Royal Profile: 50 Facts about Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands

1. Princess Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard of The Netherlands was born at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn on 31 January 1938 as the first child of Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard{Source}. 
2. At her birth, she held the titles of Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau and Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld{Source}. 
3. She has three younger sisters:
1. Princess Irene of The Netherlands (1939)
2. Princess Margriet of The Netherlands (1943)
3. Princess Christina of The Netherlands (1947)
4. Princess Beatrix also has a former brother-in-law and a current brother-in law:
1. Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma and Piacenza (1930-2010, m. 1964-1981, div)
2. Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven (m. 1967)
3. Jorge Pérez y Guillermo (1946, m. 1975, div 1996)
5. Her nephews are:
1. Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma (1970)
2. Prince Maurits van Oranje-Nassau (1968)
3. Prince Bernhard van Oranje-Nassau (1969)
4. Prince Jaime Bernardo of Bourbon-Parma, Count of Bardi (1972)
5. Prince Pieter-Christiaan van Oranje-Nassau (1972)
6. Prince Floris van Oranje-Nassau (1975) 
7. Bernardo Federico Tomás Guillermo (1977)
8. Nicolás Daniel Mauricio Guillermo (1979)
6. Her nieces in law are:
1. Princess Annemarie of Bourbon-Parma, Duchess of Parma (1977)
2. Princess Viktoria of Bourbon-Parma, Countess of Bardi (197)
3. Princess Marilène van Oranje-Nassau (1970, m. 1998) 
4. Princess Annette van Oranje-Nassau (1972, m. 2000)
5. Princess Anita van Oranje-Nassau (1969, m. 2005) 
6. Princess Aimée van Oranje-Nassau (1977, m. 2005) 
7. Eva Marie Valdez Guillermo (1979, m 2009)
7. Her nieces are:
1. Princess Margarita Maria Beatriz of Bourbon-Parma, Countess of Colorno (1972)
2. Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Parma, Marchioness of Sala (1974)
3. Juliana Edenia Antonia Guillermo (1981)
8. Her former and current nephews-in-law are:
1. Edwin Karel Willem de Roy van Zuydewijn (m 2001-2006)
2. Tjalling Siebe ten Cate (1975, m. 2008-)
3. Albert Alphons Ludgerus Brenninkmeijer (m. 2012)
9. Her great nephews are:
1. Carlos Klynstra de Bourbon-Parme (illegitimate, 1997, stepson of Annemarie)
2. Lucas Maurits Pieter Henri van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven (2002)
3. Samuel Bernhard Louis van Vollenhoven (2004)
4. Benjamin Pieter Floris van Vollenhoven (2008)
5. Pieter Anton Maurits Erik van Vollenhoven (2008)
6. Julián Jorge Guillermo (2011)
7. Willem Jan Johannes Pieter Floris van Vollenhoven (2013)
8. Xavier Albert Alphons Brenninkmeijer (2015)
9. Prince Carlos Enrique, Hereditary Prince of Bourbon-Parma (2016)
10. Her great nieces are:
1. Anastasia (Anna) Margriet Joséphine van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven (2001)
2. Isabella Lily Juliana van Vollenhoven (2002)
3. Felicia Juliana Benedicte Barbara van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven (2005)
4. Emma Francisca Catharina van Vollenhoven (2006)
5. Magali Margriet Eleonoor van Vollenhoven (2007)
6. Julia Carolina Catharina ten Cate (2008)
7. Eliane Sophia Carolina van Vollenhoven (2009)
8. Isabel Christina Guillermo (2009)
9. Paola Cecilia Laurentien ten Cate (2011)
10. Princess Luisa of Bourbon-Parma (2012)
11. Princess Cecilia of Bourbon-Parma (2013)
12. Princess Zita Clara of Bourbon-Parma (2014)
13. Alaïa-Maria Irene Cécile Brenninkmeijer (2014)
14. Princess Gloria Irene of Bourbon-Parma (2016)
11. In May 1940, she and her family fled to the United Kingdom during the outbreak of WWII {Source}.
12.  Her father and grandmother remained in England, while she, her mother and younger sister continued on to Canada where they would be safer{Source}. 
13. Her second younger sister, Princess Margriet, was born in Canada in 1943{Source}. 
14. In August 1945, the entire family returned to The Netherlands{Source}. 
15. Her youngest sister, Princess Christina was born in The Netherlands in 1947{Source}. 
16. The future Queen of The Netherlands attended schools in Canada, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, France and Belgium {Source}. 
