5 European Princesses Gearing Up to Rule

Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II remains Europe’s sole reigning queen. However, in the years ahead, five princesses from Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden are poised to take their thrones.

The rise of these future queens is due to revised succession laws in four of these nations—excluding Spain—which now permit a monarch’s daughter to retain her position in the line of succession, even if she has younger brothers. Reflecting modern values and promoting gender equality, these countries have abandoned the age-old tradition of male primogeniture, where sons took precedence over daughters, in favor of absolute primogeniture. This ensures that the eldest child, regardless of gender, is next in line for the throne.

Sweden pioneered this change in 1979, with other nations adopting similar reforms in the 1980s and 1990s. “The shift in succession laws aligns with the evolving spirit of the times, as there has been a growing emphasis on gender equality in recent decades—evident in corporate leadership, public institutions, Congress, and beyond,” says Robert Hazell, co-editor of the 2020 book The Role of Monarchy in Modern Democracy: European Monarchies Compared, in an interview with Mytour.

As these five princesses prepare to ascend as queens of their nations and influential figures on the global stage, they navigate the unique challenges of being both future monarchs and women in the modern era. While they are often seen as symbols of royal elegance, adorned in stunning gowns and dazzling jewels, the reality of their lives is far from being just about tiaras and flawless appearances.

Despite their privileged lives, these future queens experience the same milestones as anyone else—puberty, education, relationships, marriage, and motherhood—all under the relentless gaze of the media. They also face immense pressure to maintain impeccable appearances, a burden rarely placed on their male counterparts. “Bloggers aren’t likely to focus on what a crown prince is wearing,” says Marlene Koenig, a royal expert, in an interview with Mytour. Princesses, however, often drive fashion trends, with fans eager to replicate their style, benefiting designers and retailers alike.

Female heirs are groomed from a young age to dedicate their lives to service, a path that is both rewarding and meticulously planned. Their education, military training, and charitable work are all carefully structured. Marriage adds another layer of complexity, as finding a suitable partner involves navigating the unique constraints of royal life. “Royalty face significant challenges in finding a compatible spouse due to their highly public and restricted lives. Many individuals, no matter how fond they are of the royal, may hesitate to commit to a lifetime under such intense scrutiny,” Hazell explains.

For future queens, the challenge of finding the right partner may be even greater, as their husbands must adapt to a uniquely subordinate role. While the public is accustomed to a queen consort supporting a king, the reverse scenario can be more difficult for a man to embrace. Hazell notes that societal expectations make it harder for men to accept such a position.

Despite the changes in succession laws, the idea of a queen ruling is not new for most of these countries—except Belgium. The prospect of a woman on the throne is widely accepted. “It’s no longer seen as groundbreaking because these princesses are being prepared in the same way as princes. There’s no distinction,” Koenig remarks.

The prospect of five women ascending to the throne is both remarkable and a continuation of royal tradition. Below are the princesses preparing to take on their future roles as queens.

1. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden

Born in 1977, Victoria is the Crown Princess of Sweden and the firstborn of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. She is set to become Sweden’s fourth queen and the nation’s first female monarch since the 1700s.

At 46, Victoria stands as the sole Gen X member among the group, having grown up in an era before social media, enjoying a level of privacy the younger princesses will never experience. She pursued her education in France, the United States, and Sweden, earning a bachelor’s degree in peace and conflict studies from Uppsala University. Additionally, she gained practical experience working in government offices and completed basic military training with the Swedish Armed Forces.

In 2010, Victoria married Daniel Westling, a Swedish fitness trainer, who now holds the title of Crown Prince Daniel. Together, they have two children: Princess Estelle, 11, and Prince Oscar, 7. Estelle is second in line to the throne after her mother, marking her as the first Swedish princess to be named heir apparent from birth. Prior to 1980, male heirs took precedence over their older sisters in the Swedish succession line. For instance, Carl XVI Gustaf ascended to the throne in 1973 despite having four older sisters.

The shift in succession laws came when Sweden’s parliament enacted the 1979 Act of Succession, promoting gender equality within the monarchy. The law was made retroactive, sparking controversy. Victoria’s younger brother, Carl Philip, born just four months before the law’s passage, had already been named Crown Prince. However, under the new law, Victoria replaced him as heir apparent. Carl XVI Gustaf has expressed his disagreement with the retroactive application of the law as recently as January 2023, though he fully supports Victoria in her role as Crown Princess.

2. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium

Elisabeth, the Duchess of Brabant (the title for the Belgian heir apparent), is poised to become Belgium’s first queen. At 22, she is the oldest Gen Z princess on this list and the daughter of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. She has been preparing for her future role since her early teenage years.

Elisabeth undertook her first official royal duty at the age of 10, attending the opening of the Princess Elisabeth Children’s Hospital in Ghent. Her name also graces a Belgian scientific facility in Antarctica, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Research Station.

