The Royal House of the Netherlands has released several new photos of Princess Beatrix, with her sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren, to mark her 80th birthday on 31 January 2018.
Photographer Jeroen van der Meyde took these images at Drakensteyn Castle in Lage Vuursche, including one of the former Queen with her black labrador.
However, Princess Beatrix will celebrate the day privately with family and friends but she will host a party at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam on Saturday, 3 February.
Princess Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld’s eldest daughter, was born on 31 January 1938 in the Soestdijk Palace in Baarn.
She has three younger sisters: Irene (born 5 August 1939), Margriet (born 19 January 1943) and Christina (born 8 February 1947).
World War II broke out in the Netherlands on 10 May 1940 so the Dutch Royal Family evacuated to London three days later.
However, the family were split up when Queen Juliana took Princesses Beatrix and Irene to Ottawa, Canada, whilst her maternal grandmother Queen Wilhelmina and her father Bernhard remained in London.
She attended nursery and primary school whilst in Canada and continued her education at De Werkplaats, Kees Boek’s progressive school in Bilthoven.
The royal family returned to the Netherlands on 2 August 1945, three months after the Germans surrendered.
Princess Beatrix completed her education at the Baarns Lyceum where she passed her school-leaving exams in art subjects and classics in 1956.
She continued her education at Leiden University, attending lectures in sociology, jurisprudence, economics, parliamentary history, constitutional law, international affairs and international law and history. Princess Beatrix graduated in 1961.
Princess Beatrix was Queen of the Netherlands for 33 years, from 1980 until her abdication in 2013. On 30 April 2013, Princess Beatrix was succeeded by her eldest son Willem-Alexander.
She celebrated her Silver Jubilee on 30 April 2005.
Princess Beatrix still carries out official duties on the royal family’s behalf and still has many opportunities to meet members of the public.
Princess Beatrix married German diplomat Claus von Amsberg on 10 March 1966. They had three sons, King Willem-Alexander, Prince Johan Friso, who died in 2013, and Prince Constantijn.
Sadly Claus died on 6 October 2005, after they were happily married for 39 years.
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