Unbelievable but true: Princess Margriet of the Netherlands celebrated her 70th birthday yesterday, 19 January. She celebrated with her family somewhere in Germany.
She was born on 19 January 1943 at the Civic Hospital in Ottawa, Canada. her mother Princess Juliana stayed there during World War II. The bond between Margriet and Canada has always remained a strong one.
She married in 1967 a Dutch commoner, Pieter van Vollenhoven and had four sons: Maurits (* 1968), Bernhard (* 1969), Pieter-Christiaan (* 1972) and Floris (* 1975). Together they have ten children. Floris and his wife Aimée have already given Princess Margriet the best present of the year. They expect their third child in July. Princess Margriet and Pieter van Vollenhoven live in Apeldoorn, in a villa near the Palace Het Loo.
Princess Margriet is still involved in the Red Cross, nationally and internationally. Apart from health she is also very much interested in cultural subjects. She is also a member of the honorary board of the International Paralympic Committee. Among her patronages are the ones of the Netherland-America Foundation in New York and the Netherlands-American Amity Trust.
