Plaque unveiling in Ottawa

Dutch Royal family celebrates milestone birthdays in Amsterdam

OTTAWA, Ontario - The birthday of the best-known resident of the central Dutch city of Apeldoorn will be marked in Ottawa with a special ceremony at the Civic Campus of the General Hospital. Highlight of the event will be the unveiling of a plaque by Ambassador Karel de Beer of the Netherlands, recognizing the hospital’s staff for keeping the story of the birth of Princess Margriet alive.

Princess Margriet was born at the Ottawa hospital on January 19, 1943. The Dutch royal family was given a safe haven in Ottawa during the Second World War, during much of the period the Netherlands was occupied by the Nazis. To ensure the royal baby’s Dutch citizenship, the Canadian government temporarily ceded the maternity suite at the hospital where she was born. Princess Margriet was therefore born a Dutch citizen on Dutch soil.

Princess Margriet who marks her 65th, celebrates her birthday together with her sister Beatrix’s who was born January 31, 1938. The Royal family celebrates the birthdays with the nation on February 1, at the Royal Carré Theatre in Amsterdam. A summary of the celebration will be shown on Dutch TV the following day.

Princess Margriet has represented Queen Beatrix on many official occasions, and also serves on the boards of a variety of health, social welfare and cultural organizations. She maintains close links with the Dutch merchant marine and the Royal Canadian Legion and chairs the standing commission of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent.