Dutch Princess Amalia will become a member of the biggest Amsterdam student association, ASC/AVSV, and participate in hazing this week.
What do the royal family and fraternities and sororities have in common? They both have a long history in the Netherlands, as well as their fair share of controversy.
Despite not initially being selected for the corps’ intro week, Amalia will join ASC/AVSV following her post-introduction camp in Leusden, NOS reports.
From resisting royal rituals…
In Amalia’s first year at the University of Amsterdam, she broke from family tradition on two counts: She wouldn’t be studying in Leiden and would not become a “member” (yet).
READ MORE | Princess Amalia wants to keep her €1.5 million yearly salary after all
Then the Crown Princess spent a year in Spain because of serious threats to her life in Amsterdam.
Now she’s swapping the Spanish sun rays for a Dutch September haze, which comes with its own dangers.
…to a taste of troubling traditions
The Amsterdam student corps receive countless applications every year, but also copious media attention.
In 2022, videos surfaced on social media showing male members at a dinner party referring to women as “cum buckets” and “whores.”
A female member filed charges against four men, but they were not prosecuted.
I know finding student housing is tough, but there’s got to be an easier way to get a room than by submitting to sadistic hazing rituals that involve setting yourself on fire, getting hot wax dumped on you, and/or rolling around naked in broken glass. https://t.co/WSbHjDb7F4
— B in the Netherlands (@BintheNL) August 23, 2022
Then, last year, the Amsterdam corps issued an apology to its members past and present for years of violence and abuse during the initiation period.
So Amalia joins as the culture is supposedly changing, with the corps introducing a code of conduct, increased supervision, rest requirements and confidential counselors.
What do you think of the Princess becoming a member of the student corps? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.