Dutch Crown Princess Amalia fled to Spain over kidnap fears

Dutch Crown Princess Amalia fled to Spain for a year amid fears she would be kidnapped by a gang, according to reports.

The 20-year-old heir to the Dutch throne studied in Madrid after being forced to ditch plans to live in student accommodation in Amsterdam, in October 2022, public broadcaster NOS reported, citing royal sources.

It came weeks after Princess Amalia and Mark Rutte, the prime minister, were mentioned in intercepted communications between gang members, leading to security fears.

Ridouan Taghi, reportedly Europe’s most powerful drug lord, denied any plot against the princess before he was sentenced to life in prison for five murders in February.

Before his sentencing, the Dutch-Moroccan crime boss is thought to have ordered three murders connected to his trial, including a lawyer, a TV journalist and the brother of a crown witness.

The gangland hits led to fears that Taghi was still running his criminal empire from prison and that the Netherlands had become a “narco state”.

Security around Mr Rutte, who often cycles to work, was increased, while Princess Amalia returned to the palace in The Hague.

The royal had been photographed smiling when she began her politics, psychology, law and economics studies at Amsterdam University and much was made of her decision to live in student accommodation.

“She can’t live in Amsterdam and she can’t really go outside (the palace)... It has enormous consequences on her life,” said Queen Máxima at the time.

NOS said the princess moved to the Spanish capital instead. Amalia speaks fluent Spanish and her mother Queen Maxima, 52, was born and grew up in Argentina.

The threat to Amalia had not disappeared but she was able to live and study in the Netherlands again, thanks to unspecified “measures”, NOS said.

She is reportedly now living in Amsterdam.

In February, she spoke publicly about the threats for the first time. “I miss normal life, the life of a student. Walking the streets, going to a store,” she said.

On Wednesday, Amalia will for the first time play an official role in the two-day state visit of the Spanish royals.

King Willem-Alexander has said the situation “had a very hard impact” on his family. “The uncertainty, the lack of freedom, that is not how you want to raise your children,” he said, adding he was proud of Amalia’s resilience.