A name with a wonderful meaning for the Dutch resistance.
On January 19, 1943, the third daughter of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard was born: little Princess Margriet. She was born in Ottawa, Canada during World War II. The little girl’s name has a beautiful meaning for this period.
WWII
When the Second World War begins, Queen Wilhelmina and Princess Juliana’s family flee to England. Because it turns out not to be safe there either, Juliana flees to Canada with her daughters Princess Beatrix and Princess Irene. They have been living in Canada for three years now when Juliana gives birth to her third daughter at the Civic Hospital in Ottowa, the capital of Canada. This third and penultimate daughter is given an appropriate name for the period in which they find themselves, namely: Margriet Francisca.
Meaning of name
The name of the little princess was deliberately chosen, because it was chosen out of respect for the patriotic resistance. According to author Marsman in the 1948 book Her Work Continued, the Daisies were the last thing the Queen of the Netherlands saw when she left the Netherlands during the May Days. The flower followed during the war as the symbol of the Dutch resistance against the German occupier.
Symbol of Dutch resistance
Queen Wilhelmina also ensures that the Margriet becomes a symbol of the Dutch resistance. Marsman wrote in the book: “When she (Queen Wilhelmina, ed.) entered America in the summer of 1942, she wore a white flower and many Dutch people followed her example.” Marsman continues: “Especially in America and Canada, less so in England, because flower cultivation as a luxury was very limited there.” Princess Margriet receives a brooch in the shape of a daisy from her grandmother. The leaves are made of diamonds and the heart consists of a pearl. Ultimately, the white flower also becomes the symbol of the 1940-1945 Foundation.
Margriet’s family
After the liberation of the Second World War, Juliana moved to the Netherlands with her daughters on August 2, 1945. This was Margriet’s first time in the Netherlands. The family went to live at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn. During her studies, Margriet met her husband, Pieter van Vollenhoven. The couple married on January 10, 1967 and soon had four sons. Nowadays the princess can call herself grandmother of no fewer than eleven grandchildren. A lot of fun, if you ask us!
Source: Blue Blood, Royal House | Image: NL Image
