The Princess and the Mafia: shocking death threats against Amalia of Holland

The Crown Princess of The Netherlands, Amalia, is living under increased police protection. While she's always had some security coverage, just for being royalty, she now has to fear a possible attack by a criminal organization called 'the Mocro Maffia.'

Dutch intelligence services have received information that the criminal and terrorist group, whose members have been responsible for the assassinations of several public figures, including the filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004, is now after the teenage Princess Amalia.

Amalia is not the only target of the criminal ring. They have reportedly also planned attacks on the Prime Minister of The Netherlands, Mark Rutte. It is unclear whether the assaults would involve the abduction or the killing of the criminals' targets.

Having graduated high school in 2021 and taken a gap year, the eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander started university in Amsterdam in September 2022. She enrolled in the competitive program of 'Politics, Psychology, Law, and Economics.'

Image: Frank Ruiter, RVD - Dutch Royal House

This was Amalia's first day of university in early September 2022. She was supposed to be able to walk to class like this every day.

Image: Mischa Schoemaker, RVD - Dutch Royal House

Amalia's parents secured student housing for the young woman in the center of Amsterdam. This centuries-old canal building was equipped with 360º cameras and face-recognition and magnet-card locks, 'Beau Monde' magazine reported.

Apart from the luxurious and well-guarded housing, Amalia was supposed to live a college life like any other Dutch student. It didn't turn out that way. After the first few weeks of 'normalcy,' the Princess came under increased security protection and was hidden from the public.

Image: Mischa Schoemaker, RVD - Dutch Royal House

Amalia now once again lives in her parents' home, the Huis ten Bosch palace in The Hague, an hour from Amsterdam. She cannot leave the house, her parents confirmed to the press, including the newspaper 'Het Parool.'

Only in case of explicit need, Amalia can go to university, the royal couple and press services announced. She will always have to travel under maximum protection of security services. "It's terrible to see your child like this," Queen Máxima told the press during the royal couple's tour in Sweden.

The group behind the threats? An organization dubbed 'the Mocro Maffia' because many of its members are of Moroccan descent. They have been linked to drug-related crime, underworld executions, and terrorist attacks on public figures critical of immigration and Islam.

Among their leaders is Mohammed Bouyeri, the man serving life in prison for killing filmmaker Theo van Gogh in a terrorist attack in 2004. Newspaper 'De Telegraaf' reported in September 2022 that Dutch intelligence services had caught wind of Bouyeri's close contact with another imprisoned ring member, Ridouan Taghi.

Ridouan Taghi is awaiting trial with sixteen other Maffia men for at least ten assassinations. As their enormous trial unrolled over the past years, witnesses, lawyers, and a journalist who closely followed the case, Peter R. de Vries (photo), have been brutally murdered. The killers were Taghi's alleged associates outside the jail, 'Het Parool' and other media report.

Now, according to law enforcement sources in 'De Telegraaf,' Princess Amalia and Prime Minister Mark Rutte are on the Mocro Maffia's list as possible targets for abduction or murder.

Image: RVD - Dutch Royal House

After the news emerged, Amalia appeared once in public. On the third Tuesday of September, the Dutch government traditionally presents its policy and budget for the coming year. The monarch always attends this meeting and even reads the policy to the people. Amalia sat in the audience.

It was the first time for the princess to attend this traditional event, 'Prince's Day,' in The Hague. After listening to her father speak, she stood next to him on the balcony of the city's Noordeinde Palace to greet the people.

Although the newspaper 'AD' reports that security measures were no different from other years, images of the princess suggest that she was nervous about her first appearance at the event. Before turning 18, she had never attended it.

It's not unlikely that Amalia and her parents were worried about riding and walking through the city of The Hague with the alarming signs from the Dutch underworld in the back of their minds.

Image: Martijn Beekman, Ministry of Finance, The Netherlands

The King would later tell reporters that it was "indescribable" and "really very tough" to witness what was happening to his daughter, 'Het Parool' noted. Queen Máxima admitted to the press that she was "getting a little emotional about it, as you can surely tell."

Image: Patrick van Katwijk, RVD - Dutch Royal Family

The Dutch royal family is known for its frequent visits into the country, getting along with ordinary people and empathizing with those in need. Here we see Amalia on the yearly celebration of her father's birthday.

During such royal celebrations and public appearances, there have been a few incidents. On one Prince's Day, in 2010, a protester threw a candle holder at the carriage the royals were riding. A year before, on the Queen's birthday in 2009, a car drove into the crowds lining the procession of the royal family in Apeldoorn. Eight people died in that attack.

Both incidents were caused by a lone individual, however; not by organized crime. This time, the threat is different. Dutch police did not reveal much about the investigation, except for the fact that they are working on it. In addition, Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgöz announced on Twitter: "Our security forces work hard day and night to ensure [Amalia's] safety."