Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
Encyclopedia
Princess Margriet Francisca of the Netherlands (born 19 January 1943) is the third daughter of Queen Juliana
Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. As a daughter of the Queen Juliana, and a younger sister of the current monarch, Queen Beatrix
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
, she is a member of the Dutch Royal House
Dutch Royal House
In the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Monarchy is a constitutional office and is controlled by the constitution of the Netherlands. A distinction is made between members of the royal family and members of the Royal House. The royal family is the Orange-Nassau family, however not every member is a...
and currently ninth in the line of succession to the Dutch throne
Line of succession to the Dutch Throne
The 1814 constitution stated that the oldest son of the monarch would succeed him , followed by the monarch's brother or his son. Only when there would be a complete lack of males in his near family, would the oldest daughter of the monarch succeed him...
.
Princess Margriet often represents Queen Beatrix at official or semi-official events. Some of these functions have taken her back to Canada (her country of birth), and to events organised by the Dutch merchant navy
Merchant Navy
The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
of which she is a patron.
Birth in Canada
The Princess was born in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario, as the family had been living in Canada since June 1940 after the occupation of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. The maternity ward of Ottawa Civic Hospital
The Ottawa Hospital
The Ottawa Hospital or L'Hôpital d'Ottawa is a major, non-profit, public, university teaching hospital in Ottawa made up of the former Grace Hospital, Riverside Hospital, Ottawa General Hospital and Ottawa Civic Hospital. It is a 1,195-bed academic health sciences centre...
in which Princess Margriet was born was temporarily declared to be extraterritorial by the Canadian government. Making the maternity ward outside of the Canadian domain caused it to be unaffiliated with any jurisdiction and technically international territory. This was done to ensure that the newborn Princess would derive her citizenship from her mother only, thus making her solely Dutch.
It is a common misconception that the Canadian government declared the maternity ward to be Dutch territory. Since Dutch nationality law
Dutch nationality law
Dutch nationality law is based primarily on the principle of Jus sanguinis and is governed by the Kingdom act regarding Dutch citizenship . Thus citizenship is conferred primarily by birth to a Dutch parent, irrespective of place of birth...
is based primarily on the principle of Jus sanguinis
Jus sanguinis
Ius sanguinis is a social policy by which citizenship is not determined by place of birth, but by having a parent who are citizens of the nation...
it was not necessary to make the ward Dutch territory for the Princess to become a Dutch citizen. Since Canada followed the rule of jus soli
Jus soli
Jus soli , also known as birthright citizenship, is a right by which nationality or citizenship can be recognized to any individual born in the territory of the related state...
, it was necessary for Canada to disclaim the territory temporarily so that the Princess would not, by virtue of birth on Canadian soil, become a Canadian citizen.
British nationality
Since she is a descendant of King George II of Great BritainGeorge II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
, and is therefore in line for the British throne, she became a British subject after a 1957 court case filed by Ernest Augustus IV, Prince of Hanover
Ernest Augustus IV, Prince of Hanover
Ernst August IV, Prince of Hanover, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland was head of the House of Hanover from 1953 until his death...
(who also claimed, but did not legally have, the title Prince of Great Britain and Ireland
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
) decided that all persons in line for the British throne are British subjects. Though this rendered previous efforts to avoid dual nationality useless, Margriet does not hold dual citizenship.
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands could claim British nationality because of her descent from Sophia, Electress of Hanover
Sophia of Hanover
Sophia of the Palatinate was an heiress to the crowns of England and Ireland and later the crown of Great Britain. She was declared heiress presumptive by the Act of Settlement 1701...
. Her British nationality is based on 'The Act for the Naturalization of the Most Excellent Princess Sophia, Electress and Duchess Dowager of Hanover, and the Issue of her Body
Sophia Naturalization Act
The Act for the Naturalization of the Most Excellent Princess Sophia, Electress and Duchess Dowager of Hanover, and the Issue of her Body was an Act of the Parliament of England in 1705...
' from 1705. This Act was repealed in 1948 and is no longer in force, but that was after her birth.
Namesake and christening
She was named after the marguerite, the flower worn during the war as a symbol of the resistance to Nazi Germany. (See also the book When Canada Was Home, the Story of Dutch Princess Margriet, by Albert VanderMey, Vanderheide.)Princess Margriet was christened at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (Ottawa)
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church is the oldest Presbyterian church in Ottawa, Canada.-Creation:St. Andrews is Ottawa's oldest Protestant [Presbyterian Church in Canada] congregation, with the original church opening in 1828...
, Ottawa, on 29 June 1943. Her godparents included the President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, Queen Mary of the United Kingdom
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, The Crown Princess Märtha of Norway
Princess Märtha of Sweden
Princess Märtha of Sweden , full name Märtha Sofia Lovisa Dagmar Thyra was the granddaughter of King Oscar II of Sweden and the consort of Crown Prince Olav of Norway . She was the first Crown Princess of Norway in modern times who was not also Crown Princess of Sweden or Denmark...
