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Profile of the Day: Juliana of the Netherlands

Do you have Dutch ancestry? On this day in 1909, Juliana of the Netherlands  was born. She reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until her abdication in 1980.

Image: Juliana of the Netherlands / Nationaal Archief

Born in the Hague, Juliana was the only child of Dutch monarch Queen Wihelmina and Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Juliana was the first Dutch royal baby to be born since her mother’s birth in 1880. Her mother had suffered two miscarriages and one still birth, raising the prospect of a succession crisis before Juliana was born.

As her mother’s health began to fail, Juliana began taking over as regent. In 1948, Queen Wihelmina abdicated the throne. She had reined for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch.

Juliana’s reign saw the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies and Suriname and their independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. She reigned for 32 years before abdicating on April 30, 1980 in favor of her eldest daughter, Beatrix.

Julian died on March 20, 2004 several weeks before the 95th birthday. At 94 years old, Juliana was the longest-lived former monarch in the world.

How are you related to Dutch royalty? Explore Juliana of the Netherlands’ family tree on Geni and discover your connection in the World Family Tree.

View Juliana of the Netherlands’s Geni Profile

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Source: Geni.com

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