Royal Profile: Princess M. Christina of The Netherlands

Princess Maria Christina of The Netherlands was born 18 February 1947 as the youngest of four daughters born to Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld {Source}. She has three older full sisters, and two younger paternal half-sisters:

1.  Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands (1938)
1. Prince Claus of The Netherlands (d. 2004)
1. King Williem-Alexander of The Netherlands
1. Queen Maxima
   1. Princess Catharina-Amalia of Oranje (2003)
   2. Princess Alexia of The Netherlands (2005)
   3. Princess Ariane of The Netherlands (2007)
2. Prince Constantijn of The Netherlands
1. Princess Laurentien of The Netherlands
1. Countess Eloise of Oranje-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg (2002)
2. Count Claus-Casimir of Oranje-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg (2004)
3. Countess Leonore of Oranje-Nassau,, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg (2006)
3. Prince Friso of The Netherlands
1. Princess Mabel van Oranje-Nassau
1. Countess Emma Luana van Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg (2005)
2. Countess Joanna Zaria van Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg (2006)
2. Princess Irene of The Netherlands (1939)
1. Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma and Piacenza
1. Prince Carlo, Duke of Parma (1970)
1. Princess Annemarie, Duchess of Parma (1977)
1. Carlos Klynstra de Bourbon-Parme (illegitimate, 1997, stepson of Annemarie)
2. Princess Luisa of Bourbon-Parma (2012)
3. Princess Cecilia of Bourbon-Parma (2013)
4. Prince Carlos Enrique, Hereditary Prince of Bourbon-Parma (2016)
2. Princess Margarita Maria Beatriz of Bourbon-Parma, Countess of Colorno (1972)
1. Edwin Karel Willem de Roy van Zuydewijn (m 2001-2006)
2. Tjalling Siebe ten Cate (1975, m. 2008-)
1. Julia Carolina Catharina ten Cate (2008)
2. Paola Cecilia Laurentien ten Cate (2011)
3. Prince Jaime Bernardo of Bourbon-Parma, Count of Bardi (1972)
1. Princess Viktoria of Bourbon-Parma, Countess of Bardi (1982, m 2013)
1. Princess Zita Clara of Bourbon-Parma (2014)
2. Princess Gloria Irene of Bourbon-Parma (2016)
4. Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Parma, Marchioness of Sala (1974)
1. Albert Alphons Ludgerus Brenninkmeijer (m. 2012)
1. Miss Alaïa-Maria Irene Cécile Brenninkmeijer (2014)
2. Master Xavier Albert Alphons Brenninkmeijer (2015)
3. Princess Margriet Francisca of The Netherlands (1943)
1. Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven
1. Prince Maurits van Oranje-Nassau (1968
1. Princess Marilène van Oranje-Nassau (1970, m. 1998) 
2. Anastasia (Anna) Margriet Joséphine van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven (2001)
3. Lucas Maurits Pieter Henri van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven (2002)
4. Felicia Juliana Benedicte Barbara van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven ( 2005)
2. Prince Bernhard van Oranje-Nassau (1969)
1. Princess Annette van Oranje-Nassau (1972, m. 2000)
1. Isabella Lily Juliana van Vollenhoven (2002)
2. Samuel Bernhard Louis van Vollenhoven (2004)
3. Benjamin Pieter Floris van Vollenhoven (2008)
3. Prince Pieter-Christiaan van Oranje-Nassau  (1972)
1. Princess Anita van Oranje-Nassau (1969, m. 2005) 
1. Emma Francisca Catharina van Vollenhoven (2006)
2. Pieter Anton Maurits Erik van Vollenhoven (2008)
4. Prince Floris van Oranje-Nassau (1975) 
1. Princess Aimée van Oranje-Nassau (1977, m. 2005) 
1. Magali Margriet Eleonoor van Vollenhoven (2007)
2. Eliane Sophia Carolina van Vollenhoven (2009)
3. Willem Jan Johannes Pieter Floris van Vollenhoven (2013)
4. Alicia de Bielefeld (1952, mother unknown)
5. Alexia Benedicte Irina Manuella Olivia Grinda (1967, mother is  Hélène Grinda)

 

Princess Christina married Jorg Perez y Guillermo and together they have the following children, children-in-law and grandchildren:

1. Bernardo Federico Tomás Guillermo (1977)
1. Eva Marie Valdez Guillermo (1979, m 2009)
1. Isabel Christina Guillermo (2009)
2. Julián Jorge Guillermo (2011)
2. Nicolás Daniel Mauricio Guillermo (1979)
3. Juliana Edenia Antonia Guillermo (1981)

She and Jorge divorced in 1996.

At the time of her birth, she was fifth in line. She renounced her rights to the throne and for her descendants upon her marriage and conversion to Roman Catholicism.

She was baptized in October 1947 with the following as her godparents {Source}:

• Queen Wilhelmina (maternal grandmother)
• Princess Beatrix (eldest sister)
• Winston Churchill (for whom her father stood proxy)
• Princess Armgard (paternal grandmother)
• Felix, Prince Consort of Luxembourg 
•  Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma

During pregnancy, her mother had contracted German measles and as a result, Christina was born nearly blind. Over time, advances in medicine allowed for treatments that, with the aid of special glasses, brought about an improvement in her vision so that she could attend school and live a relatively normal life {Source}.


Despite her initial handicap, Christina was a bright and happy child, with a considerable talent for music. She recorded several CDs and has a Music Foundation in the Netherlands. She sang at her parents’ funerals, and participated in a tribute concert that the CIMA Festival held in Italy for Queen Juliana, under the direction of Jorge Chaminé. She also had a capacity for languages and as a young girl delighted the visiting President of the French Republic, René Coty, by conversing fluently with him in French. Like her sisters, Christina joined the Scouts as a young girl.
Since her mother's death, she has lived in London and in Monte Argentario, Italy.