Princess Christina of the Netherlands

Princess Maria Christina of the Netherlands ( born February 18, 1947 Soestdijk Palace), Princess of Orange- Nassau, Princess of Lippe- Biesterfeld, is the youngest of four daughters of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and her husband Bernhard of Lippe - Biesterfeld.

Life

One of her godparents was Winston Churchill. Her mother had rubella disease under which the princess was born nearly blind during her pregnancy. But over time they could improve their eyesight with special glasses so far that they go to school and could lead a relatively normal life. Despite this disability, she was regarded as an intelligent and cheerful child with a special talent for music. She also learned foreign languages ​​quickly and fell as a little girl during a state visit of French President René Coty thus on that they could converse fluently in French with him.

From 1963 to Princess Marijke primarily used her middle name Christina. She used her talent for music and moved at the age of 21 years to Canada to study classical music in Montreal. After a few years, she took a job at a Montessori school in New York City. Where they led a simple life under the name of Christina of Orange, she met originates in Havana Cuban exile named Jorge Guillermo, a teacher at Addie May Collins Shelter in Harlem.

To avoid a possible scandal in the Netherlands because of its Catholic affiliation, renounced Princess Christina, at this time, the ninth in the Dutch throne, for their and their children's rights to the throne, before she converted to Catholicism and on Valentine's Day of 1975 officially announced their engagement.

On June 28, 1975, the couple married in the Cathedral of Utrecht in the Netherlands and was cheered by thousands in connection Dutch. After his marriage, the couple decided initially to live in New York, but moved in Christina's home, where they built a house in Wassenaar near The Hague later. The marriage produced three children: Bernardo, Nicolas and Juliana Guillermo.

In 1996, Princess Christina divorced and moved with her children again in the United States. After her mother's death she lived partly in London, partly in Monte Argentario, Italy.

As a musician, she recorded several CDs and gave the young Dutch music competition "Princess Christina Competition " her name. She sang at the funeral of her mother and attended a from concerts in Monte Argentario ( CIMA Festival) partially organized memorial concert for Queen Juliana.

Christina's older sister Irene also lost its membership in the royal family and was excluded from the succession, because they had entered into their marriage without the consent of the Dutch Parliament and converted to Catholicism. Besides her oldest sister Beatrix is one of her sisters officially only her sister Margriet of the Dutch Royal House.

Progeny

186674
de