, Martine Roell (who was a Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Juliana in Canada) and The Dutch Merchant Fleet.
After the war
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 PalaceSoestdijk Palace
Soestdijk Palace is a former palace of the Dutch royal family. It consists of a central block and two wings.Although named after the village of Soestdijk, which is largely in the municipality of Soest, the Soestdijk Palace is just north of the border in the municipality of Baarn in the province of...
in Baarn
Baarn
Baarn is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht.-The municipality Baarn :The municipality of Baarn consists of the following towns: Baarn, Eembrugge, Lage Vuursche.- The town Baarn :...
, where the family had lived before the war.
It was while she was studying at Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
that Princess Margriet met her future husband, Pieter van Vollenhoven
Pieter van Vollenhoven
Pieter van Vollenhoven, Jr. is the husband of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and a member of the Dutch Royal House.-Early life and career:Born in Schiedam, he is the second son of Pieter van Vollenhoven, Sr...
. Their engagement was announced on 10 March 1965, and they were married on 10 January 1967 in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. It was decreed that any children from the marriage would be styled HH Prince/Princess of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, titles that would not be held by their descendants.
The Princess and her husband took up residence in the right wing of Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn is a municipality and city in the province of Gelderland, about 60 miles south east of Amsterdam, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a regional centre and has 155,000 . The municipality of Apeldoorn, including villages like Beekbergen, Loenen and Hoenderloo, has over 155,000...
. In 1975 the family moved to their present home, Het Loo
Het Loo
Het Loo Palace is a palace in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. The symmetrical Dutch Baroque building was designed by Jacob Roman and Johan van Swieten and was built between 1684 and 1686 for stadtholder-king William III and Mary II of England...
, which they had built on the Palace grounds.
Children
Princess Margriet and Pieter van Vollenhoven have four sons:- Prince MauritsPrince Maurits of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven-External links:* * - References :...
(born 17 April 1968) m. Marilène van den Broek (b. 4 February 1970) on 29 May 1998. They have three children:- Anastasia (Anna) Margriet Joséphine van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven (b. 15 April 2001)
- Lucas Maurits Pieter Henri van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven (b. 26 October 2002)
- Felicia Juliana Benedicte Barbara van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven (b. 31 May 2005)
- Prince BernhardPrince Bernhard of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven-External links:* *...
(b. 25 December 1969) m. Annette Sekrève (b. 18 April 1972) on 6 July 2000. They have three children:- Isabella Lily Juliana van Vollenhoven (b. 14 May 2002)
- Samuel Bernhard Louis van Vollenhoven (b. 25 May 2004)
- Benjamin Pieter Floris van Vollenhoven (b. 12 March 2008)
- Prince Pieter-ChristiaanPrince Pieter Christiaan of Orange-Nassau, van VollenhovenPrince Pieter-Christiaan Michiel of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven , is the third son of HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven. His godparents are his paternal grandfather, Pieter van Vollenhoven, Archduke Michael of Austria-Este, Jonkheer J. Reuchlin, Queen...
(b. 22 March 1972) m. Anita van Eijk (b. 27 October 1969) on 25 August 2005. They have two children:- Emma Francisca Catharina van Vollenhoven (b. 28 November 2006)
- Pieter Anton Maurits Erik van Vollenhoven (b. 19 November 2008)
- Prince FlorisPrince Floris of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven-External links:*...
(b. 10 April 1975) m. Aimée Söhngen (b. 19 October 1977) on 20 October 2005. They have two children:- Magali Margriet Eleonoor van Vollenhoven (b. 9 October 2007)
- Eliane Sophia Carolina van Vollenhoven (b. 5 July 2009)
Upon the marriage of Prince Maurits to Marie-Helene van den Broek in 1998, it was announced that the couple's children would bear the surname Van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven. The children of Prince Bernhard, Prince Pieter-Christiaan and Prince Floris will be known by the surname Van Vollenhoven.
Since neither Prince Pieter-Christiaan nor Prince Floris applied for Parliamentary approval for their marriages, as required in the Netherlands, they lost their place in the succession when they married.
Style, titles and names
- Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the NetherlandsKingdom of the NetherlandsThe Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
, Princess of Orange-NassauHouse of Orange-NassauThe House of Orange-Nassau , a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — since William I of Orange organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years' War...
, Princess of Lippe-BiesterfeldLippe-BiesterfeldLippe-Biesterfeld is a cadet line of the House of Lippe, a morganatic title created in 1916, and since 1937 a title of the Dutch Royal House.-History:...
(1943–1967) - Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Mrs van VollenhovenPieter van VollenhovenPieter van Vollenhoven, Jr. is the husband of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and a member of the Dutch Royal House.-Early life and career:Born in Schiedam, he is the second son of Pieter van Vollenhoven, Sr...
(1967–present)
Ancestry
External links
- Royal House of the Netherlands
- CBC Archives – A look at Princess Margriet's birth in Ottawa (from 1992).