The Dutch royal palace announced last week that King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima's second daughter, Princess Alexia, is heading to University College London (UCL) in September.
After taking a gap year where she admitted she was "a bit stressed" about her university choice, the 19-year-old will study Science & Engineering for Social Change.
Alexia isn't the first European royal to move to the UK for education, with many monarchs among the cohort opting to attend school or university.
Take a look at the royals who relocated…
1/10
© RVDPrincess Alexia
The Dutch royal already has a close connection to the UK, having studied for her two-year International Baccalaureate at UWC Atlantic College in Wales and graduating in 2023.
UWC is set within the stunning 12th century St Donat's Castle on the southern Welsh coast, that has often been likened to the fictional Harry Potter school, Hogwarts.
Campus facilities include a library, woodland, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, and classrooms within historic buildings.
2/10
© GettyKing Willem-Alexander
Alexia's father attended UWC Atlantic College from 1983 to 1985 when he was Crown Prince. Willem-Alexander became King in 2013 following his mother Queen Beatrix's abdication.
3/10
© GettyPrincess Elisabeth
Belgium's future Queen is another UWC Atlantic College alumni, and then went on to study history and politics at Lincoln College at Oxford University. She graduated with a 2:1 in July 2024, with her proud parents, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, in attendance at the ceremony. Elisabeth is heading to Harvard to study for a two-year master's degree in public policy.
4/10
© GettyKing Philippe
Elisabeth's father attended Trinity College at Oxford University before going to Stanford University in California.
5/10
© GettyPrincess Leonor
The future Spanish Queen moved to UWC Atlantic College in 2021 to complete her International Baccalaureate and graduated in 2023 – the same year as Princess Al
6/10
© GettyInfanta Sofia
The Spanish Princess has followed in her big sister Leonor's footsteps and enrolled at UWC Atlantic College in August 2023.
7/10
© GettyQueen Sofia
Leonor and Sofia's grandmother studied at Fitzwilliam College at Cambridge University in the 1960s. Queen Sofia later received an honorary doctorate from the university alongside her husband, King Juan Carlos, in 1988.
8/10
© GettyCrown Prince Haakon
Shortly after his marriage to Mette-Marit in 2001, the Norwegian Prince moved to the UK to study at the London School of Economics where he completed his Masters in Development Studies.
9/10
© GettyCrown Princess Mette-Marit
Mette-Marit followed courses at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London in 2003, where she took exams in Development-Experience, Theories of Development, HIV/Aids and Development and the Global Refugee Crisis.
10/10
© GettyQueen Margrethe
As a young girl, Margrethe spent a year at North Foreland Lodge, a boarding school for girls in Hampshire and later studied prehistoric archaeology at Girton College, Cambridge University.
LOVE THE ROYALS? JOIN THE CLUB!
If you are reading this, the chances are you are obsessed with all things royalty – which is just as well because so are we! So obsessed, in fact, we’ve launched a club solely dedicated to covering them. So welcome to The HELLO! Royal Club. We would love you to join us there…
What is it?
Interactive community offering behind-the-scenes access, exclusive royal interviews, unmissable royal insights, and an illustrious royal Inner Circle.
Member benefits
- Two weekly newsletters, one from Emily Nash
- Video posts and audio notes from Emily Nash and the HELLO! Royal team
- Access to our royal community and opportunity to interact with club writers and members
- Participate in polls, comments and discussion threads
- Royal-themed puzzles with a weekly prize to be won
- Access to our Ask Me Anything sessions with our journalists
- Invitations to in-person and virtual events
- A subscription to the digital edition of HELLO! Magazine (Worth £82 annually)*
- Future ‘Inner Circle’ benefits
By royal decree
You are royally invited to join The HELLO! Royal Club – and then to go forth and spread the word to your fellow royal fans. See you in the club!
