Princess Margriet of the Netherlands

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Happy Birthday to Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, aunt of King Willem-Alexander and sister of Princess Beatrix, who turns 75 today! The third daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, she was born in Ottawa, Canada, where the family had been living during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Princess Margriet’s godparents included Queen Mary, Crown Princess Martha of Norway, the Earl of Athlone, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. After returning to the Netherlands in 1945, she grew up at Soestdijk Palace and was educated in Holland and France. In 1967, she married Pieter van Vollenhoven in The Hague. The couple have four sons and eleven grandchildren. Unlike her sisters, Princess Margriet has remained an active member of the Dutch Royal Family, regularly attending official and family events. I wish HRH a very Happy Birthday and Many Happy Returns!