Princess Margriet & Mr. Pieter Van Vollenhoven

[Squidgy]

I'm a little confused - the revamped version of the official website for the royal family says that Margriet is chair of the standing commission of the International Red Cross (see http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english...?objectid=5538). But didn't she give that position up in December 2003? Was she recently re-elected?

[Squidgy]

Has anyone heard any news about Margriet? I hope that the healing process is going well, and that she is feeling much, much better these days.

Since there aren't any new pictures of Margriet (& we may not see her until her son's wedding next month), I thought I would post some retrospective photographs of the princess.

Most of the following photos are taken from a collection of royal postcards that the Royal National Dutch Library has digitized. (See http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/g...6-4F8396BCEF6C)


It is a wonderful collection! There are over 4000 postcards (including close to 600 of Margriet).

[dutch royal]

Yes squidgy, Those pictures of Princess margriet are verry beautifull!!!! I didn,t hear from Princess margriet either, i hope she will attend the wedding of her son:o :o :o

[Squidgy]

The beginning years: Canada

1. January 1943 Margriet at the Ottawa Civic Hospital with her mother Princess Juliana. The Parliament of Canada passed a special law declaring Princess Juliana's rooms at the hospital as extraterritorial so that her child would have exclusively Dutch and not dual nationality.
2. June 29th 1943 Margriet with her parents on the occasion of her baptism at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Ottawa. Among her godparents were Franklin D. Roosevelt and Great Britain’s Queen Mary.
3. October 1943 Posing for the royal family’s Christmas greeting card, Margriet is already at ease dealing with photographers.
4. Summer 1944 Taking a break in Cape Cod, Massachusetts with her mother and sisters Beatrix and Irene.
5. 1945 Ottawa
6. 1945 Beatrix, Margriet, Juliana and Irene pose in Ottawa.
7. Summer 1945 With the war in Europe over, Juliana and her daughters prepare to return to the Netherlands. Here, they are pictured in New York City, just before boarding the ship that will take them home.
8. August 2nd 1945 Clutching a cherished doll, Margriet sets foot on Dutch soil for the first time.

Photos from: Albert VanderMey’s When Canada was home.

[dutch royal]

August 2nd 1945 The royal family set foot on Dutch soil at a place called Teuge. There is still a small local airport that mostly is been used to fly sports-planes. Its been situated 7 kilometers ( i am sorry i don,t now the measurments you use) from apeldoorn. :p

[Squidgy]

Childhood in the Netherlands: the 1940s

1. August 4th 1945 Just a few days after arriving in the Netherlands, the princesses attend a children’s show at Soestdijk Palace.
2. Circa 1945/1946 Margriet settles in to life at Soestdijk Palace.
3. June 7th 1946 at Soestdijk Palace.
4. August 31st 1946 “Stealing the show” at celebrations for her grandmother Wilhelmina’s birthday.
5. 1947 Margriet with her mother and her little sister Christine, born in February 1947.
6. January 31st 1948 The princesses all dressed up to celebrate Beatrix’s 10th Birthday.
7. September 6th 1948 Juliana is inaugurated as Queen.
8. December 1948 With Christine and an unidentified woman (perhaps their nanny).

Photos: From the collection Picture Postcards of the Dutch Royal Familyas digitized by the Royal National Dutch Library (http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/g...-4F8396BCEF6Cv)

[Squidgy]

Childhood: the 1950s

1. January 19th 1950 Margriet celebrating her 7th birthday.
2. February 1950 Even while on a skiing holiday in Austria, the princess is conscientious about her schoolwork.
3. February 1950 Skiing in Austria.
4. 1950 Having fun with sisters Irene and Beatrix.
5. June 7th 1950 With her sister Christine, Margriet carries out an early “official engagement”. (She unveiled a monument.)
6. 1950 Soestdijk Palace.
7. February 1951 A family portrait.
8. 1951 Margriet with her sisters.

Photos: From the collection Picture Postcards of the Dutch Royal Familyas digitized by the Royal National Dutch Library (http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/g...-4F8396BCEF6Cv)

[Squidgy]

Childhood: the 1950s continued

1. June 11th 1952 Making a public appearance with her mother and sisters Christine and Irene at Soestdijk Palace.
2. 1952 With Martin, the family’s dog.
3. December 1953 On holiday with her sisters in Switzerland.
4. 1954 Soestdijk Palace.
5. May 1954 Riding with Irene and Beatrix.
6. 1954 A battle of wills with a donkey.
7. 1955 Soestdijk Palace.

Photos: From the collection Picture Postcards of the Dutch Royal Familyas digitized by the Royal National Dutch Library (http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/g...-4F8396BCEF6Cv)

[Squidgy]

The Teen years

1. 1956 The princesses playing a board game at the Palace.
2. Summer 1956 Picnicking at the Palace.
3. 1956 A portrait of the 13 year old princess.
4. 1956 circa Margriet at the Palace.
5. 1957 at the Palace.
   
6. 1957 Playing the guitar.
7. 1958 at the palace.
8. 1959 portrait.

Photos 1-3; 5-8: From the collection Picture Postcards of the Dutch Royal Family as digitized by the Royal National Dutch Library (http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/g...-4F8396BCEF6Cv)

Photo 4: From Albert VanderMey’s When Canada was home.

[Squidgy]

Originally Posted by dutch royal

Yes squidgy, Those pictures of Princess margriet are verry beautifull!!!! I didn,t hear from Princess margriet either, i hope she will attend the wedding of her son:o :o :o

Thanks for the update Dutch Royal!:) I hadn't heard anything about Margriet, but didn't know if that was because I am living so far away from the Netherlands. Yes, I hope she is feeling very good by the time the wedding comes around. I imagine that all of the planning for the two weddings this year are keeping her very busy!

[Gabriella]

Thanks for sharing those photos Squidgy! I've never seen many of them before and they are wonderful.

[Genevieve]

None of Princess Margriet's grandchildren seem to resemble her very much while Amalia looks a lot like her father and grandmother the Queen. Or does anyone think that Margriet and one of her grandchildren does resemble her?

Thank you for the pictures by the way.

[lynn]

Wow! These old photos of Princess Margriet are precious! Thanks!!!

[Squidgy]

Dutch Royal, Gabriella, Genevieve and Lynn - glad you enjoyed the pictures. I imagine that Dutch members of this forum have seen them all countless times before, but they were new to me, and I was hoping that non-Dutch posters would not have seen most of them before either. And I just love the old black and white pictures ...

I will post one last set ... I ran out of time (& patience) yesterday!

[Squidgy]

The 1960s

1. Sept 19 1961 Margriet arriving for the opening of Parliament (Prinsjesdag)
2. Sept 1961 Posing with her parents and sisters.
3. April 1962 Margriet at Leiden University. It is here that she met Pieter.
4. April 30th 1962 Celebrating Juliana’s Birthday.
5. Aug 1 1962 Irene and Margriet give a press conference after returning from a month long trip to the USA.
6. 1962 Skiing in Lech, Austria with Irene and Beatrix.
7. April 1964 The family (minus Irene) leaving for a state visit to Mexico.
8. 1964 Portrait of the 21 year old princess.
9. Mar 10 1965 Margriet and Pieter announce their engagement.
10. 1965 Margriet & Pieter.

Photos: From the collection Picture Postcards of the Dutch Royal Familyas digitized by the Royal National Dutch Library (http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/g...-4F8396BCEF6Cv)

[Squidgy]

Originally Posted by Genevieve

None of Princess Margriet's grandchildren seem to resemble her very much while Amalia looks a lot like her father and grandmother the Queen. Or does anyone think that