Since gaining independence from the Netherlands in 1830, Belgium has been ruled by seven kings. Thanks to a 1991 change in the succession laws, Elisabeth’s younger brothers, Princes Gabriel and Emmanuel, cannot surpass her in the line of succession [PDF]. She also has a younger sister, Princess Eleonore.

Elisabeth’s education is extensive and ongoing. She is currently studying history and politics at Oxford University’s Lincoln College. In 2020, she earned an International Baccalaureate from UWC Atlantic College in Wales. She has also completed courses in social and military sciences at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels and participated in the Yale Young Global Scholars Program at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Earlier this year, the press covered Elisabeth’s visit to Egypt with her mother and her trip to Jordan with her parents to attend the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif. Despite her royal duties, Elisabeth has maintained a relatively private life for someone being groomed to be queen.

3. Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands

At just 19, Catharina-Amalia, the heir to the Dutch throne, understands better than most that royal privileges come with significant challenges. Known as Amalia, she is the eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima and is set to become the Netherlands’ fourth queen regnant, following in the footsteps of her great-great-grandmother Wilhelmina, who became the nation’s first queen in 1890.

Amalia, who has two younger sisters, Princesses Alexia and Ariane, is the first Dutch princess to have her position in the line of succession guaranteed from birth. Born in 2003, she benefited from the Netherlands adopting absolute primogeniture in 1983 through a constitutional amendment. As the heir apparent, she holds the title Princess of Orange.

Amalia has made efforts to balance her royal responsibilities with the typical pursuits of someone her age. Upon turning 18 in 2022, she joined the Netherlands’ Council of State. Simultaneously, she declined the $1.8 million annual allowance she is entitled to as heir apparent, stating she had not yet earned it. That same year, she enrolled at the University of Amsterdam to pursue a degree in Politics, Psychology, Law, and Economics.

However, her university life took a dark turn when a Dutch criminal group threatened to kidnap and assassinate her. Forced to return to her parents’ residence at the royal palace in The Hague, she now attends lectures under heavy security. Amalia has expressed her longing for the independence she once enjoyed while living on her own.

4. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

At 19, Princess Ingrid Alexandra is second in line to Norway’s throne, following her father, Crown Prince Haakon. She is poised to become Norway’s second queen and the first woman monarch born in the country. Margaret I, who ruled the union of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, was born in Denmark.

Norway’s 1990 constitutional amendment established absolute primogeniture, ensuring Ingrid Alexandra remains ahead of her younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, in the line of succession [PDF].

Like her peers, Ingrid Alexandra juggles her royal duties with personal interests. At 12, she lit the cauldron at the Youth Olympics opening ceremony in Lillehammer in 2016 and later christened Norway’s research vessel, the Crown Prince Haakon, in 2018. For her 18th birthday in 2022, she was given an office at the Royal Palace, her family’s official Oslo residence, and posed for her 18th birthday portrait wearing a family heirloom tiara for the first time.

Education will be Ingrid Alexandra’s main priority in the coming years, but she will likely continue enjoying her favorite sports, such as skiing and surfing. In 2020, she won a gold medal in the national women’s junior surfing championship. She also went skydiving for the first time shortly after her 19th birthday.

5. Princess Leonor of Spain

As Spain’s heir to the throne, Princess Leonor holds the title of Princess of Asturias. She is the eldest daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, who also have a younger daughter, Sofia. However, Leonor is not the heir apparent due to Spain’s succession law, which still follows male-preference primogeniture. She is the heir presumptive, meaning her position could be overtaken if her parents have a son. Given the king and queen are in their fifties, the likelihood of a male heir is slim. Leonor is set to become Spain’s first queen regnant since Isabella II, who ruled in the mid-19th century.

Leonor, who turns 18 this year, recently finished a two-year high school program at UWC Atlantic College in Wales. She is now beginning three years of military training, spending one year each at Spain’s General Military Academy of Zaragoza, Marín Naval Military School (where she will serve on the Juan Sebastián de Elcano Training Ship), and San Javier General Air Academy. Following in her father’s footsteps, who underwent similar training before becoming king, Leonor plans to pursue a university degree after completing her military education.

Despite being somewhat shielded from media attention due to her youth, Leonor has spent much of her life in the public eye. Last year, a website revealed that the princess had a crush on Pablo Páez Gavira, a young Spanish soccer player from FC Barcelona nicknamed “Gavi,” mentioning she had decorated her school folder with his pictures. Leonor is likely learning to navigate media scrutiny, both favorable and unfavorable. Her family has faced its share of challenges, from the abdication of her grandfather, King Juan Carlos, in 2014 amid a corruption scandal, to the strained relationship between her mother and paternal grandmother, Queen Sofia.