Princess Catharina Amalia of the Netherlands, 21, is 'victim of horrific deepfake porn attack' with Dutch authorities needing to 'call in the FBI' to shutdown disgusting websites
The 21-year-old royal, who is heir to the Dutch throne, featured 'in the starring role' in the manipulated videos, according to Seher Og Hor, a Norwegian news outlet.
Authorities in the Netherlands and the FBI have since worked together to shut down websites including MrDeepFakes, which had circulated the videos of the princess and 70 more Dutch women.
Using AI, the deepfake videos saw the face of the Princess edited over the bodies of actors to create intimate and misleading footage.
She is now being supported by her parents, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.
Princess Amalia was previously reported to have been victim to similar attacks in 2022, according to Netherlands' Panorama.
She even wrote about the topic herself as part of her studies for a degree in Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics at Amsterdam University.
Just last month, the Dutch royal house shared a photo of the Princess with her completed thesis, which was titled: 'Beyond Disclosure: Bridging the Gap Between the Artificial Intelligence Act and the Charter of Fundamental Rights with Deepfaked Bodies.'
In the Netherlands, the creation of such content is a criminal offence and punishable with up to a year in prison, with further sentences for repeated offences. There are currently yet to be any arrests.
Over the next academic year, Princess Amalia is set to study for a bachelors in Dutch Law, also at the University of Amsterdam, the Royal House revealed last month.
Princess Amalia is the eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima and has siblings Princess Alexia, 19, and Princess Ariane, 18.
Amalia, who is first in line to the throne, is said to speak fluent Spanish thanks to her mother, who is Argentine by birth.
The future European queen recently spent over a year living in Spain as a result of growing fears for her safety after being threatened with kidnap by Dutch organised crime gangs.
Officials would not confirm details of Amalia's initial departure from her studies in Amsterdam, but the move came weeks after reports that Amalia and Prime Minister Mark Rutte were mentioned in communications by organised crime groups - leading to fears of kidnappings.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte said at the time: 'I'm very sorry for her and I'm obviously very concerned about it.'
He added that Dutch authorities were doing everything to ensure that the princess is safe.
'She can't live in Amsterdam and she can't really go outside (the palace)... It has enormous consequences on her life. There is no student life for her like others have,' said an emotional Queen Maxima at the time.
Amalia herself told reporters during a royal family tour of the Caribbean early last year that she missed 'the normal life of a student', having hoped she would be able to enjoy the student experience like her peers.
'Sadly the reality was different,' she said.
Her father, King Willem-Alexander, said in the podcast Through the Eyes of the King that the situation had 'had a very hard impact' on his daughter and his family.
'The uncertainty, the lack of freedom, that is not how you want to raise your children and what you want to pass on to your children,' he said.
The Minister for Justice and Security, Dilan Yesilgöz, told reporters in the weeks following Amalia's withdrawal from studies in Amsterdam: 'I guarantee that our security services work hard day and night to guarantee her safety.
'It is terrible that this is necessary, in the first place for the Crown Princess herself.'
NOS later said that Amalia was able to return from Madrid to live and study in the Netherlands again - though the threat had not completely disappeared.
Amalia had also been shielded for years from the public eye after the family after being the victim of cruel body shaming on social media.
In February 2023, Princess Catharina-Amalia was the subject of cruel body-shaming on social media, which prompted royal fans to jump to her defence.
One wrote on X: 'People who are body shaming Princess Amalia of Netherlands are the same who body shaming Princess Catherine because she is too skinny with no curves.
'That's the reality in this social media, people hate that you are happy with yourself and that somebody loves you for the way you are.'
Another added: 'I think she is absolutely beautiful!'
In July 2020, Portuguese magazine Cara issued an apology to Princess Amalia after they labelled the 16-year-old 'plus-sized' on a front cover and claimed she had 'defended her figure of "real women"'.
One critic wrote on Instagram: 'Who gave you permission to comment on the body of a 16-year-old girl?'
Another added: 'They are talking about the body of a minor, adolescent and growing.'
But in recent months she's delighted royal fans by coming into her own - and in April donated a garden of tulips to the city of Madrid.
In June, she had her arm in a sling as she made her first public appearance after a horse riding accident.
The future Queen attended a military ceremony at the Prince Bernhard Barracks in Amersfoort, Utrecht.
Accompanied by her father, King Willem-Alexander, 58, Catharina-Amalia looked delighted to be at the presentation of a new standard to the Princess Catharina-Amalia Hussar Regiment, despite having fallen off her horse and broken her arm the previous Wednesday.
The Dutch royal, who is a student at the University of Amsterdam, was wearing her left arm in a blue sling while her bandaged left wrist was also supported.
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