Princess Margriet in October 2022
At the outbreak of World War II in 1940 the royal family fled to England, Princess Juliana and her daughters Beatrix and Irene traveled to Ottawa in Canada. In September 1942 Prince Bernhard announced via radio Orange that Princess Juliana was pregnant.
Princess Margriet was born on a bitterly cold winter day on January 9th 1943.
The birth took place in the Civic Hospital and to ensure that the princess was born as Dutch, the Canadian government temporarily declared the hospital room where the birth would take place as extraterritorial territory.
Four rooms were available, one for Juliana, one for the baby, one for nursing and one for security.
The princess was baptised on June 29th at St Andrew’s Church in Wellington in the presence of Queen Wilhelmina and her both parents. The bond with Canada would always remain very close.
Some souvenirs were made before the birth. The Netherlands Aid Society commissioned a plate which was manufactured in the USA for this occasion.
Plate by the Netherlands Aid Society
In the Netherlands itself the Royal House had become a symbol of the resistance during the war. To prevent any expressions of Orangist support the Royal House was banned by the occupying forces. Nothing could be published about the Oranges and the possession of Orangist Souvenirs was also prohibited by law.
The company Goedewaagen circumvented this and produced a cup and saucer and a candle holder on the occasion of the birth. The name Margriet was not mentioned but the symbolism spoke for itself. An image of a Daisy surrounded by barbed wire to indicate that she was born in exile. the Dutch flag and a blue and red border on the cup and an orange border on the saucer.
There are also some tiles made by the Porceleyne Fles factory.
After the war, the princess moved to Soestdijk Palace.
She attended her secondary school at the Baarns Lyceum.
After this she took courses in French, history and art history. In Leiden she studied law. Then a trainee helper 1st class from the Red Cross Hospital in Amersfoort. From 1987 to 2011, the princess was vice-chairperson of the board of the Red Cross.
In 1965, the princess became engaged to Pieter van Vollenhoven with whom she married on 10th January 1967.
Plates and cups, tiles and a cup and saucer were produced for the souvenir market for this occasion.
souvenirs for their marriage in 1967
The couple went to live near Palace Het Loo in a house specially built for them.
They have 4 sons, the Princes Maurits (1968), Bernhard (1969), Pieter-Christiaan (1972) and Floris (1975) they all use the designation of His Highness, these titles are not hereditary.
The Porceleyne Fles factory issued plates for the births of the princess.
The princess fulfilled many honorary functions, during her her sister Beatrix’ reign she was nicknamed the reserve queen because she assisted her sister in many ways in the fulfilment of her task.
The princess is still active, so she opened the exhibition about her mother in Museum Hoeksche Waard in October 2022.
Some souvenirs from our collection:
Beaker from 1949
Thank you card birth prince Maurits 1968
Mugs to commemorate their 30th wedding anniversary in 1997
Beaker to commemorate her 60th birthday
The princess in 2022 at Museum Hoeksche Waard
