h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was surprised to learn yesterday (April 31) that Queen Juliana of the Netherlands died March 20th.

Queen Juliana spent a good part of the War years here in Ottawa, and her daughter Margriet was born in the Civic Hospital. The Canadian government of the day declared Queen Juliana's rooms at the hospital Dutch territory so that the baby would have Dutch citizenship, and not dual.

Juliana was a remarkably modest person who shunned the usual "perks" of royal life. She was known as "the bicycling monarch", who did her own shopping and sent her children went to public school, here in Canada, and state school in the Netherlands.

In her gratitude, and the gratitude of the Dutch people, to Canada for giving the family sanctuary and the efforts of Canadian soldiers in Holland during WWII, a bequest of tulips is given to Canada. Every year, Ottawa is abloom with tulips which symbolize the bold between Canada and the Netherlands.

In 1980, Juliana abdicated in favor of her daughter Beatrix, taking the title Princess to signify her position as "subject" to her daughter.

After a fall at a friend's home during which she broke her hip, she was rarely seen in public.

Her daughter Christina, as per Juliana's wishes, sang "'Tis a Gift to Be Simple" at her funeral service.



Wikipedia bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliana_of_the_Netherlands#Exile

Thank you, that's interesting

Indeed, a monarch who truely had the common touch, but was no less regal for it. Imagine Liz biking down to the shops to pick up milk, tea, bread, and eggs.