54-562: Princess Beatrix * Princess Margriet * Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven * Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands ( Constantijn Christof Frederik Aschwin ; born 11 October 1969) is the third and youngest son of the former Dutch queen, Beatrix , and her husband, Claus von Amsberg , and is the younger brother of the reigning Dutch king, Willem-Alexander . He is a member of the Dutch Royal House and currently fourth in
108-707: A considerable role in the cabinet formation process ; notably she appointed the informateur and formateur , the person who leads the negotiations that ultimately lead to the formation of a government. However, this was changed in 2012, and now the largest party in the States General appoints a "scout" who then appoints an informateur . Beatrix was included in Andy Warhol 's portrait series in 1985 as one of four Reigning Queens , along with queens Ntfombi of Eswatini , Margrethe II of Denmark and Elizabeth II of
162-682: A lawyer, and then worked at the Brussels department of the (Dutch) European Union commissioner of foreign relations, Hans van den Broek . Later, he was hired by the EU and continued to work there in various capacities until the end of 1999. In December 2000, he was awarded a Master of Business Administration at INSEAD in Fontainebleau , France. He spent a summer working for the International Finance Corporation of
216-488: A monarch, Beatrix had weekly meetings with the prime minister. She signed all new Acts of Parliament and royal decrees, and until a constitutional change late in her reign, appointed the informateur , an official who is responsible for chairing coalition talks in the formation of new governments. At the state opening of parliament each September, she made a Speech from the Throne, in which the government announced its plans for
270-599: A rare honorary doctorate from Leiden University , an honour the Queen does not usually accept. In her acceptance speech she reflected on the monarchy and her own 25 years as Queen. The speech was broadcast live. On 29 and 30 April 2005, she celebrated the 25th anniversary of her reign . She was interviewed on Dutch television, was offered a concert on Dam Square in Amsterdam , and a celebration took place in The Hague ,
324-520: A smoke bomb at the Golden Coach , resulting in a street battle with the police . As time went on, Prince Claus became one of the most popular members of the Dutch monarchy , and his death in 2002 was widely mourned. On 25 November 1975, Beatrix and Prince Claus attended the independence ceremony of Suriname , held in the new nation's capital, Paramaribo , representing her mother the Queen. As
378-457: A townhouse near Noordeinde Palace. Beatrix has given her name to a number of facilities in the Netherlands and beyond. These include: A few parks in the country also bear her name: It has been speculated that Beatrix is De Onbekende Beeldhouwer (Unknown Sculptor), whose work has been appearing in Amsterdam since 1983. There has been no confirmation of this. Princess Margriet of
432-496: Is a keen sportsman and enjoys football , tennis, golf, and skiing . His other hobbies include drawing, cooking, and reading . The engagement of Prince Constantijn and Petra Laurentien Brinkhorst was announced on 16 December 2000. The civil marriage was conducted by the mayor of The Hague , Wim Deetman, in the Oude Raadzaal, Javastraat, The Hague , on 17 May 2001. The church wedding took place two days later on 19 May in
486-484: Is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013. Beatrix was born during the reign of her maternal grandmother, Queen Wilhelmina , and became heiress presumptive upon the accession of her mother, Queen Juliana , in 1948. Beatrix attended a public primary school in Canada during World War II , and then finished her primary and secondary education in
540-888: The Council of State . The same year her studies at Leiden University began. In her first years at the university, she studied sociology , jurisprudence , economics , parliamentary history and constitutional law . In the course of her studies she also attended lectures on the cultures of Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles , the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands , international affairs , international law , history and European law . The princess also visited various European and international organisations in Geneva , Strasbourg , Paris , and Brussels . She
594-526: The Grote of St Jacobskerk , with the Reverend Carel ter Linden officiating. Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien have three children: Eloise (b. 2002), Claus-Casimir (b. 2004), and Leonore (b. 2006). The family then moved from Brussels to The Hague . Upon the abdication of Queen Beatrix on 30 April 2013, the children of Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien ceased to be members of
