Books on Dutch Royals

[Lucien]

It's been quiete in this department over the past year,but this month an "avalange" (5) of books is to be published by dutch authors.

One of the most interesting is the one by author Reinildus van Ditzhuyzen on the life and times of Juliana von Stolberg,mother of William the Silent;
"Deine getreuwe Mutter allezeit".The autor had access to the Stolberg family archieves and private collections of paintings and portraits,so many of
the images have never been published before.It is a german edition btw,which means in this case that it's written both in german and dutch.

On oct.18th HRH Princess Máxima will receive the first copy of "The Pearls and the Crown,the Royal House and the Colonies" published by Gert Oostindië,
director of the Royal Institute of Language & Anthropology.

"Hortense,the forgotten Queen of Holland" will be published on oct.23rd,author Thera Coppens gives a very detailed and intimate view on the life of this
"first Queen of Holland" (who actually only stayed 4 months here...).

Peter v/d Vorst,dutch rag journalist,tv commentator...(and disliked by Prince W-A) wrote;"The Oranges,just like ordinary people",
and that is to be published on oct.25th.

And today "Operation Nature",a tribute to the Nature preservation life of Prince Bernhard,will be published highlighting 12 of the extensive journeys the
late Prince made on behalve of the World Wildlife Fund,of which he was co-founder and President of the International WWF and president of the dutch
branch for decades(1961-2004).All in all 240 pages of interesting reading material and near 800 pictures.

 

[Lucien]

The new and extensive book on Soestdijk Palace and its inhabitants throughout the centuries was presented at Soestdijk Palace today.
Prof.mr.Pieter van Vollenhoven received the first copy.Pieter is married to the third child,HRH Princess Margriet,of the late Queen Juliana
and Prince Bernhard who lived at the Palace since 1937 till they both died in 2004.Since 2006 it is open as a museum and as such will
remain open throughout 2010,after which it is not certain what the Palace will be used for.It doesn´t belong to the RF,Queen Juliana
sold it to the State in 1971.

http://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=27-02-2009%20Baarn

courtesy ppe

[Lucien]

An extensive book on highly respected and loved Pieter van Vollenhoven,husband of Princess Margriet,will be published soon.
http://gpdhome.typepad.com/boeken_royalblognl/2009/03/boeiend-leven-van-pieter-van-vollenhoven-te-boek-gesteld.html

As will this book;"The Knight and the Grandduchess",on the "Art and Lives of King Willem II and Queen Anna Pavlovna":
http://gpdhome.typepad.com/boeken_royalblognl/2009/03/het-leven-van-de-ridder-en-de-grootvorstin-beschreven.html

courtesy hja

[Lucien]

This month sees an avalange of books on the Dutch Royal Family.

There's ;" Impressions on a fascinating life - Prof.mr.Pieter van Vollenhoven",

not exactly a ' bible' on one of the most revered Royals here,he is married to Princess Margriet,but a funny
book of anecdotes on occasion of his 70th birthday on april 30th.


" The Royal Photo album - The Oranges in pictures in the 20th century" with loads of lovely and interesting pics.
http://gpdhome.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c648253ef01156f23d3f7970c-pi


" Juliana '',on occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late Queen,Queen Beatrix will open an exhibition
at Het Loo Palace,Juliana's childhood home,on what used to be her birthday,april 30th.
This book goes with the exhibition:
http://gpdhome.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c648253ef01156f1dddf6970c-pi 

" Soestdijk Palace - Three centuries of Orange - Nassaus ",is a absolute must,a "Bible" on the Family.
http://gpdhome.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c648253ef01156f1dde43970c-pi


And some more.

The one on Maxima called The Argentinian Years was burned down bu both press as well as public since it contains more errors
,most annoying factual errors,then any other book previously publushid on the Royals.In fact the book is not worth of being called
that,but publicity is publicity so it is a numero two bestseller anyway.tells a lot on the sort of people who buy that crap,
the rag generation.

http://gpdhome.typepad.com/boeken_royalblognl/2009/04/april-2009-is-spectaculaire-oranje-boekenmaand.html

courtesy hja

[Lucien]

Not just books but also TV series are plenty.A brandnew serie on Prince Bernhard starts tomorrow,monday:' Scoundrel of Orange".That says about all.Still,we miss this "scoundrel" tho.The author,Thomas Ross,had to skip so much he could have easily written other volumes and scripts for more series.

