Princess Alexia gears as much as transfer to London to review at UCL

There may be a new It Girl in town as one of Europe’s hottest young royals heads to the UK to begin her university studies next month. 

Dutch Princess Alexia, the daughter of Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, will enroll at University College London from September to begin her bachelor’s degree in science and engineering for social change. 

Ahead of her move overseas, the 19-year-old Princess, who is the second child of the royal couple and second in line to the throne after her sister Crown Princess Amalia, attended the Dutch Grand Prix with her parents this weekend.

She looked stylish in a knitted black asymmetrical shoulder top paired with a pair of smart navy trousers and a white trainers as she stepped out at Circuit Park in Zandvoort on Sunday.

As she returns to the UK, where she previously studied at Wales’s ‘Hippy Hogwarts’, UWC Atlantic College in South Wales, she has admitted it was a last-minute’ decision.

During a press conference, she admitted she was ‘a bit stressed about choosing’ but was widely expected to study at the University of Groningen, according to the NL Times. 

She will study for the three-year BSc degree, which promises to teach students ‘in-demand skills needed to solve key challenges of society’.

The course includes a placement or project module in its third year and likely careers include corporate, charity or government roles after graduating.

Alexia will spend 13 ‘contact’ hours with staff a week on top of 27 hours of independent study.

She is coming towards the end of her gap year, which she said was full of ‘travelling, working and all sorts of things.’ 

Studying at UCL means Princess Alexia will be fully immersed in London life with its Gower Street location around the corner from the British Museum and within walking distance of Oxford Street.

Although it has not been confirmed where the Dutch princess will reside, the most convenient halls of residence, Astor College, which are just 1.5 metres from the UCL Quad, Bloomsbury, could set her back £16,000 for a 39-week term in a large studio. 

She will likely enjoy more freedom during her studies than her sister and heir to the throne, Princess Amalia, who was forced out of student accommodation just two weeks after she began her studies at the University of Amsterdam following kidnapping threats.

Ahead of her move, princess Alexia spent time with her parents and cousin Count Claus at the Grand Prix, however it is not believed her sisters Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, or Princess Ariane joined the family on the outing.

She opted for natural makeup like her mother and wore her fiery red locks down in a wavy blow-dry.

Alexia, who is second in the line of succession, seemed engrossed in the race, filming the drivers whizzing around the track on her smartphone while chatting with her father.

Princess Alexia previously spent two years in the UK, graduating from UWC Atlantic College in South Wales in May last year, with her parents travelling to the prestigious school to celebrate.

The school is often referred to as ‘Hippie Hogwarts’ thanks to its progressive approach to education and picturesque castle setting, with European royals often attending. 

The college is for pupils aged 16 to 19 years of age and students from all over the world, 150 countries to be exact, live and study together.

It is based at St Donat’s Castle, south Wales in a 12th century castle set in 122 acres of woodland and farmland with its own valley and seafront.

It was founded by German educationalist Kurt Hahn and is situated at the 12th century St Donat’s Castle on the country’s south coast.

It costs a whopping £67,000 per year for courses including Tai Chi, the theory of knowledge and Tibetan literature.

The princess is coming towards the end of her gap year, which she said was full of ‘travelling, working and all sorts of things.’

During her year out, she made her first official solo public appearance at the naming ceremony of the VOX Alexia in Rotterdam.

She also appeared on the balcony for the opening day of Dutch parliament, debuting her royal order for the first time.

Alexia wore The Order of the Netherlands Lion after being appointed it when she turned 18.

Her elder sister Princess Amalia is studying psychology, law and economics at the University of Amsterdam, but was forced to live in Madrid for a year following kidnap threats.

The heir to the Dutch throne said she was ‘very grateful’ to everyone who helped protect and keep her safe from kidnapping threats from organised crime gangs.

Amalia was forced to abandon plans to live in student halls over security fears, just weeks after she started at Amsterdam University to study politics, psychology, law and economics in October 2022.

The 20-year-old said her time in Spain made her life in the Netherlands ‘somewhat possible’ again and thanked everyone who helped her make the swift move possible.

After her under-the-radar stay in Spain, the future queen was reportedly later able to resume her studies in the Netherlands.

‘Of course, it was strange circumstances that made me go there,’ Princess Catharina-Amalia later reflected to the press, according to Bild.

‘I’m still very grateful to everyone who made it possible for me to walk around there in freedom. I managed to find a little more freedom there than was possible here.’