Queen Juliana
Juliana Louise Marie Wilhelmina of Oranje-Nassau was born on the 30th of April 1909 as only child of the marriage Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Hendrick of Mecklenburg. The birth of princes Juliana was very welcome since the line of the oranges might else have died out. On the advise of pedagogue Jan Ligthart her parents decided to give her primary "classroom" education. In between 1915-1920 she was educated, together with several other children her age, in a small class at her house. Queen Wilhelmina herself taught religion. Since the constitution required that princess Juliana would be able to succeed her mother at minimum the age of 18, the speed of Juliana's education wass different from other children. After 5 years of primary education Juliana started to receive private lessons at College Level. On the April 30th, 1927, Princess Juliana came of age by constitutional-law.
Princes Juliana studied in Leiden from 1927 to 1930. Juliana graduates with honours, in litterature After Princss Juliana's garduation she did not directly get involved in matters of state, but was present as representative on official occasions. After the death of her father in1934 Princess Juliana succeeded her father as head of the Dutch red Cross.
Meanwhile the government was worried about Juliana remaining unmarried. These worries were over when Juliana married on the 7th of January 1937 with the German prince Bernard Leopold Frederik Everhard Julius Coert Karel Godfried Pieter von Lippe-Biesterfeld. By royal decree, dated 8 January 1937, it was determined officially that any children will have "Van Oranje-Nassau" as their last names. A wing of palace "Soestdijk" was newly decorated as a gift of the people, and the prince and princes settled here. Prince Bernhard and princess Juliana had four daughters which are all born before she succeeds her mother: Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard (31 January 1938), Irene Emma Elisabeth (5 August 1939), Margriet Francisca (19 January 1943) and Maria Christina (18 February 1947). Princes Maria Christina was partially blind, due to Juliana being infected with rubella during the pregnancy. Prince Bernhard also had three bastard-children. Two boys with Ann Orr Lewis, his lover in London and a girl, Alexia, with Hlne Grinda-Lejeune.
When the Germans invade Holland in 1940, Queen Wilhelmina and theroyal family fled to London, Juliana travels on to Canada where she settled in Ottawa. She remains here until the end of the war. Prince Bernhard remained with Queen Wilhelmina in London as officer on special duty. He was promoted to honorary general of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and got control of the collective Dutch resistance and the Dutch army in 1944. He was present, in this role, when the Germans capitulated in May 1945. After the war Juliana based herself in Breda, and coordinated an aid program for the northern provinces, which suffered tremendously under the "hunger-winter" of '44-'45. Queen Wilhelmina abdicated from the throne on the 2nd of September 1948 and is succeeded by Juliana two days later. Her simplicity and humanitarian attitude make her very loved with the Dutch people.
The first year of Queen Juliana's rule, her attention was mostly taken up by the Indonesian Conflict. In 1949 Juliana handed over sovereignty of Indonesia. She ratified in 1954 the "Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands", the base articles of association and cooperation of the three remaining parts of the kingdom; the Netherlands, Suriname, and the Dutch Antilles. After Indonesia, Suriname separates in 1975, and the Queen acknowledged the republic of Suriname in that same year
Twice during Juliana's rule a crisis occurred, which could have had serious influence on the monarchy. The first was the case Greet Hofmans, the second the Lockheed-affaire, which involved prince Bernhard. The marriages of her daughters Irena (1964) and Beatrix (1966) cause some turmoil.
The state of princes Marijke (Christina) was continuous concern for both Juliana and Bernhard. Bernhard initiated the help of medium/prayer-healer Greet Hofmans in 1948. Her presence at the court in Palace Soestdijk resulted in a major crisis. In several German and American papers articles appeared about Greet Hofmans being consulted, for several years regarding the visual problems of Prinses Marijke. Hofmans would have gained an considerable amount of influence within the court. The pacifistic opinions of Juliana would have been strengthened by Greet Hofmans. Bernhard lost his confidence in the healer but Juliana continued trusting her and the court is divided in two parts. Three ministers investigate the cause of the foreign publications, break up the relations between the Royal house and Greet Hofmans and reorganize the royal household. The lack of information on this affair is often referred to as self-censorship of the press.
In 1976 Juliana was presented with the Lockheed-affair. The affaire starts in February with the serious accusation, of the President of the American aeroplane manufacturer Lockheed: Prince Bernhard would have received a total sum of 1,2 million dollar in bribes to advocate the purchase of (amongst others) the Starfighter F104. Bernhard denied all charges. Juliana threatened to resign if the inquiries would proceed, the Government "Den Uyl" concluded that the prince behaved in an inappropriate and unacceptable way. The prince had to resign from all functions that caused this confusion and could have been seen as conflicts of interest. The prince was also accused of being a member of the German SS before the war. By interference of the state security council this investigation is stopped.
Juliana was very good informed on all matters of state and used her influence accordingly and where necessary. She was not afraid to give her opinion which causes occasional tension with the government. In 1952 she threatened with resignation while insisting on the pardon of Willy Lages (WWII collaborator and war-criminal). Since 1950 she was resisting further executions of war-criminals. In 1950 she pardons the Germans Kotlla, Aus der Funten and Fischer, (These together with Willy Lages became known as the 4, 3 and 2 of Breda after their respective deaths). The pardons from death to life sentence results in a turmoil within the government and the people and of course the Jewish community.
As Queen, Juliana was very much involved in social welfare, this showed in her visits to hospitals, revalidation centres, sanatoria, pensioners homes and children's hospitals, In the night of the 31st January onto 1st February 1953 the provinces of Zeeland and South-Holland were flooded. The Queen made herself strong for obtaining international aid for victims and visited the area continuously for days. Internationally she focused on third-world-countries, refugee problems and child-care.
On the 31st of January 1980 Queen Juliana announced on television that she would abdicate the throne on the 30th of April and will be succeeded by her daughter Beatrix. Juliana's social concern did not diminish in the years to follow. Due to issues with her health the princess (now 90+) lived fully secluded and does not appear in public anymore.She Passed away on March 30th, 2004 at the age of 94 and is set wit the rest of the royal family in the " Nieuwe Kerk"