between Amalia and me'.

He also revealed he and Queen Máxima don't shield her, nor her younger sisters Alexia, 18, and Ariane, 16, from the 'reality' of their lives as public figures.

'They are not blind and deaf, they see everything on social media, they read everything, they hear everything. We don't cut them off from anything. And they talk about it,' he said.

'It affects them,' he added, saying that he has also had to learn to deal with negative comments on social media during his time in the public eye.

The monarch explained that he encourages his daughters not to see social media criticism as a personal attack, saying that for children growing up, it was 'very annoying' to see the criticism posted online.

'Kids don’t have a filter in that regard, but it’s reality, and they have to learn to deal with that.'

He said it is important to teach his children not to take things personally as, for the most part, he believes online trolling is not personal.

Of course, despite the King and Queen's best-laid plans, they have not always managed to keep Amalia's life normal. 

As she moved to Amsterdam to study for her degree at the city's university in 2022, the Princess of Orange went to live in university halls to live a life much like her fellow peers - something she had always done throughout her education so far. 

However, within weeks she was forced to leave the student accommodation after kidnap threats had been made against her.

Speaking a few months on from the frightening incident, Amalia opened up about 'missing normal life'.

Speaking to Dutch broadcaster NOS, she said: 'I'm going to be very honest, I'm still having a very hard time.

'I miss the normal life, the life of a student. Walking the streets, being able to go to a store,' she added.

Her uncle Prince Constantijn spoke out about the Princess's 'very restrictive' existence.

According to RoyalCentral, while speaking on NPO 1 he said: 'If you are a young woman you want to be able to live freely during your student days and that is not granted to her.'

Speaking candidly about her daughter's situation while on a state visit to Sweden, Máxima was quoted by Dutch news agency ANP saying: 'She can hardly leave the house.

'The consequences are very difficult for her. There is no student life for her like others have.'

Despite going through a difficult time, the last year has seen the Princess of Orange further grow into her role as heir apparent while she continues her studies from the safety of the royal residence.

She also may have finally found her Prince Charming, as Dutch media has linked the Princess with a Spanish-born sculptor who is heir to the defunct Belgian throne.

Privé suggested Amalia may have found love with Boris of Bulgaria, otherwise known as the Prince of Turnovo. 

Spanish-born Boris, 26, is the son of the late Prince Kardam of Turnovo, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 52. 

The sculptor, who studied at the London School of Fine Arts at Wimbledon, is the heir to the defunct throne of Bulgaria.