Princess Margriet & Prof Pieter Van Vollenhoven, Current Events 1 (Jul 2003-Nov 2006)

[missroyal]

Site for broadcast with Princess Margriet in Africa

http://player.omroep.nl/?aflID=2932814&md5=f17e8f24ec54237cbefd2b3c4524bdd5

 

[Marengo]

Posted by JH on the Benelux royals MB:

The Princess visited Zomerzotheid at the sailing camp "de Veenhoop",Friesland,yesterday.

A sailing camp for children suffering from cancer.The SKOV foundation organises two 1 week sailing camps annually
for children between ages 9 to 17,with 30 children participating each week. HRH is a member of the committee of recommendation of the foundation.

--

Sadly no pictures are available of this visit.

 

[lucien]

HRH Princess Margriet is attending meetings of the International Red Cross in Geneva from june 15th till june 23rd.

On june 20th and 21st HRH will attend the international conference of the Red Cross/Red Crescent.

The Princess is vice-chair of the Dutch Red Cross and was elected as member of the board of the International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent (IFRC) on november 13th 2005 and in this board the Princess represents the dutch Red Cross.For many years HRH was Chair of the Standing Commission of the IFRC.

 

[Squidgy]

Sadly I missed the interview with the princess!!! Marianne gave a nice review about it on the Beneluix Royals MB:

The journey to Namibia, to highlight the many projects there by the Red Cross, was the reason for Princess Margriet's journey.
Personally I would have preferred seeing a documentary of that journey (and all those meetings with persons involved in various HIV/AIDS projects/campaigns) and then hearing the princess explain and the interviewer asking some questions.
Now mr. Rosenmöller was far too eager to be pictured and ask questions while the Princess already was explaining her case & the efforts made by the Red Cross in this part of Africa.

The Princess also told about her father always travelling to Africa (in her memory it was like every year...) and only when the whole family assembled for the Golden Wedding Get-Together (1997) she had come to love ("fully overwhelmed" !!) this Continent herself.
The Princess explained the different projects in this part of the Continent and was filmed when visiting different parts of Namibia & talking to those who are involved in HIV/AIDS projects.
She always talked English and often a translator had to explain what was said by African women, who talked openly about their role and all the difficulties still to overcome.
The issue still is (and let's face it, it's not only in Africa that there's still a big controversy surrounding poverty/(child)prostitution and HIV/AIDS!!) a remaining factor for many high profile international institutions, like the Red Cross.
The Princess also admitted that the Red Cross had been, relatively, late with its involvement in this issue but she said they had learned from all previous efforts by others and were whole-heartedly involved now.
The Princess indeed became emotional when asked about death in general, and (her parents having died both in 2004) if she gave some thoughts to dying too.
Knowing her husband has been diagnosed with skin-cancer and him having had several treatments lately I consider this a very lousy question in fact, and I can fully understand why the Princess struggled to find some words and was silent for several minutes.
Her involvement with the Red Cross is obvious as she was delighted to meet 'old friends'and 'fellow Red Crossers' (her own expresion during the interview!) and she felt a true bond with those who are doing 'field work' and she made a clear definition between 'Geneva' (Red Cross HQ) and those who see lots of misery in every day life!

* I remember, Oscar, that the Princess was also moved to tears when visiting Kosovo and also when visiting Refugee Camps, some years ago.
So she is not only a trained nurse and a well-known ChairWoman, but still has a big heart and is emotionally involved with the good cause she represents! Her social involvement was not only inherited from her own mother Juliana, she said during the interview, but also from her paternal grandmother, Armgard.

A belated thanks for posting this Marengo (& of course thanks to Marianne for writing it in the first place on the BRMB).

It's nice to see that Margriet, who has devoted much time & energy to the work of the Red Cross, is able to further promote their missions in Africa through this docmentary. I imagine that it must have been a very difficult trip.

She talks about becoming "overwhelmed" by Africa when the RF travelled there for Juliana & Bernhard's Golden Anniversary in 1997. Does anyone have any group pictures from that event??

 

[Marengo]

Princess Margriet attended a reception this week in Wassenaar, given by the Canadian ambassador, to celebrate Canada-day.

 

[Squidgy]

I never heard about that. Thanks Marengo. I guess we won't see any pictures?

