Princess Margriet and Pieter Van Vollenhoven Current Events 1 (Nov 2006-Nov 2007)

[Alexandria]

Was Princess Margriet not on Dutch TV late last December or early last January pleading on behalf of the Red Cross for help for victoms of the tsunami victims? I recall a picture of Princess Margriet dressed in black, with tears in her eyes.

I only saw a still image; I am not sure if there is an accompanying video for it.

[Marengo]

Yes she was! Not in the studio though (as for the red cross), but her message was recorded (and repeated often).

[Squidgy]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Squidgy, I think we are a perfect team, the two of us , for the picture are of the television marathon I was telling about! How funny! The woman in the 2nd picture is the 'grand lady' of dutch television btw. She did a programme on Juliana's 75th birthday (attended by the RF) and presented a book as national present. The book (which I have!) has an enormous amount of pictures send in by people from all over the country + their stories/remarks (if only I had a scanner).

Ha! Ha! Yes, we are a perfect, though not equal, team Marengo! All I do is find the pictures sometimes, while you provide the wonderful wealth of information about them - the hard part! (But I see you are posting alot of pictures yourself these days, so you might be putting me out of a job!)

It's so nice to finally know what those pictures were all about. I could never figure out why Pieter-Christiaan was there. I thought maybe she was being presented with some award or something like that - but now I know.

[Squidgy]

Originally Posted by Alexandria

Was Princess Margriet not on Dutch TV late last December or early last January pleading on behalf of the Red Cross for help for victoms of the tsunami victims? I recall a picture of Princess Margriet dressed in black, with tears in her eyes.

I only saw a still image; I am not sure if there is an accompanying video for it.

How did I miss that?? I know she attended the Tsunami memorial with other members of the RF last January, but I never heard about this.

It's great that Margriet is so involved in the Red Cross, both at a national and an international level. She has been active with them since she was a very young woman and I can't see her ever stopping her involvement with them.

[Marengo]

Originally Posted by Squidgy

She has been active with them since she was a very young woman and I can't see her ever stopping her involvement with them.

And even before that she was trained/educated to be a nurse (in Leiden, where she met Pieter).

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For a dutchman the hard part (providing information) isn't as hard as for a canadian, I think As I just discovered photobucket I am still very enhausiastic in posting these things!

[Squidgy]

Originally Posted by Marengo

For a dutchman the hard part (providing information) isn't as hard as for a canadian, I think As I just discovered photobucket I am still very enhausiastic in posting these things!

... and may your love affair with Photobucket never end (so we can keep getting wonderful pics!!)

It is hard to find info on Margriet in English. I just get little anecdotes here & there. But she's not completely off our radar over here in Canada. Just yesterday there was a picture of her (along with her parents & big sisters) in the Ottawa Citizen. (The article was on the Rockcliffe Park Public School that Beatrix & Irene attended for a few years. It really didn't say much on Margriet - just that she opened a Reading Park in Juliana's name when she was here last May.)

[Marengo]

Sadly there isn't that much information on Margriet here either, of course her public engagements gets in the press, but she lives a rather private life (good for her). I remember some paparazzi pictures of her helping one of her sons to move and packing & carrying boxes though.

[Squidgy]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Sadly there isn't that much information on Margriet here either, of course her public engagements gets in the press, but she lives a rather private life (good for her). I remember some paparazzi pictures of her helping one of her sons to move and packing & carrying boxes though.

Well, as long as her public duties get some press coverage, I'm happy. Like you Marengo, I think it's wonderful that she has managed to have a private life.

There have been few paparazzi pictures. I haven't seen the ones of her helping one of her sons to move, but I recall some of her cleaning the window sill at Bernhard's house. I think it was right before Annette gave birth to Samuel, so I guess Margriet was helping out with things. I was totally shocked to see those pictures - it was the first & only time I've seen a senior member of any RF doing housework! (Then I felt guilty because the pictures seemed like such an invasion of her privacy - but she probably didn't really mind these pictures too much. I mean such pictures certainly didn't hurt her public image of being a down to earth, kind person any!)

[Squidgy]

A photo of Prof. Mr. Pieter Van Vollenhoven's visit to Rijsbergen & Zundert on Jan. 18 2006 from koninklijkhuis.nl

[Squidgy]

The official website for the RF said that Margriet & Pieter were scheduled to attend last night's dinner to celebrate 400 years of Dutch/Australian relations, but according to this article http://www.tiscali.nl/content/article/nbinn/471219.htm (sorry it's in Dutch only), she didn't attend because her back is still bothering her.

I was going to ask if anyone had heard if she was planning to attend the Special Olympics in Turin in March (since Margriet became a member of the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) Honorary Board last spring), but it perhaps she is reluctant to commit herself to much these days??

