Ammon News - Dutch Crown Princess Amalia fled to Spain for a year amid fears she would be kidnapped by a gang, according to reports.

The 20-year-old heir to the Dutch throne studied in Madrid after being forced to ditch plans to live in student accommodation in Amsterdam, in October 2022, public broadcaster NOS reported, citing royal sources.

It came weeks after Princess Amalia and Mark Rutte, the prime minister, were mentioned in intercepted communications between gang members, leading to security fears.

Ridouan Taghi, reportedly Europe’s most powerful drug lord, denied any plot against the princess before he was sentenced to life in prison for five murders in February.

Before his sentencing, the Dutch-Moroccan crime boss is thought to have ordered three murders connected to his trial, including a lawyer, a TV journalist and the brother of a crown witness.

The gangland hits led to fears that Taghi was still running his criminal empire from prison and that the Netherlands had become a “narco state”.

Security around Mr Rutte, who often cycles to work, was increased, while Princess Amalia returned to the palace in The Hague.

The Telegraph