I wonder if she ever secretly regrets that she was born in Canada. Seems we are always asking her to come visit or to participate in Canada related events in the Netherlands. But she is as gracious as ever, so I guess we will never know.

 

[Marengo]

Joris scanned and posted a picture on the Benelux Royals MB http://members3.boardhost.com/Beneluxroyal/msg/1151728601.html

HRH always seems to enjoy anything Canadian IMO, so I don't think she regrets it one bit, on the contrary I suppose, she is very fond of Canada.

 

[lucien]

Princess Margriet will attend the opening of the Princess Juliana room at Het Loo Palace tomorrow,july 6th.The room depicts the year 1927,as it was when Juliana turned 18,and has been returned to its original state.It was Juliana's room from early childhood untill she married Prince Bernhard.While her mother was still alive this also was her bedroom/sittingroom when staying with her.Some of the furniture has recently been moved from Soestdijk Palace to Het Loo.Elsewhere I read that her room is next to Queen Wilhelmina's study,now situated on the ground floor,but originally one floor above during Wilhelmina's time.

 

[fanletizia]

Prinzessin Margriet von Holland der Niederlande Eröffnung Ausstellung Juliana in Apeldoorn Blumen

from seeger

 

[mandyy]

pics from PPE

 

[lucien]

Prof.mr.Pieter van Vollenhoven will officially open the new Police Training Center of the Twente police force this afternoon (15.30PM).

 

[JessRulz]

Prof.mr.Pieter van Vollenhoven at Official Opening of the Police Training Centre of the Twente Police Force today

Source: PPE

 

[Maxie]

Thanks for the pics of Pieter, JessRulz! I especially like the ones of Pieter with the boxing gloves. One dangerous guy!

 

[Marengo]

Good to see Princess Margriet opening this room. And especially to see the Queens favorite flowers there: lathyrus. It would have been nice if more/all daughters attended this though.

I wonder when they will build a statue for Queen Juliana. It is overdue I think, Bernhard already got one or two...

 

[dutch royal]

Good to see Princess Margriet opening this room. And especially to see the Queens favorite flowers there: lathyrus. It would have been nice if more/all daughters attended this though.

I wonder when they will build a statue for Queen Juliana. It is overdue I think, Bernhard already got one or two...

I was there with some friends taking pictures of the princess.

Here are a few.

The photo,s were made by myself : Linda oosterveen from apeldoorn, holland

 

[Squidgy]

As usual, fabulous pictures Linda! Thanks for sharing!

 

[mandyy]

Sept. 1st, 2006.

Princess Margriet, sister of Queen Beatrix and wife of Mr. Pieter van Vollenhoven, has opened the new accommodation Scharwyerveld in Maastricht.
Scharwyerveld has 70 daycare appartments and 150 independent homes for elderly.
From PPE


More photos in the link below
http://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=01-09-2006%20Maastricht

 

[Her_Majesty]

Princess Margriet looks great! She's really one of my favourite members of the Dutch Royal Family! She always looks so friendly and happy; always smiling!

 

[Marengo]

Good to see her out and about again. She looks great, as usual.

 

[lucien]

Last night HRH Princess Margriet opened the IPC World Championships at Assen,The Netherlands,second only to the Paralympics as the largest sports event for the disabled.Over 1500 competitors from 78 countries participate.

On friday sept. 8th HRH Princess Margriet will unveil a glass stained window at the Nieuwe Kerk,Delft.
The window depicts "The resurrection of Jaïrus's Daughter",made by artist Annemiek Punt.

For a look of how this window came to be:
http://www.stainedglass-delft.com

 

[Marengo]

Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven was interviewed by news programme ´NOVA´today. The definate raport he and ´his´comission of public safety have made about the fire in an ansylium center near the national airport will be presented tomorrow. The conclusions are said to be rather harsh for the dutch state.

During the interview he was wearing a tie with a pattern of daisies on it and had a sort of silver pin/daisy in his suit (Margriet is dutch for daisy).

The programme also interviewed some of the victims of the fire. They were proud that they were supported by ´such an important man´.

 

[princess olga]

Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven was interviewed by news programme ´NOVA´today. The definate raport he and ´his´comission of public safety have made about the fire in an ansylium center near the national airport will be presented tomorrow. The conclusions are said to be rather harsh for the dutch state.

During the interview he was wearing a tie with a pattern of daisies on it and had a sort of silver pin/daisy in his suit (Margriet is dutch for daisy).

