The royal network

These four young women are poised to become queens in their respective European nations. Little wonder they've banded together to help each other grapple with friendships and their futures, along with the responsibilities of the crown.

- WORDS by GENEVIEVE GANNON

It's the most exclusive WhatsApp group on Earth. To get into it, you have to be young, female, and heir to the throne of a European kingdom. The members of this closely-guarded chat are the Gen-Z European princesses who will one day ascend to the head of their nations: Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, 23, Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, 21, and Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, heir to the throne of The Netherlands, 21. Princess Leonor of Spain, 19, may also be in the group.

“I don’t know for sure,” European royal correspondent Wim Dehandschutter tells The Weekly. The Queen of Spain is very strict with her daughters, he explains, and because of this Leonor is less connected than the other three.

Using the encrypted app, these future queens in their early twenties talk about friendship, privacy, social media, and how to balance all these demands with the duties and obligations of preparing for life as regent. The Princess of Orange recently confided in Wim the importance of this safe space for the future queens to share their thoughts and experiences.

“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,” Her Royal Highness Catharina-Amalia said.

“They are royal besties,” Wim tells us. Living in different countries makes it hard to foster true intimacy, but their unique station in life means they find understanding and trust in each other. They are a royal support network.

“Catharina-Amalia referred to privacy, for example,” Wim continues. “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?”