Now, in her first major interview, Princess Elisabeth of Belgium has paid tribute to this unique sisterhood, saying the challenge of ruling is a ‘hurdle we will face together’.

‘In my generation, there are several women,’ Princess Elisabeth said in conversation with journalist Wim Dehandschutter. ‘You see a similar shift in other monarchies. We are all in the same situation. It’s a hurdle we will face together.’ She added, ‘We’ve known each other for a long time’.

The future queens only ‘occasionally see each other at events’, according to Elizabeth. She and Catharina-Amalia seem to cross paths most frequently (at the ascension of Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg in October, for example, or at the coronation of King Charles III in 2023), while Princess Leonor attends fewer international engagements. Princess Ingrid Alexandra was at the centre of attention at one major meeting of the power princesses: her 18th birthday celebrations in 2022. There is no doubt the princesses’ calendars will align more closely as they get older, particularly once they are in power.

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Princess Catharina-Amalia of The Netherlands (pictured right with her sisters, Princess Ariane and Princess Alexia in May) is one of three princesses currently first in line to their respective thrones

Patrick van Katwijk

So, how does one prepare to be a modern-day monarch? The qualifications, it would seem, are both fluid and far-reaching, much like the role itself.

All modern Princesses have mastered multiple languages (at least three, fluently), delivered high-profile speeches, and impressed on solo royal engagements (Princess Leonor was just 15 when she stepped out for the first time without her parents, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia). Catharina-Amalia, Elisabeth and Ingrid Alexandra have also made their tiara debuts which, although not the most important part of princess prep, is undoubtedly the most glamorous.

Then there is their formal education. Leonor and Elisabeth both studied at UWC Atlantic, Wales, while Princess Catharina-Amalia graduated from the prestigious Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague. Ingrid Alexandra was educated in Oslo.