The programme also interviewed some of the victims of the fire. They were proud that they were supported by ´such an important man´.

Interesting that he's saying it like it is! Just like he did when he was asked his opinion during the recent stink regarding his sons Amsterdam parking permits.

This man is an asset to the DRF and weirdly, for almost as long as I lived in the Netherlands, about 25 years, he got really bad press, the media, and the country, were always laughing at him, it seemed. They were always belittling him and making fun of him. There actually are quite some myths about him that either the press made up or some snob member, the theory goes, in his in-law family, to discredit the man who was the first commoner to marry into the DRF.

As it turns out, he's actually a gregarious person with a seemingly sound head on his shoulders, not an idiot at all like the Dutch media made him out to be for decades.

 

[Marengo]

The media has totally turned around the last decade or so. Instead of the funny man with the big ears playing a piano, they take him more seriously now. Even the (sour) presenter of left-leaning ´NOVA´ did not make a cynical remark on the side.
I think that one of his main problems was that he did not really have a specified role. Nobody knew what was to be expected of the husband of a princess. To have a carreer of his own was out of the question in those days (not anymore, I think), he shouldn´t ´get´ to much and overshadow his father-in-law or Prince Claus etc. Only when he dedicated himself to the cause of safer traffic, victims and now public safety did he gain respect.

-
Anyway, I am still in favour of Queen Beatrix would make him a count or so, it would be nice if his sons would have a title to pass on to their children (though in the Netherlands noble titles do not mean that much).

 

[Alexandria]

I'm surprised to hear that for so long Prof. van Vollenhoven was mocked by his fellow Dutchmen and the Dutch media. I've only been following the Dutch royals for the last six or seven years now but Pieter always seemed like such a kind, caring and sympathetic man. I couldn't see anything to make fun of him for. He seemed like a very caring and doting husband, father and grandfather. And in the years following Claus's death then Bernhard's, Pieter seemed to take on the role of patriarch of the family. And during her silver jubilee, Queen Beatrix had some very nice things to say about her brother in law. Someone whom the Queen had such nice things to say about couldn't be all that bad. But perhaps he was a bit in the shadow of Claus, Bernhard Sr. and the other male members of the royal family who might've been more assertive than him (though I don't get that impession about Claus who seemed very kind and gentle, too.)

 

[Marengo]

Well, the press and comedians especially made fun of his ears, pianoplaying and his role (as sidekick of the spare, so to speak).
IMO he was the easiest person of the RF to mock, as he isn´t a ´real´ royal, so some made use of that (as it was still a taboo to mock the royals themselves). The mocking was never to illspirited though.

The last 15 years or so it has stopped. From what I see on television images etc. it happened especially in the 80-ties when he was performing with his two of his friends on the piano.

Prince Claus personally might not have minded to be overshadowed by Pieter, but it wouldn´t have been a healthy thing for the institute, that the prince-consort has less (important) duties then somebody down the line. Like now it wouldn´t be very good if Laurentien would have more functions then Maxima.

-

BTW, Pieter yesterday presented a raport about dutch monumental buildings, 135 million euros extra are needed to restore and preserve them in the near future. He is chairman or spokesperson for ´Monumentenzorg´.

 

[Squidgy]

Sept. 8th 2006 Princess Margriet unveiled a stain glass window at the Nieuwe Kerk,Delft.

Photos: ANP

 

[Marengo]

I love the way Margriet looks, but not to sure about the window. It must be a bit weird for her to be on such a festive occassion in a church which is almost only associated with mourning.

 

[Marengo]

Today (12 september 2006) Willem-Jan van Vollenhoven died from cancer at the age of 71. Willem-Jan is 4 years older then his brother Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven. Due to this death HRH Princess Margriet cancelled her thursday appointment.

 

[Her_Majesty]

Today (12 september 2006) Willem-Jan van Vollenhoven died from cancer at the age of 71. Willem-Jan is 4 years older then his brother Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven. Due to this death HRH Princess Margriet cancelled her thursday appointment.

How sad! I feel very sorry for his family!
May he rest in peace.

 

[Squidgy]

That is sad news! I always got the impression (rightly or wrongly) that Pieter was close to his brother. And whenever they attended family events together, I was always taken aback at how similar the two brothers were in appearances.