Five Brothers and a War

Prinses Margriet

In anticipation of the royal birth, the Canadian Government declared in December the hospital room in the Civic Hospital where the birth was to occur “extraterritorial” to ensure that the child would not be born a Canadian citizen and British subject. There is a misconception that the Canadian government declared the rooms of the hospital housing Prinses Juliana and her security detail Dutch territory in order to preserve the newly-born princess’s right to ascend to the Dutch throne, but this is not accurate. The reality was that by declaring those rooms in the Ottawa hospital to be Dutch territory, Canada was foregoing the right of a person born in the country to be a Canadian citizen. Thus, the princess could not claim to be Canadian, and Canada could not claim that she was Canadian. Four rooms were set aside for Princess Juliana on the third floor of the Civic Hospital—one room for Princess Juliana, one room for the baby, another for her nurse, and a fourth for a security guard. Fittingly, the rooms overlooked Holland Avenue. The corridor outside of the rooms was also decorated with the Dutch flag. Suffering from mumps and with the birth due anytime, Princess Juliana was admitted to hospital by her physician, Dr. Puddicombe, on Monday, January 18, 1943. Prinses Margriet Francisca, was born the following day. She was named after the marguerite, a daisy-like flower and symbol of Dutch resistance. Prins Bernhard who flew to Ottawa for the birth reported the birth by telephone via Montreal and New York to Koningin Wilhelmina in London. The news was then sent to reporters waiting at Ottawa’s Hotel Château Laurier, and then broadcast around the world.

holland

Two princesses, Beatrix (right) and Irene, welcome their new sister, Prinses Margriet.

Five Brothers and a War

Page 400