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#1732797818676648-968: The Stornoway residence (now the residence of the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Canada). With bodyguards and ladies in waiting, the family summered at Bigwin Inn on Lake of Bays, Ontario , where four private stone cottages of the resort served as their retreat. While on Bigwin Island , the constitution of the Netherlands was stored in the safe of Bigwin Inn's rotunda building. Princess Juliana and her family were remembered for their "down to earth" friendliness, general gratefulness and great reverence for their homeland and people, to whom they paid homage by refraining from all luxuries offered to guests at
702-832: The World Bank group in Washington, DC. He worked until late 2002 for strategic consultants Booz Allen Hamilton in London. Since 2003, he works for the RAND Corporation Europe in Brussels. Furthermore, he has a part-time position at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague . Prince Constantijn rarely attends public events in his capacity as a member of the Dutch royal family. He
756-639: The gold state carriage . The civil ceremony was conducted by the Mayor of Amsterdam, Gijsbert van Hall , at Amsterdam City Hall. The marriage blessing took place in the Westerkerk, conducted by the Rev. Hendrik Jan Kater, with a sermon by the Rev. Johannes Hendrik Sillevis Smitt. The royal couple had three sons. They lived at Drakensteyn Castle in Lage Vuursche with their children until Beatrix ascended
810-750: The line of succession to the Dutch throne behind his nieces. Prince Constantijn was born on 11 October 1969 at Utrecht University Hospital (now the University Medical Center Utrecht ) in Utrecht following the births of his brothers, Willem-Alexander (b. 1967), and Johan Friso (1968–2013). He goes by the nickname Tijn . His godparents are former King Constantine II of Greece (1940–2023), Prince Aschwin of Lippe-Biesterfeld , Axel Freiherr von dem Bussche-Streithorst , Max Kohnstamm , and Corinne de Beaufort-Sickinghe. Prince Constantijn studied law at Leiden University , becoming
864-629: The German Foreign Office. There was a massive protest on their wedding day in Amsterdam on 10 March 1966. Prince Claus had served in the Hitler Youth and the Wehrmacht and therefore was easily associated with German Nazism . Protests included slogans like " Claus 'raus! " (Claus out!) and " Mijn fiets terug " ("Return my bicycle" – a reference to German soldiers confiscating Dutch bicycles during WWII). A group of Provos threw
918-498: The Netherlands Princess Beatrix * Princess Margriet * Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven * Princess Margriet of the Netherlands (Margriet Francisca; born 19 January 1943) is the third daughter of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard . As an aunt of the reigning monarch, King Willem-Alexander , she is a member of the Dutch Royal House and currently eighth and last in the line of succession to
972-427: The Netherlands in the post-war period. In 1961, she received her law degree from Leiden University . In 1966, Beatrix married Claus von Amsberg , a German diplomat, with whom she had three children. When her mother abdicated on 30 April 1980, Beatrix succeeded her as queen. Beatrix's reign saw the country's Caribbean possessions reshaped with Aruba 's secession and becoming its own constituent country within
1026-580: The Netherlands was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1940, and went to live in Canada. Margriet was born in Ottawa Civic Hospital , Ottawa . The maternity ward of the hospital was temporarily declared to be extraterritorial by the Canadian government. This ensured that the newborn would not be born in Canada, and not be a British subject under the rule of jus soli . Instead, the child would only inherit Dutch citizenship from her mother under
1080-697: The Royal House, although they continue to be members of the royal family and remain in the line of succession. gave up the title "Prince of the Netherlands, but still held the title "Prince of Orange-Nassau" title granted by Royal Decree to descendants of Princess Irene Beatrix of the Netherlands Princess Beatrix * Princess Margriet * Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven * Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbeːjaːtrɪks ˌʋɪlɦɛlˈminaː ˈʔɑr(ə)mɡɑrt] ; born 31 January 1938)
1134-584: The States General at a ceremony held in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam later that day. Beatrix's constitutional duties included those typically accorded to a head of state ; this includes having to sign every piece of legislation before it becomes law, formally appointing various officials, receiving and accrediting ambassadors, and awarding honours and medals, among others. Outside of these constitutional duties, her other informal roles included being
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#17327978186761188-686: The United Kingdom ), Märtha, Crown Princess of Norway , and Martine Roell ( lady-in-waiting to Princess Juliana in Canada). Princess Margriet has continued to visit Canada over the years in an official capacity, as recently as 2017 ( Stratford, Ontario and Goderich, Ontario ) and 2022 ( Ottawa ). It was not until August 1945, when the Netherlands had been liberated, that Princess Margriet first set foot on Dutch soil. Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard returned to Soestdijk Palace in Baarn , where
