Royal signal: Two out of three Dutch princesses choose STEM pathways

During King’s Day this year on April 27, Princess Ariane of the Netherlands announced she has been admitted to study Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology.

Together with her sister Princess Alexia, who studies Civil Engineering in London, this means two of the three daughters of the Dutch royal family are pursuing STEM-related education. 

While these are individual choices, they come at a time when Europe continues to focus on strengthening participation in science and technology fields. According to Eurostat, women account for about 40.5% of scientists and engineers in the European Union. This reflects both steady progress and the continued underrepresentation of women in parts of the STEM pipeline, particularly in engineering and ICT.

The visibility of young women choosing technical studies can help normalise STEM pathways and support broader efforts to attract diverse talent into science and engineering across Europe.

Sources: Steady rise: female scientists & engineers reach 7.9 mln - News articles - Eurostat

and Prinses Ariane gaat Luchtvaart- en Ruimtevaarttechniek studeren - Delta