The next few weeks will bring a parade of high-profile guests onto the red carpet, drawing some of the world’s most prominent royal families. Sports will once again command global attention after Spain claimed its second World Cup title at the 2026 World Cup.
Now the spotlight shifts to Germany, host of the FEI World Equestrian Championships, where Princess Amalia will make a symbolic appearance at the opening ceremony and cross paths with other major names on the international stage.
Amalia’s Meeting With Infanta Elena
In the coming days, Princess Amalia will once again take on a prominent solo role, continuing the institutional agenda she’s carried since reaching adulthood. The eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will travel to Aachen, the German city hosting the opening ceremony of the FEI World Equestrian Championships, where she’ll cross paths with Infanta Elena, the guest of honor.
Elena will watch the ceremony from the stands, while Amalia will take center stage. She’s set to give the official signal that kicks off the championship, another mark of her growing presence in the Dutch royal house’s public duties.
The opening ceremony will draw a lineup of major European royals and is set for August 11. It promises an evening steeped in tradition, symbolism and institutional pageantry, with guests like Zara Tindall, niece of King Charles III, in attendance. She’ll also play a prominent role in the opening ceremony.
© Mark CuthbertThe royal stables of the Netherlands, Denmark and Great Britain will parade their historic carriages, each a living symbol of its respective dynasty. It’s a procession steeped in history that’s shaping up to be one of the year’s standout moments, offering rare images of Europe’s royals gathered for one of the biggest dates on the equestrian calendar.
Under the theme “Welcome Home,” the opening ceremony of the 2026 FEI World Equestrian Championships in Aachen promises a show built around the ties between sport, tradition and culture. The program includes an innovative parade of nations, with riders making their way through the stands to connect with the crowd, equestrian displays featuring more than 250 horses, a gala centered on the historic carriages of the Dutch, Danish and British royal stables, plus live music and an ambitious audiovisual production.
A Passion for Horses Spanning Three Generations
© Europa Press via Getty ImagesThe choice of royal representative from each generation isn’t arbitrary. This isn’t Elena’s first appearance at an event like this: she previously represented Spain in the same German city among the world’s top riders. The Duchess of Lugo has had a deep connection to equestrian sports since her youth. A passionate rider, she trained and competed in numerous national and international competitions for years, earning a reputation as a respected figure in the equestrian world.
Princess Amalia shares that same passion and has made a point of showing off her love of horses on several occasions. It made headlines back in June 2025, when she fell from one of her horses during an equestrian outing and had to undergo surgery.
She started riding at age four and fell head over heels for the sport thanks to her beloved horse, Mojito, with whom she’s competed. It’ll be a moment charged with emotion: three generations from different European royal houses coming together for a spectacle built around one of royalty’s favorite sports.
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