Princess Amalia has obtained her hunting license and can accompany her father during the hunt at Kroondomein Het Loo. But does this really mean she’s going out with a gun?
Basically not. As soon as the deed is in, you can officially hunt, but it doesn’t look like the princess will go after the rabbits and deer with a gun next fall. In her book that was published in honor of her eighteenth birthday, Amalia said that the deed “is not immediately intended to go hunting, but mainly serves as preparation for the future management of Kroondomein Het Loo in Apeldoorn”.
Before you can obtain a hunting license, you must first obtain a hunting diploma. Amalia already has that in the pocket, she said in her book. Her father – himself in possession of a hunting diploma and certificate – considers it important that his daughter, who is heir to the throne, continues this tradition.
Willem-Alexander uses his papers to hunt annually on Kroondomein Het Loo, which is closed for three months a year† During that time “overpopulation of the wild” is prevented and the king himself hunts, among others. More than 90 percent of the hunt is the responsibility of fauna managers. According to the Government Information Service, Willem-Alexander hunts for one half-day a year.
From the age of sixteen you can take the exam for a hunting diploma. It is described as “an intensive process, after which one is expected to have an extensive knowledge of the animal species that may be hunted, controlled and/or managed and the habitat of these animal species”.
No statements are made about whether Amalia and her father will go hunting together.
No statements are made about whether Amalia and her father will go hunting together. Photo: BrunoPress
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Amalia said in her book that because of this she “knows more than a forest ranger”. There was some haggling about that and there were even parliamentary questions about. Her comment should not be taken too literally; the princess meant that the exam and the preparation for it are not easy.
The diploma had already been received, and so was the hunting certificate. You have to be eighteen years old to obtain it: that was Amalia last December. You do not have to study or take an exam for that, it is purely a permit to hunt. You can apply for the deed to the police and you must submit the necessary papers, such as proof of insurance and an application form.
When Amalia becomes queen, she will follow in the footsteps of her father and take over the management of the crown domain. Possession of a hunting certificate is not mandatory for this, according to answers to parliamentary questions. “The judgment as to whether a hunting license is necessary or desirable for other reasons is for the Crown Bearer and the Crown Princess.”
The Government Information Service makes no further statements about the achievement of the deed. It may well be that Willem-Alexander invites his daughter to accompany him during the hunt. Whether that will indeed happen remains between the king and his successor.
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