Princess Amalia Reveals Arm Scar at Aachen Equestrian Championships Opening Gala
Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands appeared at the opening gala of the 2026 FEI World Championships in Aachen on Tuesday evening, with a large scar along her upper arm visible for the first time since her horse-riding accident over a year ago.
The 22-year-old Princess of Orange — the heir to the Dutch throne — arrived at the equestrian championships in a royal carriage, a koninklijk rijtuig, and was among the first guests to enter the venue. She wore a sleeveless white and green striped dress from Nina Blanc, which left the scar on her upper arm uncovered. It was the first time the mark had been seen publicly since the accident that caused it (Hello! Magazine).
The injury dates to June of the previous year, when Princess Catharina-Amalia fell from her horse, Mojito, and broke her upper arm. The Dutch palace issued a statement at the time saying the Princess of Orange had broken her upper arm after falling from her horse and would undergo surgery at the UMC Utrecht, the University Medical Centre in Utrecht. She was admitted, operated on, and discharged two days later, subsequently appearing with her arm in a sling over the following weeks (Telegraaf).
The Aachen gala brought together a distinctly royal guest list. Queen Mary of Denmark and Zara Tindall — daughter of the Princess Royal and a former Olympic eventing medallist — were among those attending alongside the Dutch princess. The FEI World Championships, organised under the Fédération Équestre Internationale (the international governing body for equestrian sport), are being held in Aachen, Germany, a city long associated with top-level horse sport (Town & Country).
Princess Catharina-Amalia formally signalled the start of the championships, one of her few scheduled engagements before September. Earlier this year she completed an assignment as a military working student in the Royal Air Force, and she is now continuing her education at the Defence College while combining her royal duties with law studies at the University of Amsterdam.
For anyone watching the princess at Aachen, the visible scar was a quiet reminder of the riding fall that kept her in hospital last summer. She made no statement about it. The dress did the talking.
