All royal children are now adults as Princess Ariane celebrates 18th birthday

Princess Ariane turned 18 on Thursday. This means that all King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima’s daughters are now adults.

Ariane will not be celebrating her birthday with her parents on Thursday. Queen Maxima had said previously that her daughter is very busy with her studies at United World College Adriatic in Italy. “We are very proud of her. But she will be very busy with her final exams during her birthday and afterward," the Queen said after the state visit to Kenya. “We already have an empty nest, so this is just a confirmation of that.”

Ariane’s 18th birthday will lead to some changes in her life. She is now expected to appear on Budget Day with her sisters Amalia and Alexia and will conduct press interviews during the annual summer and winter photo sessions. She had always been present during the photo sessions, but the daughters do not have to answer any questions while underage.

Not much else is known about Princess Ariane because, with the exception of King’s Day, she has not appear in public very often. The royal couple also do not want to give away much information about their daughters in order to protect them.

Her mother said in 2021 that the princess was doing very well at school. “She is incredibly kind, ethical, very feminine, and at the same time, strong,” she also said. “She has an incredibly high number of talents.”

On the occasion of her birthday, the royal house has shared new portraits of the princess. The photos were taken at Paleis Huis ten Bosch.