1242-539: The United Kingdom . On 1 January 1986, Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles and became a separate constituent country in the Dutch Kingdom. On 6 October 2002, the Queen's husband, Prince Claus , died after a long illness. A year and a half later her mother died after long suffering from senile dementia , while her father succumbed to cancer in December 2004. On 8 February 2005, Beatrix received
1296-417: The assailant Tates later died. Other victims of the crash were critically hurt. One week after the attack, another victim succumbed to the injuries he had sustained. The royal party was unharmed, but the Queen and members of her family saw the crash at close range. Within hours, Beatrix made a rare televised address to express her shock and condolences. The man reportedly told police he was deliberately targeting
1350-467: The birthday of her eldest daughter and heiress presumptive, Queen Juliana announced during a live television speech that she wished to abdicate on 30 April in favor of her daughter Beatrix. That Beatrix would succeed her mother as queen was not a matter of course when she was born. It was not until 1983 that the Constitution was amended in such a way that the eldest child of the head of state becomes
1404-419: The bride's youngest sister, Princess Christina of the Netherlands ; Princess Christina of Sweden ; Lady Elizabeth Anson ; Joanna Roëll; Eugénie Loudon; and the bridegroom's sister, Christina von Amsberg. The junior bridesmaids were Daphne Stewart-Clark and Carolijn Alting von Geusau, with page boys Joachim Jencquel and Markus von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff. The royal couple travelled to the ceremony together in
1458-720: The coming parliamentary year. As Queen, she was president of the Council of State. Her role was largely ceremonial and as a focus of national unity, she did not make legislative or executive decisions. Beatrix is a member of the Bilderberg Group . On 28 June 1965, the engagement of Princess Beatrix to the German diplomat Claus von Amsberg was announced. Claus and Beatrix had met at the wedding-eve party of Princess Tatjana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse , in summer 1964. After Parliament consented to
1512-411: The completion of her signature, she was no longer monarch. The inauguration of Willem-Alexander as king took place that afternoon in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. In 2009, Forbes estimated her wealth at US$ 300 million. Beatrix continues to undertake some royal duties and is a patron of many organisations. She lives in the small moated Drakensteyn Castle near the village of Lage Vuursche, and
1566-631: The country's seat of government. On 31 May 2006 the 6th Polish Air Assault Brigade would receive the Militaire Willemsorde der 4e klasse in The Hague. Beatrix was to tie the prestigious medal to the standard of the incumbents of the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade . On 10 October 2010, the Netherlands Antilles were formally dissolved . The new municipalities of Bonaire , Sint Eustatius , and Saba and
1620-462: The crowd of people at a flea market in the Jordaan . When Beatrix walked alongside Rijkers he said "Give me a kiss, girl", after which he gave her a hug and two kisses. It received wide media attention and appeared to be a historic moment. An image of this scene was published in large on the front page of De Telegraaf . Even 25 years later in 2013, NRC Handelsblad wrote an article about it and
1674-470: The family had lived before the war. It was while she was studying at Leiden University that Princess Margriet met her future husband, Pieter van Vollenhoven . Their engagement was announced on 10 March 1965, and they were married on 10 January 1967 in The Hague , in the St. James Church . It was decreed that any children from the marriage would be titled Prince/Princess of Orange-Nassau , van Vollenhoven, with
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1728-654: The first names of her grandmothers, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and Armgard, Princess Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld . When Beatrix was one year old, in 1939, her younger sister Princess Irene was born. World War II broke out in the Netherlands on 10 May 1940 ( Westfeldzug ). On 13 May, the Dutch Royal Family evacuated to London , United Kingdom. One month later, Beatrix went to Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, with her mother Juliana and her sister Irene, while her father Bernhard and maternal grandmother Queen Wilhelmina remained in London. The family lived at