[Marengo]

Thank you very much Squidgy! I was already asking questions about her attendance at the GREMB! I hope it will get better soon, she has had this problem way to long!

I haven't heard anything about her attendance of the Paralympics either btw.

[Squidgy]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Thank you very much Squidgy! I was already asking questions about her attendance at the GREMB! I hope it will get better soon, she has had this problem way to long!

I haven't heard anything about her attendance of the Paralympics either btw.

Ok thanks Marengo! I figured if anyone had heard whether she was going to Turin, it would be you.:)

Yeah, poor Margriet - it was about 8 months ago that she hurt her back, so it is taking a long time to heal, but hopefully she will recover completely. (I have heard it said that it can take over a year to completely heal a broken bone. And I would imagine the back is a particularly tricky area.)

We saw quite a bit of her in Nov & Dec, so I was hoping she was doing much better. Maybe for the most part she is doing better & has just had a little setback.

[Marengo]

Even at her sons weddings you could see (on television) that she had difficulties walking, due to pains. I think she made an extra efford to be there at her sons weddings and at her sisters official jubilee closure.

[Squidgy]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Even at her sons weddings you could see (on television) that she had difficulties walking, due to pains. I think she made an extra efford to be there at her sons weddings and at her sisters official jubilee closure.

Ah, I see! I never saw any video of the wedding - only photos, so I didn't realize that she was having trouble walking. That's too bad! It was a bad year for her to hurt her back, wasn't it - when she had to sit through 4 wedding services & then participate in Jubilee events!

It's strange that they keep saying on the official website that she is going to attend a certain event (like the Australian dinner a few nights ago & also the New Year's reception - I don't think she ended up going to that either did she?). Maybe they should just let her rest until she recovers, instead of planning engagements that she ends up cancelling. But I guess the ones she has cancelled have been ones where there are other royals there ... so it's not like she's really putting anyone out by cancelling! (except us of course, who happily anticipate seeing her:()

[Marengo]

They only enlist her at events which are attended by other royals as well, so a cancellation wouldn't make a big difference to the people who organise the event (if he would go there alone & cancel it, then all those people would have been busy for nothig I mean). I think she has her good and bad days and reains optimistic, so hence she plans to attend these things.

Now some shocking infrmation from the BRMB: Princess Margriet will pay a visit to the 'Big Brother Hotel, a reality show where dutch C-celebrities are trying to get money for a project of the Red Cross. Apparently the Princess hesitated, but the good cause won it from her objections about the show I guess.

[Squidgy]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Now some shocking infrmation from the BRMB: Princess Margriet will pay a visit to the 'Big Brother Hotel, a reality show where dutch C-celebrities are trying to get money for a project of the Red Cross. Apparently the Princess hesitated, but the good cause won it from her objections about the show I guess.

Thanks for the info Marengo. Good thing I was sitting down when I read this - it is shocking news! Is it just a rumour at this stage, or has it been confirmed?

I supposed that some traditionalists will frown upon a member of the RF taking part in a reality show, but I don't have a huge problem with it - I'm sure if Margriet really is participating in the show, then it will be done with tact. Personally, I'm all for the RF taking a more creative interpretation of their roles. They have to move with the times as much as the rest of us.

[Marengo]

I read one online article about it thus far and no other comments in the press, so I am wondering wether the story is true or not. I agree with you, she will do it in style of course, and I do not assume she will spend the night. Probably she will just get the cheque and talk about the cause (founding a holiday house where ill children + parents can spend some time).

[Squidgy]

I'm not a huge fan of reality shows, but at least this one has a good cause (other than the usual cause of self-promotion).

On another topic, I read recently where Margriet & Pieter gave an interview to De Volkskrant. It was published on Dec. 31st. Did anyone read the interview?? Anything interesting? Do they give interviews often, or is this a rarity?

[Marengo]

Princess Margriet doesnt, but Pietyer van Vollenhoven is more open, he has 'short' talks at occassions, and recently there was a very nice portrait of him on the public channel. I idn't read this interview though (didn't know it was there, otherwise I would have bought it).

[Squidgy]

I could see where Pieter would give frequent interviews. I saw him on a Dutch TV show last year (sorry can't remember the name, but I do remember that the title of the show was in English). Anyways, he was a natural in front of the camera - he was joking around and looked completely relaxed. He probably is a good complement to Margriet, because I get the impression (although I could be wrong) that she is a bit on the shy side?? Having Pieter around on public occasions probably helps her to relax a bit.

That's too bad you missed the interview Marengo. I'll try to see if I can dig it up, although I guess it would be against copyright rules to post it on here.