The most exclusive WhatsApp group in the world: How the future queens of Europe have become ‘royal besties’ by bonding over privacy, social media and how to tell who their real friends are

A WhatsApp group has been created between some of Europe’s future queens to talk about friendship, privacy, social media and how to balance these demands with their royal duties, it has emerged.

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, 23, Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, 21, and Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, the 21-year-old heir to the Dutch throne, are all part of the exclusive group chat.

‘They are royal besties’ European royal correspondent Wim Dehandschutter revealed to The Australian Women’s Weekly.

Catharina-Amalia reportedly told the journalist: ‘We stay in contact with each other because we are all living a very specific life and we don’t need much explanation to understand each other.’

She added: ‘It’s a good thing that I can chat with Elisabeth and Ingrid Alexandra about very simple things in our life which are difficult, different for us, friendships, privacy, social media. We discuss how we handle it.’

It’s thought 19-year-old Leonor, Princess of Asturias, who recently graduated from UWC Atlantic in South Wales and is now training in the Spanish military, may also be included in the closely-guarded WhatsApp group.  

However, Wim admitted that he couldn’t be sure because her mother Queen Letizia of Spain is ‘very strict’ with her two daughters, meaning the heir to the Spanish throne is apparently less connected than the other three princesses.

Further explaining the royal support network built by the future queens, the journalist revealed how Catharina-Amalia mentioned privacy as a topic of discussion for the princesses.

Wim questioned: ‘How do you handle privacy when you’re a public figure? How do you react when people want to become friends? Do they want to become friends because you are the future queen or do they really like you?’ 

The Princess of Orange is the eldest child of Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands – and has recently begun to take on solo engagements and more responsibility in the Royal Household.   

Catharina-Amalia, who is first in line to the throne ahead of her siblings Princess Alexia, 19, and Princess Ariane, 18, is said to speak fluent Spanish thanks to her mother, who is Argentine by birth. 

She is currently studying for a degree in Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics at Amsterdam University.

In February, she attended her first royal event alone as she begins a long preparation to one day be queen. 

The princess christened a new ship – the Dan Helder – before it set out on its maiden voyage. 

The future European queen recently spent over a year living in Spain as a result of growing fears for her safety after being threatened with kidnap by Dutch organised crime gangs. 

Officials would not confirm details of Amalia’s initial departure from her studies in Amsterdam, but the move came weeks after reports that the royal and Prime Minister Mark Rutte were mentioned in communications by organised crime groups – leading to fears of kidnappings.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte said at the time: ‘I’m very sorry for her and I’m obviously very concerned about it.’

He added that Dutch authorities were doing everything to ensure that the princess is safe.

‘She can’t live in Amsterdam and she can’t really go outside (the palace)… It has enormous consequences on her life. There is no student life for her like others have,’ said an emotional Queen Maxima at the time.

Amalia herself told reporters during a royal family tour of the Caribbean early last year that she missed ‘the normal life of a student’, having hoped she would be able to enjoy the student experience like her peers.

‘Sadly the reality was different,’ she said.

Her father, King Willem-Alexander, said in the podcast Through the Eyes of the King that the situation had ‘had a very hard impact’ on his daughter and his family.

‘The uncertainty, the lack of freedom, that is not how you want to raise your children and what you want to pass on to your children,’ he said.

The Minister for Justice and Security, Dilan Yesilgöz, told reporters in the weeks following Amalia’s withdrawal from studies in Amsterdam: ‘I guarantee that our security services work hard day and night to guarantee her safety.

‘It is terrible that this is necessary, in the first place for the Crown Princess herself.’

NOS later said that Amalia was able to return from Madrid to live and study in the Netherlands again – though the threat had not completely disappeared.

Ahead of her 18th birthday, royal spoke openly about the benefits of therapy in an authorised biography – having lost her aunt Ines to suicide in 2018.

She said: ‘Sometimes it all gets too much for me – school, friends – and then I talk to someone. If I need it, I’ll make an appointment… talking to a professional every now and then is quite normal.’

Amalia had also been shielded for years from the public eye after being the victim of cruel body shaming on social media. 

