THE HAGUE, 10/12/03 - The name of the daughter of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima is Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria. In daily life and within the family, she will be known as Amalia.

Crown Prince Willem-Alexander announced the names of the newly born Princess yesterday at 10 a.m. in the old Town Hall in The Hague, where he reported the birth of the girl. Mayor Wim Deetman accepted the registration, under the approving eye of Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and Council of State vice-president Herman Tjeenk-Willink.

The name Catharina-Amalia had already more or less leaked out after it became known on Monday that it had been registered on the Internet by a foundation allied to the Royal Family. Willem-Alexander made it clear yesterday that there was a hyphen between the two names, "just as I have. " For the Crown Prince, too, the second part of his hyphenated name is the one used: Alexander.

The name Amalia goes back to Amalia van Solms (1602-1675), the wife of Frederik Hendrik and mother of King Willem II. According to historians, she was a strong woman who did not shun political influence. Amalia in ancient Germanic cultures stood for exertion, particularly in battle.

The name Catharina was given previously within the Royal Family to Henrietta Catharina (1637-1708), a daughter of Amalia van Solms. Catharina is originally a Greek name and stands for purity.

The name Beatrix is clearly that of the present Queen. Carmen is the name of Maxima's mother, the other grandmother of the Princess. Willem-Alexander and Maxima simply found Victoria a pretty last part of their daughter's name.

Willem-Alexander told the press that he and Maxima had asked for advice about the names, but that the final choice was their own. "Amalia is her name for daily use, but we thought Catharina-Amalia sounded better as a whole than the other way round. " The names are also "suitable for international use," the proud father pointed out.

The Crown Prince also reported that both baby and mother were "doing very well. " "Giving birth is a tremendous achievement," he remarked. The prince had had no chance yet to change a nappy, "But this will certainly happen in the next few days. "

The baby's full name is Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria, Princess of the Netherlands and Princess of Oranje-Nassau. As soon as Willem-Alexander is crowned King, she will become crown princess, or Princess of Oranje.