On 19 January 1943 – today 80 years ago – a little princess was born, far away from home. The third daughter of Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands was named Margriet Francisca. Her elder sisters Princess Beatrix and Princess Irene had been born at home at Soestdijk Palace in the Netherlands. Their […]
The state visit of Queen Juliana to Indonesia 1971
On 9 March 2020 King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands arrived in Indonesia for a state visit, that will end on 13 March 2020. Because of the colonial past – Indonesia was once a Dutch colony – the visit will be a sensitive one with some tensions. That wasn’t different in 1995 when […]
Soestdijk Palace – A last visit to Queen Juliana’s former residence
For the elder generations of Dutch people Palace Soestdijk is remembered best because of the Queen’s Day celebrations during the reign of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Between 1949 and 1979 the Queen and her ever growing family stood on the steps on the palace, while Dutch people passed them in a long procession that […]
The birth of another Princess – Beatrix had prefered a brother
On Tuesday 18 February 1947 at 2.24am a little princess was born at the Soestdijk Palace in Baarn, The Netherlands. Later that day her father Prince Bernhard told in a radio progarmme that Princess Juliana was doing fine. Apparently both grandmothers – Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and Princess Armgard zur Lippe-Biesterfeld – were present. […]
A Princess is Born – 31 January 1938
It was a cold and stormy day. On Monday 31 January 1938, after waiting for many days, the first child of Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands was born, just over a year after their marriage. The official communiqué said: HRH Princess Juliana today, the 31st of January 1938 in the morning at […]
The wedding of Prince Bernhard van Oranje-Nassau, van Vollenhoven and Annette Sekrève
Utrecht, 6 & 8 July 2000 Civil marriage, Paushuize, Utrecht, 6 July 2000 The civil marriage of Prince Bernhard van Oranje-Nassau, Van Vollenhoven and Annette Sekrève was closed by burgomaster Mrs. Brouwer-Korf in the hall of mirrors at Paushuize in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The bride and groom arrived and left in an old Minerva (car), […]