Princess Ariane of the Netherlands Heads to First Day of High School — the Dutch Way!

Princess Charlotte isn’t the only royal starting at a new school this week!

Princess Ariane, the youngest daughter of the Netherlands’ King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, headed off to her first day of school at Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague on Monday. But rather than using a royal escort to drop her off, the 12-year-old royal got to school via the traditional Dutch method — by bike!

Like any proud dad, King Willem-Alexander was on-hand to see his daughter off on her big day — and recorded a video of her giving a wave to the camera as she rode her bike to post on Instagram.

For her first day, Princess Ariane kept her ensemble simple — sneakers paired with a black jacket and pants, accessorized with a green backpack.

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Ariane joins her two big sisters, 15-year-old Princess Catharina-Amalia and 14-year-old Princess Alexia, at the school. Although King Willem-Alexander also documented their inaugural rides to the new school — also by bike, of course — the royal parents have chosen to mostly keep their daughters’ personal lives out of the public eye.

“The princesses’ school time is private,” said a statement on the family’s website in April, announcing plans for Ariane to attend the high school. “At the express request of the parents, an appeal is made to the media to continue to respect the privacy of their daughters.”

Princess Ariane, Princess Catharina-Amalia and Princess Alexia | Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty
Princess Ariane, Princess Catharina-Amalia and Princess Alexia | Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty
Princess Ariane and King Willem-Alexander | Patrick van Katwijk/WireImage
Princess Ariane and King Willem-Alexander | Patrick van Katwijk/WireImage

However, the public does enjoy an occasional glimpse of the Netherland’s young royals as they grow up. Over the summer, they took advantage of some sunny weather to pose for family portraits at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague.

Queen Maxima, Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Ariane, Princess Alexia and King Willem-Alexander | Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty
Queen Maxima, Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Ariane, Princess Alexia and King Willem-Alexander | Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty
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According to the family’s website, Ariane enjoys horseback riding, hockey, drawing, playing guitar and jazz ballet.