17. While residing in Canada during WWII, she began attending nursery and primary school{Source}. 
18. Upon her return to The Netherlands in 1945, she attended De Weklplaats, Kees Boeke's Progressive School {Source}.
19.  In April 1950, she entered the Incrementum, part of the Baarns Lyceum, where she passed her school-leaving examinations in arts subjects and classics in 1956{Source}. 
20. After passing her school-leaving exams, she began attending Leiden University, where she was a member of the Leiden Women Students' Association{Source}.
21.  In her first years at university, she attended lectures in sociology, jurisprudence, economics, parliamentary history and constitutional law{Source}. 
22. Later she also attended lectures on the cultures of Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles, the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, international affairs, international law, history and European law{Source}.
23. In the summer of 1959, she passed her preliminary examination in law{Source}.
24. While at university, the Princess visited various European and international organisations in Geneva, Strasbourg, Paris and Brussels{Source}. 
25. In 1961 she obtained a combined degree in law and other subjects, including sociology and economics{Source}.
26. On 28 June 1965, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard announced the engagement of Princess Beatrix and the German diplomat Claus von Amsberg in radio and television broadcasts{Source}. 
27. Before the wedding could take place, parliament had to be asked for permission and in autumn 1965, the two houses of parliament passed a bill consenting to the marriage, and granted Claus von Amsberg Dutch citizenship {Source}.
28.  Princess Beatrix married Claus von Amsberg on 10 March 1966{Source}.
29.  On the same day, Claus von Amsberg received the title of Prince of the Netherlands and the designation Jonkheer van Amsberg{Source}. 
30. The royal couple took up residence in Drakensteyn Castle in Lage Vuursche, where the Princess had lived since 1963{Source}. 
31. They lived at Drakensteyn Castle until 1981, when they moved into Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague{Source}.
32.  Since her abdication, Princess Bearix has resided back at Drakensteyn Castle{Source}.
33. Together, they have three sons{Source}:
1. King Williem-Alexander (1967)
2. Prince Friso of The Netherlands (1968-2013)
3. Prince Constantijn of The Netherlands (1969)
34. They have three daughters-in-law:
1. Queen Maximia
2. Princess Mabel van Oranje-Nassau
3. Princess Laurentien of The Netherlands
35. They have 7 granddaughters:
1. Countess Eloise of Oranje-Nassau (2002)
2. Princess Catharina-Amalia of Orange (2003)
3. Countess Luana of Oranje-Nassau (2005)
4. Princess Alexia of The Netherlands (2005)
5. Countess Leonore of Oranje-Nassau (2006)
6. Princess Ariane of The Netherlands (2007)
7. Countess Zaria of Oranje-Nassau (2007)
36. Princess Beatrix & Prince Claus have one grandson:
1. Count Claus-Casimir of Oranje-Nassau (2004)
37. Her godchildren are:
1. Princess Margarita Maria Beatriz of Bourbon-Parma, Countess of Colorno (1972)
2. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (1977)
38. Princess Beatrix is a 3rd cousin of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, they are both greatx3 grandchildren of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont.
39. The former Dutch Queen is related to Queen Elizabeth II as a 5th cousin.
40. The former queen and current queen are said to have a warm close relationship, and often visit each other. 
41. Queen Beatrix was made a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1982 
42. The former queen was also a stranger Lady of the Most Noble Order Of The Garter in 1989.
43. She started an "abdication trend" {Source}
1. Pope Benedict XVI in March 2013.
2. King Albert II of The Belgians abdicated in July 2013.
3. King Juan Carlos I of Spain abdicated in June 2014.
44. Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands is named:
1. Beatrix: Likely a name her parents liked
2. Wilhelmina: her maternal grandmoter
3. Armgard: her paternal grandmother
45. At the time of her abdication at age 75, Beatrix was the oldest reigning monarch of the Netherlands in the country's history.
46. Her five godparents were:
1.  King Leopold III of Belgium
2. Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
3. Elisabeth, Princess of Erbach-Schönberg
4. Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg
5. Countess Allene de Kotzebue
47. She shares a birthday with Tommaso Janssens.
48. On 30 April 2009, the Queen and other members of the royal family were targeted in a car attack by a man named Karst Tates {Source}.
49. In 2009, her personal wealth was estimated at US$300 Million{Source}
50. The former Queen of The Netherlands speaks Dutch, French, English and German.