1782-554: The highest representative of the kingdom internationally and to be a unifying figure locally. Beatrix was rarely quoted directly in the press during her reign, for the government information service ( Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst ) made it a condition of interviews that she should not be quoted. This policy was introduced shortly after her inauguration, reportedly to protect her from political complications that might arise from "off-the-cuff" remarks. It did not apply to her son Prince Willem-Alexander . Throughout much of her reign, Beatrix had
1836-456: The impact of it. The reaction of the Queen was seen by people as very positive and was a boost for her reputation in the "Jordaan" region of Amsterdam. The visit was promoted as a "spontaneous visit" to boost her popularity as she was not very popular in the region. Historian and Dutch royalty watcher J. G. Kikkert said in a lecture that the kiss had been staged, based on what he called "usually very reliable sources". He also noted that although
1890-430: The kingdom in 1986. This was followed by the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010, which created the new special municipalities of Bonaire , Sint Eustatius , and Saba , and the two new constituent countries of Curaçao and Sint Maarten . On Koninginnedag ( Queen's Day ), 30 April 2013, Beatrix abdicated in favour of her eldest son, Willem-Alexander . At the time of her abdication at age 75, Beatrix
1944-408: The legal heir to the throne. Until then, it had been arranged that the eldest son always had priority over a daughter. Only after Juliana was biologically unable to have more children, Beatrix was certain that she was the intended successor. On 30 April 1980, Beatrix became the monarch when her mother abdicated. She was sworn in and inaugurated as monarch during a joint session of the two chambers of
1998-577: The marriage, Claus von Amsberg became a Dutch citizen, and upon his marriage became Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Jonkheer van Amsberg. Beatrix married Claus von Amsberg on 10 March 1966 in civil and religious ceremonies. The bride wore a traditional gown with train in duchesse silk satin, designed by Caroline Bergé-Farwick of Maison Linette, in Den Bosch, and the Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara. The senior bridesmaids were
2052-424: The new constituent countries of Curaçao and Sint Maarten were established in its place. The dissolution ceremony in the Netherlands Antilles' capital, Willemstad , was attended by the then- Prince and Princess of Orange , Willem-Alexander and his wife Máxima , representing the Queen. During 1988 Queen's Day , Queen Beatrix was kissed by a bystander, later identified as Maarten Rijkers, when she walked through
2106-428: The principle of jus sanguinis , which is followed in Dutch nationality law . Thus, the child would be eligible to succeed to the throne of the Netherlands. This would have applied if the child had been male, and therefore heir apparent to Juliana, or if her two older sisters died without eligible children. It is a common misconception that the Canadian government declared the maternity ward to be Dutch territory. That
2160-534: The resort that was once billed as the largest and most luxurious summer resort in Canada. To provide them with a greater sense of security, culinary chefs and staff catered to personal orders at meal time. Upon their departure, the hotel musicians of the Bigwin Inn Orchestra assembled dockside; and at every public performance afterward through to the end of World War II, the Wilhelmus was played. In
2214-501: The royal family. In a broadcast on national media on 28 January 2013, Beatrix announced her intention to abdicate on 30 April ( Queen's Day ), when she would have been on the throne for exactly 33 years. Beatrix stated that it was time to "place the responsibility for the country in the hands of a new generation." Her heir apparent was her eldest son, Prince Willem-Alexander. She was the third successive Dutch monarch to abdicate, following her grandmother and her mother. The broadcast
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2268-529: The style of Highness , titles that would not be held by their descendants. Together, they had four sons: The Princess and her husband took up residence in the right wing of Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn . In 1975 the family moved to their present home, Het Loo , which they had built on the Palace grounds. Princess Margriet is particularly interested in health care and cultural causes. From 1987 to 2011 she
2322-489: The throne . Princess Margriet has often represented the monarch at official or semi-official events. Some of these functions have taken her back to Canada, the country where she was born de facto , and to events organised by the Dutch merchant navy of which she is a patron. Margriet was born to Princess Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld . Her mother was heir presumptive to Queen Wilhelmina . The Dutch royal family went into exile when
2376-592: The throne. In 1981, they moved into Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague. From the 1970s, Beatrix began to prepare more intensively for her future position as head of state. She made many trips abroad with Prince Claus, including a controversial one to the Soviet Union. After the Lockheed affair , Beatrix and Claus began to delve into the royal household and made plans to adapt it. In addition, they asked advisers to prepare for Beatrix's reign. On 31 January 1980,
2430-447: The visit and the kiss might not have been her idea, but that of others, she certainly would have given her approval as she was known not to leave things to chance. On 30 April 2009, the Queen and other members of the royal family were targeted in a car attack by a man named Karst Tates. Tates crashed his Suzuki Swift into a parade in Apeldoorn , narrowly missing a bus carrying the Queen. Five people were killed instantly. Two victims and
2484-530: The years following the shuttering and neglect of the island resort, the "Juliana" cottages were well maintained and preserved in an informal tribute to Princess Juliana and her family. In thanks for the protection of her and her daughters, Princess Juliana established the custom of delivery to the Canadian government every spring of tulips, which is the centrepiece of the Canadian Tulip Festival . The second sister of Beatrix, Princess Margriet ,
2538-509: Was Gertrude Büringh Boekhoudt [ nl ] , who remained a close confidant until Büringh Boekhoudt's death in 1982. In 1954, Beatrix served as a bridesmaid at the wedding of Baroness van Randwijck and Mr. T Boey. On 31 January 1956, Beatrix celebrated her 18th birthday. From that date, under the Constitution of the Netherlands, she was entitled to assume the Royal Prerogative . At that time, her mother installed her in
2592-636: Was also an active member of the VVSL (Female Union for Students in Leiden), now called L.S.V. Minerva, after merging with the Leidsch Studenten Corps (which before then was male-only). In the summer of 1959, she passed her preliminary examination in law, and she obtained her law degree in July 1961. In 1965, Beatrix became engaged to the German aristocrat Claus von Amsberg , a diplomat working for
2646-496: Was born in 1947. On 6 September 1948, her mother succeeded her grandmother Wilhelmina as Queen of the Netherlands. Since she had no brothers, Beatrix became the heiress presumptive to the Dutch throne at the age of ten. In April 1950, Princess Beatrix entered the Incrementum, a part of Baarnsch Lyceum, where, in 1956, she passed her school graduation examinations in the subjects of arts and classics. Her tutor from April 1951
2700-606: Was born in Ottawa in 1943. During their exile in Canada, Beatrix attended nursery and Rockcliffe Park Public School , a primary school where she was known as "Trixie Orange". On 5 May 1945, the German troops in the Netherlands surrendered. The family returned to the Netherlands on 2 August 1945. Beatrix went to the progressive primary school De Werkplaats in Bilthoven run by pacifist social reformers Kees Boeke and Beatrice Boeke-Cadbury . Her third sister Princess Christina
2754-564: Was followed by a statement from Prime Minister Mark Rutte who paid tribute to Beatrix, saying "Since her investiture in 1980, she has applied herself heart and soul to Dutch society." The official program for the abdication and inauguration took place on 30 April 2013. Beatrix signed the instrument of abdication in the Vroedschapkamer (also known as Mozeszaal) in the Royal Palace, Amsterdam at 10:07 a.m. local time. With
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#17327978186762808-474: Was not necessary, as Canada follows jus soli , while the Netherlands follows jus sanguinis . It was sufficient for Canada to disclaim the territory temporarily. Princess Margriet was named after the marguerite , the flower worn during the war as a symbol of the resistance to Nazi Germany. She was christened at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church , Ottawa, on 29 June 1943. Her godparents included US President Franklin D. Roosevelt , Queen Mary ( Queen dowager of
2862-729: Was the oldest reigning monarch in the country's history . Princess Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard was born on 31 January 1938 at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn , Netherlands, as the first child of Princess Juliana of the Netherlands and her husband, Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld . Beatrix was baptised on 12 May 1938 in the Great Church in The Hague . Her five godparents were King Leopold III of Belgium ; Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone ; Beatrix's maternal great-great-aunt Elisabeth, Princess of Erbach-Schönberg ; her paternal great-uncle Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg ; and Countess Allene de Kotzebue . Beatrix's middle names are
2916-777: Was vice-president of the Dutch Red Cross , who set up the Princess Margriet Fund in her honour. She is a member of the board of the International Federation of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. From 1984 to 2007, Princess Margriet was president of the European Cultural Foundation , who set up the Princess Margriet Award for Cultural Diversity in acknowledgement of her work. She
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