Dutch actor Daan Schuurmans as young Bernhard and Eric Schneider as the older scoundrel of Orange:

http://gpdhome.typepad.com/boeken_royalblognl/2010/01/zo-flitsend-was-tv-drama-over-oranjes-niet-eerder.html

Dutch Grande Dame of the stage Ellen Vogel is a formidable older Juliana:

http://gpdhome.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c648253ef0128766c98a0970c-pi

courtesy hja

[Lucien]

A book by author Annejet van Zijl on the late Prince Bernhard sheds a light on the German years,and the why he married Princess Juliana,
and does away with myths and unfounded stories on the Prince before WWII and gives clues to his life after WWII.A rascal more then a hero.
A very thorough piece of work that was presented at Soestdijk Palace last week,the residence of the late Queen Julianan and Prince Bernhard.

Annejet van Zijl;" Bernhard,the German years"

http://www.royalimages.nl/search.pp?mailingid=18129&savesearch=1&flush=1

courtesy royalimages

The discussion it caused on the BRMB.It became very clear that the late Prince was adicted to his own mythe.How he got to that?
We did that.In the pre-war years we could do with a fairy-tale for a Princess that was almost an"spinster",There was Bernhard,
what we,and the RF,needed,a fairytale Prince.But if there was one woman he loved,truly loved,then that was his mother Armgard
who had been scheming and coniving with Hermine,Willy's second wife,in meddling this match.

As he presented himself to Queen Wilhelmina and Princess Juliana in Garmisch Partenkirchen in the 1936 winter Olympics,
he was given card blanche,no critisism ever,and he,the spoiled german boy,lived up to that image.And what's more,
he saved his mommy from bankruptcy in the process,alweays short of fund from living way above her station.
Once married,and certainly after WWII,successive governments enabled him to go on numerous foreign missions on behalve of the dutch
corporate world.He was good at that tho.His eldest daughter is cited once as saying;"We only saw him if we needed a new deux piece".
Once a Queen,in 1980,she curtailed her fathers priveliges to a minimum to stop the exorbitant spending he was used to.

[JamesAPrattIII]

Some books:
Queen Juliana by William Hoffman a bio of her
The Art of Staying Neutral Martje M Abbenuis (the netherlnads in WW I
The Netherlands and World War I Hubert p Van Tuyll

sites:
dutcheastindies.com on the Dutch east indies campaign 1941-42
Netherlands east indies army
axis history forum.com for more information on WW I & II
netherlandsnavy.nl for information on the ships of the Royal nehterlands navy in the section Java class cruisers the are a picture of Wilhelmina and Juliana and a picture of Wilhelmina.

[JamesAPrattIII]

Wilhelmina wrote her memoirs titled "Lonely but not alone"
There is picture of her on horseback in the heritage of the great war website article "A Neutral army prepares for war"

[Lucien]

A new book,by Jolande Withuis,a rather unknown author..and individual..,a biographie on Queen Juliana as it is called,was published this week.
By a "scientist" as the cover says...Giving the impression that it must be wellwrought and that the author must have had access to the Royal Archives...Not true!!...

Besides the old ad nauseam stuff of the hofmans affaire en the Lockheed affair...of which one wonders what it adds to the biographie except that it fills pages.It also goes quasi in dept on the relationship between Juliana and Bernhard.So much so that much of it is simply suggestion,way besides the thruth.It caused HRH Princess Irene,2nd daughter of Juliana and Bernhard to express that she is deeply hurt by the concoction that is called a book and the allegations,and just that,on the family's life at Soestdijk Palace,stated without one simple fact.The Princess didn't want to say what her sisters and other family members thought of it and wished to keep her comment to her own opinion.

Rag.

[JamesAPrattIII]

The book "Last hope Island" Lynne Olson which deals with European goverment's in has a fine account of Queen Wilhelmina during this period.

[Joanna]

Erik Hazelhoff was a close friend of the royal family. His book 'Soldier of Orange' gives details of Queen Wilhelmina during the war years and liberation.

Joanna