And the choice fell on…
For months, there was speculation about Princess Alexia’s future. Would she, like her sister, study at the University of Amsterdam? Would she, like her father, leave for Leiden? Or would she choose the University of Groningen? With only a few weeks left until the start of the academic year, the princess has finally revealed today where she will study!
Gap year
A little work, a little travel – with these now legendary (and let’s be honest: a little infamous) words, the second daughter of Máxima and Willem-Alexander described her gap year. After obtaining her International Baccalaureate at the United World College in Wales, she chose not to continue with a study straight away.
But well, that wonderful gap year has also come to an end, and after this holiday the princess really has to go to college. There was a lot of speculation in the media about her choice, and when regional media found an e-mail address in the registers of the University of Groningen that could only belong to the princess, the chaos seemed complete. A spokesperson for the university reported at the time that the princess had indeed registered for a study at the RUG, but that did not necessarily mean anything. According to the spokesperson, it was quite possible that the princess had registered with multiple universities in order to keep her options open.
Packing suitcases
And that indeed appears to be the case! Today, the Government Information Service (RVD) revealed that the princess is packing her bags and leaving for London. Say what?!
Yes: the British adventure in Wales clearly tasted like more. After the summer, the princess will start at University College London. Here she will start studying Science and Engineering for Social Change. Or, in our own language: Science and Technology for Social Change. A broad study that should prepare Alexia to become ‘a leader of the next generation in the field of social change’, if we are to believe the university’s website.
Choice stress
A little while ago, during the photo shoot at Paleis Huis ten Bosch, Alexia shared that she was suffering from a lot of ‘choice stress’ regarding her studies. She also said that she feels a lot of pressure from the spotlights that are always focused on her. “I understand that it is interesting when you see someone you recognize in such a setting, but I do feel very limited by it.”
“I feel like I can’t do and leave what I want like my peers. Because I’m afraid that it will all be on social media the next day,” she added. So it’s not so crazy that the choice has now fallen on a study outside the Netherlands, where the princess can blend in better with the crowd!
Source: Vorsten, NU.nl, AD.nl, Glamial archive | Image: NL Beeld
