Princess Alexia of The Netherlands, 16, leaves for UWC Atlantic College in Wales
Princesses set off for Hippie Hogwarts! Leonor of Spain and Alexia of The Netherlands are on their way to UWC Atlantic College in Wales for a £67,000 two-year course – offering Tai Chi, Tibetan literature and leadership
Princess Alexia of The Netherlands has left to board at UWC Atlantic CollegeThe school, dubbed ‘Hippie Hogwarts’ is situated in the Vale of Glamorgan She will join Spain ‘s future Queen, Princess Leonor, 15, at the school next year
Princess Alexia of The Netherlands and Princess Leonor of Spain have said goodbye to their families and left for their new boarding school in Wales.
Heir to the Spanish throne Leonor, 15, and Alexia, the second eldest child of the King and Queen of the Netherlands, have both enrolled on a £67,000, two-year course to study for their International Baccalaureate diploma at UWC Atlantic College.
The school, situated in a 12th century castle in the Vale of Glamorgan, offers activities and subjects like Tai Chi and Tibetan literature, leading it to be nicknamed ‘Hippie Hogwarts’.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain dropped Leonor off at Madrid’s Adolfo Suarez Barajas Airport this morning, hugging her goodbye. Her younger sister Sofia, was also on hand to bid the teenager farewell.
Meanwhile proud parents King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands shared a photo of Alexia standing with her bags outside the royal palace Paleis Huis ten Bosch, in The Hague, this morning.
The 16-year-old, whose older sister Catharina-Amalia is heir to the throne, was packed and ready to go with a guitar case slung over her shoulder.
UWC Atlantic College has a proven track record educating royalty. King Willem-Alexander studied there in the Eighties and Belgian heir to the throne Elisabeth graduated last year.
Princess Alexia of The Netherlands and Princess Leonor of Spain have said goodbye to their families and left for their new boarding school in Wales. Pictured, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain dropped Leonor off at Madrid’s Adolfo Suarez Barajas Airport this morning
Leonor’s younger sister Sofia, was also on hand to bid the teenager farewell. Leonor will start at UWC Atlantic College, in the Vale of Glamorgan, next week
King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain were joined by daughter Princess Sofia (second from right) as they dropped off their eldest daughter at the airport this morning
Proud parents King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima shared a photo of their middle daughter standing with her bags outside the royal palace Paleis Huis ten Bosch, in The Hague
Alexia (far right) is the second of Maxima and Willem-Alexander’s three daughters. Pictured, the couple with daughters Ariane (left) and Amalia (centre), who is heir to the throne
Princess Alexia of The Netherlands is leaving her home country and heading to Wales to study at UWC Atlantic College, pictured, the Dutch royal family has announce
UWC Atlantic College is situated in the Vale of Glamorgan and costs £67,000 for a two-year course.
Activities and subjects on offer include Tai Chi, the theory of knowledge and Tibetan literature, leading to its nickname ‘hippie Hogwarts’.
Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, who is heir to the throne, graduated from the school last year. Alexia’s father, King Willem-Alexander, also studied there.
Alexia, the second of Maxima and Willem-Alexander’s three daughters, looked like a typical teenager in an oversized plaid shirt, ripped jeans and white trainers.
She wore a black bag over one shoulder and carried a guitar case on the other.
The caption, originally written in Dutch, read: ‘Princess Alexia is leaving for the United World College of the Atlantic (UWC Atlantic College) in Llantwit Major in Wales. She will go there for her International Baccalaureate for the next two years.
‘Princess Alexia completed the fourth year of the Sorghvliet Christian Gymnasium in The Hague last school year.’
Education at the school is played out in a magical place – a 12th century Castle by the sea – with its own seafront, woodland, farmland and valley.
Atlantic College is located near the town of Llantwit Major on the South Wales coast, overlooking the Bristol Channel. It has been continuously inhabited since it was first built.
The extensive grounds also include the 12th-century St Donat’s Church and the historic terraced gardens, as well as preserved woodland, farmland and Heritage Coastline.
St Donat’s Castle is the main building of the College, housing the Tudor Great Hall, the Gothic Dining Hall, the Bradenstoke Hall used for assemblies and performances and an extensive 25,000-book Library.
Students at the school stay in eight purpose-built boarding houses, which accommodate approximately 48 students each.
The modern accommodation houses are named after either ancient Welsh kingdoms or benefactors to the college: Pentti Kouri, Morgannwg, Powys, Whitaker, Gwynedd, Tice and Sunley.
Unlike a conventional full school day of teaching, lessons at UWC begin at 8am and are finished in time for lunch.
The two-year Diploma Programme has two parts: the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) curriculum, and a programme of experiential learning that focuses on key aspects of ‘peace, a sustainable future, and student initiative’.
The heir to the Spanish throne, 15-year-old Princess Leonor, is also going to study at UWC Atlantic College in Wales, the Spanish royal household announced
Lessons take place in modern academic blocks built in the 1960s–80s, converted Medieval estate buildings, and the castle itself (pictured, the school’s library)
Core basics at the school include Biology, Chemistry, Economics, English Literature, Geography, History, Mathematics and Physics.
Meanwhile there are also a wide selection of optional courses to choose from, including Design Tech, Visual Arts, Film studies, Music and Global Politics among others.
The College’s literary options range from English and French Literature to Czech, Russian, Tibetan, Swedish and Urdu Literature as well.
Classes take place in modern academic blocks built in the 1960s–80s as well as converted Medieval estate buildings, and the castle itself.
Jens Waltermann, Executive Director of UWC International told FEMAIL: ‘We are always delighted when a student chooses to join the UWC global education movement.
‘UWC’s mission is to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and sustainability. We fulfil this mission by bringing together young people who would otherwise never meet.
‘Her Royal Highness Princess Alexia of the Netherlands will join 4,500 other students from 155 countries, and from a diverse range of backgrounds, at one of our 18 schools.
‘It doesn’t matter where a student comes from to access a UWC education, with over 75 per cent of all students receiving partial or full scholarships.
‘What matters is their potential to contribute towards building a better and more just future for all.
‘Now more than ever we need to educate global citizens who want to engage in discourse, whatever their background or beliefs.’
Alongside their academics, pupils are expected to undertake a minimum of two hours of community service, two hours of physical activity and a further two hours of creative activity each week. Sessions take place in the afternoons, evenings and weekends.
The school seeks to ‘inspire changemakers’ who want to work for the common good with its lessons.
It looks for students who ‘can navigate the complexity of life and (reach) beyond easy answers’, the school’s website said.
Pupils are encouraged to be ’empowered’ to take ‘authentic responsibility to make their own decisions and actions’.
With school fees for a two year course costing a whopping £67,000, the school has a range of extra-curricular activities on offer, with its website describes it as ‘providing a platform for young individuals to learn through shared experience’ (left, the dining hall, and right, the outdoor pool)
