Beatrix of the Netherlands
Early life
Early life
----------

Princess Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard was born on 31 January 1938 at [Soestdijk Palace](/wiki/Soestdijk_Palace "Soestdijk Palace") in [Baarn](/wiki/Baarn "Baarn"), Netherlands, as the first child of [Princess Juliana of the Netherlands](/wiki/Princess_Juliana_of_the_Netherlands "Princess Juliana of the Netherlands") and her husband, [Prince Bernhard of Lippe\-Biesterfeld](/wiki/Prince_Bernhard_of_Lippe-Biesterfeld "Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld").[Youth](http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=18162) . The Dutch Royal House. Retrieved on 2008\-07\-11\. Beatrix was [baptised](/wiki/Baptised "Baptised") on 12 May 1938 in the [Great Church](/wiki/Grote_of_Sint-Jacobskerk_%28The_Hague%29 "Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk (The Hague)") in [The Hague](/wiki/The_Hague "The Hague"). [Geschiedenis](http://www.grotekerkdenhaag.nl/index.cfm/grote-kerk-den-haag/grote-kerk/geschiedenis) , Grote Kerk Den Haag. Retrieved on 2012\-05\-15\. Her five godparents were [King Leopold III of Belgium](/wiki/King_Leopold_III_of_Belgium "King Leopold III of Belgium"); [Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone](/wiki/Princess_Alice%2C_Countess_of_Athlone "Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone"); Beatrix's maternal great\-great\-aunt [Elisabeth, Princess of Erbach\-Schönberg](/wiki/Princess_Elisabeth_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont "Princess Elisabeth of Waldeck and Pyrmont"); her paternal great\-uncle [Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg](/wiki/Duke_Adolf_Friedrich_of_Mecklenburg "Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg"); and [Countess Allene de Kotzebue](/wiki/Allene_Tew "Allene Tew").[De vijf peetouders van prinses Beatrix](http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/?/en/items/KONB05:1299). The Memory of the Netherlands. Retrieved on 2008\-07\-11\. Beatrix's middle names are the first names of her grandmothers, [Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands](/wiki/Queen_Wilhelmina_of_the_Netherlands "Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands") and [Armgard, Princess Bernhard of Lippe\-Biesterfeld](/wiki/Armgard_von_Cramm "Armgard von Cramm").

When Beatrix was one year old, in 1939, her younger sister [Princess Irene](/wiki/Princess_Irene_of_the_Netherlands "Princess Irene of the Netherlands") was born.

[thumb\|upright\|Beatrix and Irene on board the *Piet Hein* in 1946](/wiki/File:Prinses_Beatrix%2C_prinses_Irene_en_prinses_Juliana_kijken_naar_voorbij_varende_sc%2C_Bestanddeelnr_255-7629_%28crop%29.jpg "Prinses Beatrix, prinses Irene en prinses Juliana kijken naar voorbij varende sc, Bestanddeelnr 255-7629 (crop).jpg")
[World War II](/wiki/World_War_II "World War II") broke out in the Netherlands on 10 May 1940 ([Westfeldzug](/wiki/Westfeldzug "Westfeldzug")). On 13 May, the [Dutch Royal Family](/wiki/Dutch_Royal_Family "Dutch Royal Family") evacuated to [London](/wiki/London "London"), United Kingdom. One month later, Beatrix went to [Ottawa](/wiki/Ottawa "Ottawa"), Ontario, Canada, with her mother Juliana and her sister Irene, while her father Bernhard and maternal grandmother Queen Wilhelmina remained in London. The family lived at the [Stornoway residence](/wiki/Stornoway_residence "Stornoway residence") (now the residence of the [Leader of the Opposition](/wiki/Leader_of_the_Opposition "Leader of the Opposition") in the Parliament of Canada). With bodyguards and ladies in waiting, the family summered at Bigwin Inn on [Lake of Bays, Ontario](/wiki/Lake_of_Bays%2C_Ontario "Lake of Bays, Ontario"), where four private stone cottages of the resort served as their retreat. While on [Bigwin Island](/wiki/Bigwin_Island "Bigwin Island"), the constitution of the Netherlands was stored in the safe of Bigwin Inn's rotunda building. Princess Juliana and her family were remembered for their "down to earth" friendliness, general gratefulness and great reverence for their homeland and people, to whom they paid homage by refraining from all luxuries offered to guests at the resort that was once billed as the largest and most luxurious summer resort in Canada. To provide them with a greater sense of security, culinary chefs and staff catered to personal orders at meal time. Upon their departure, the hotel musicians of the Bigwin Inn Orchestra assembled dockside; and at every public performance afterward through to the end of World War II, the *[Wilhelmus](/wiki/Wilhelmus "Wilhelmus")* was played. In the years following the shuttering and neglect of the island resort, the "Juliana" cottages were well maintained and preserved in an informal tribute to Princess Juliana and her family. In thanks for the protection of her and her daughters, Princess Juliana established the custom of delivery to the Canadian government every spring of tulips, which is the centrepiece of the [Canadian Tulip Festival](/wiki/Canadian_Tulip_Festival "Canadian Tulip Festival").

The second sister of Beatrix, [Princess Margriet](/wiki/Princess_Margriet "Princess Margriet"), was born in Ottawa in 1943\. During their exile in Canada, Beatrix attended nursery and[Education](http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=18163) . The Dutch Royal House. Retrieved on 2008\-07\-11\. [Rockcliffe Park Public School](/wiki/Rockcliffe_Park_Public_School "Rockcliffe Park Public School"), a primary school where she was known as "Trixie Orange".

On 5 May 1945, the German troops in the Netherlands surrendered. The family returned to the Netherlands on 2 August 1945\. Beatrix went to the progressive primary school *De Werkplaats* in [Bilthoven](/wiki/Bilthoven "Bilthoven") run by [pacifist](/wiki/Pacifist "Pacifist") social reformers [Kees Boeke](/wiki/Kees_Boeke "Kees Boeke") and [Beatrice Boeke\-Cadbury](/wiki/Beatrice_Boeke-Cadbury "Beatrice Boeke-Cadbury"). Her third sister [Princess Christina](/wiki/Princess_Christina_of_the_Netherlands "Princess Christina of the Netherlands") was born in 1947\. On 6 September 1948, her mother succeeded her grandmother Wilhelmina as Queen of the Netherlands. Since she had no brothers, Beatrix became the [heiress presumptive](/wiki/Heiress_presumptive "Heiress presumptive") to the Dutch throne at the age of ten.


How did Princess Juliana's family establish a connection with Canada during their exile?