In July 2020, Portuguese magazine Cara issued an apology to Princess Amalia after they labelled the 16-year-old ‘plus-sized’ on a front cover and claimed she had ‘defended her figure of “real women”‘.

One critic wrote on Instagram: ‘Who gave you permission to comment on the body of a 16-year-old girl?’ Another added: ‘They are talking about the body of a minor, adolescent and growing.’ 

But in recent months she’s delighted royal fans by coming into her own – and in April donated a garden of tulips to the city of Madrid. 

Princess Elisabeth, meanwhile, has been hailed as one of the brightest European royals. She is currently enrolled in a two-year Master’s program in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.

The palace told Brussels Times: ‘The Princess was also selected for an ‘Honorary Award’ from the Fullbright Program, the US Department of State’s international educational exchange programme.’

According to the university’s website, the course aims to cultivate student’s skills in preparation for them having a ‘successful career in public service’. 

The heir to the Belgium throne, who’s parents are King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, completed her undergraduate degree at Oxford University. 

So admired for her cerebral prowess, Princess Elisabeth has been touted as being one of the most intelligent royals.

Last summer, Princess Elisabeth thanked the University of Oxford for three ‘wonderful’ years.

She first moved to the UK in the autumn of 2021 to start her History and Politics undergraduate course at Lincoln College.

Fiercely dedicated to not receiving special treatment thanks to her status, Elisabeth completed her entrance exam for Oxford ‘anonymously’ to ensure her royal status would not affect her chances of being offered a place, reported the Belgian newspaper Le Soir.

Elisabeth graduated in three years with a degree in History and Politics, something she reportedly chose because she felt it would be most useful to her in her role as Queen later in life. 

After Elisabeth – who speaks Dutch, French, German, English, and has also taken classes in Mandarin Chinese – finished her studies in England, she took part in various engagements throughout the summer with her parents.

The princess began attending royal engagements from a young age and was just nine when she delivered a speech at the opening of the Princess Elisabeth Children’s Hospital. 

Another member of the exclusive WhatsApp group, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is set to move to Australia in August when she begins a three-year undergraduate degree at the University of Sydney.

‘Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra will begin her studies at the University of Sydney in August, enrolling in a Bachelor of Arts program,’ the Norwegian Palace said in a press release.

‘She has chosen a three-year degree with a focus on international relations and political economy.

‘The Princess will be studying full-time and reside in a student residence on campus. Her Royal Highness looks forward to dedicating herself to her studies in the years to come.’

Ingrid Alexandra’s decision to relocate to Australia comes amid what has likely been a difficult year for the Norwegian royal family after her step-brother Marius Borg was arrested on a string of sex assault charges – including two rapes – last August. He has vehemently denied the charges. 

Crown Princess Mette-Maritt’s son from a previous relationship, often referred to as the ‘black sheep’ of the Norwegian royal family, is also under investigation for three further sexual assaults and other charges.

He does not have a royal title nor any claim to the throne, with Ingrid Alexandra, 21, second in the line of succession after her father Crown Prince Haakon. 

Her decision to move to Australia to continue her studies comes after Norway’s future queen embarked on military training at the Engineer Battalion in Brigade Nord last year. 

It followed a tumultuous year for her family in the wake of the allegations against Borg Høiby – which he has denied – and subsequent police investigation. 

Earlier this year, it was reported that a fifth woman has accused the ex-royal – who stepped down from royal duties at the age of 20 – of rape that is alleged to have taken place after he was released from police custody for assaulting his girlfriend.

Marius Borg Høiby, 28, was first arrested on August 4, 2024, and has since faced a string of charges including assault and two rapes – which he denies – as well as being under investigation for three further sexual assaults among other charges. 

He also faces charges for breaching restraining orders against various women and tampering with evidence.

Høiby is now facing allegations of two rapes without intercourse, charges of abusing three women, ‘threatening to kill a man, driving without a valid driver’s license, reckless behavior, multiple violations of a restraining order, damage, threats, and bodily harm’, as summarised by Norwegian media outlet Afterposten. 

He has in past pleaded guilty to ‘reckless conduct, damage, threats, bodily harm and a death threat – but denies all other charges.

Reacting to the most recent rape accusation, reported in March, his defence attorney said: ‘I have no knowledge of this and therefore have no comments to give.’