The rise of the power princesses: how future queens Princess Leonor of Spain, Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands and Princess Elisabeth of Belgium are stepping up their training

This week, Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (as she is officially titled) has embarked on the latest stage of her military career. ‘The Princess of Orange has started as a working student in the military at the Royal Air Force as part of the Defensity College program,’ the Dutch Royal House revealed in a social media update, alongside a photo of the Princess in military fatigues.

The 22-year-old future queen enrolled as a military work-study student with the Royal Netherlands Air Force on 7 April as part of the programme, which sees her balance Armed Forces experience with her bachelor’s degree in Dutch Law at the University of Amsterdam.

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‘Defensity College aims to offer students a meaningful part-time job during their studies and to increase the visibility and connection between the armed forces and society,’ writes the Dutch Royal House. ‘The program consists of various workplaces, activities, events, and training courses. In doing so, the program contributes to the personal, professional, and military development of the military work-study student.’