Dutch princess moves back to royal palace over fears she could be kidnapped

The Queen of the Netherlands has revealed her daughter can hardly leave the palace. Photo / Getty Images

A "normal" life for one royal has been cut short as she faces increased fears for her safety.

Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, who moved into student accommodation seeking a relatively normal university experience, has been forced to move back to the royal palace over fears of an attack or kidnapping.

The 18-year-old is the oldest child of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, making her heir to the throne.

In a rare speech to media about family matters that has been described as "unusually emotional", Queen Maxima said: "It means that she doesn't live in Amsterdam and that she can't really go outside, and these consequences are very difficult for her," she added, "So for her, it's not the student life that other students have."

She said her daughter could "hardly leave the house", according to Dutch news agency ANP.

While they did not give further details about why she is considered at risk, last month it was reported by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that Princess Amalia and Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, had been named in intercepted messages between criminals.

The newspaper said security services were planning for a possible kidnap attempt or attack but the details of the threats have not been made public.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph reported, Rutte responded to the news and said "everyone involved is doing their best to ensure that she is safe".

Amalia, with the official title of Princess of Orange, only started studying at the University of Amsterdam last month.

She had moved into an apartment building in the city with other students and was studying politics, psychology, law and economics.

When asked what it did to him "as a father", King Willem-Alexander said it was "a heavy situation" and he was unable to express the impact, according to the BBC.

Princess Amalia is now back living at the Huis ten Bosch royal palace in The Hague.

- Additional reporting by NZ Herald