AMSTERDAM — The future queen of the Netherlands, Catharina-Amalia, is to be baptised in The Hague in June, it has been announced.

The princess, known as Amalia, was born to Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and his Argentine-born wife, Princess Maxima, on 7 December 2003.

She will be christened in the Grote of St. Jacobskerk in The Hague on 12 June.  Minister Carel ter Linden — who presided at the wedding of Willem-Alexander and Maxima in February 2002 — will conduct the ceremony, the Government Information Service (RVD) said.

The Crown Prince was baptised in the same church about four months after his birth.

Princess Willem-Alexander will take the throne when his mother, Queen Beatrix, steps down. Princess Amalia is next-in-line after him.

Prince Johan Friso, the second of the Queen’s three sons, will lose his rights to the throne when he marries Mabel Wisse-Smit in Delft without the approval of Parliament on 24 April this year.

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said he would not seek parliamentary approval for the marriage, as required by law, because Mabel Wisse Smit had lied about the extent of a former relationship she had with murdered drugs baron Klaas Bruinsma.

Marrying in the absence of the approval of MPs will place Johan Friso outside the royal household and he will no longer have a claim to the throne.

Despite denials from the RVD that an official decision has been made, Friso and his wife will reportedly be allowed to retain the title of count and countess when they are married. Any children they have will also reportedly bear the title of count or countess.

[Copyright Expatica News 2004]

Subject: Dutch news + royalty