Princess Margarita of Bourbon-Parma

Princess Margarita Maria Beatriz of Bourbon-Parma, Countess of Colorno ( _nl. Margarita Maria Beatrix prinses de Bourbon de Parme; born 13 October, 1972) [http://www.gva.be/dossiers/-m/margarita/dossier.asp Dossier in Belgian Newspaper] ] , is the eldest daughter of Princess Irene of the Netherlands and Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma [ [http://www.novatv.nl/index.cfm?ln=nl&fuseaction=artikelen.details&achtergrond_id=1078 Dossier on Nova website (Dutch TV)] ] .

Early life

Born in Nijmegen, she is the twin sister of Prince Jaime. She also has an elder brother, Prince Carlos, and a younger sister, Princess Carolina. Her aunt, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, is one of her godparents.

In 1981 her parents divorced [ [http://www.gva.be/dossiers/-m/margarita/dossier.asp margarita ] ] . Together with her mother and her siblings she moved from Spain to The Netherlands, to live with her grandparents, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld at Baarn. Later she moved to Wijk bij Duurstede. Margarita studied Cultural Anthropology at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam and is an interior decorator.

First marriage and controversy

In 1998 Princess Margarita met Edwin Karel Willem de Roy van Zuydewijn. A civil marriage of the couple took place on 19 June 2001 in Amsterdam [ [http://www.gva.be/dossiers/-m/margarita/dossier.asp Dossier in Belgian Nespaper] ] . Marriage in the Roman Catholic church took place in Auch(France), presided by Ronald Philippe Bär, former bishop of Rotterdam. De Roy van Zuydewijn wasn't trusted by the Royal Family, and the marriage wasn't attended by its higher members. The couple went to live in a castle in Bartas, France, but by 2004 the princess was more often seen in Amsterdam. On 13 August 2004 Margarita's lawyer announced she was filing for a divorce. The official divorce was signed on 8 November 2006.

In 2003 a series of incidents had become known as the "Margarita-affair". [ [http://www.nrc.nl/opinie/article67594.ece Article in NRC] ] In the media, Margarita and her husband accused the Royal House and the Dutch Secret Service of obstructing the affairs of "Fincentives", the company of De Roy van Zuydewijn. They also said their telephone conversations had been tapped. Although there seemed to be truth in these accusations, they ridiculed themselves by adding more preposterous claims and telling tales of private family affairs of the Dutch Royals. [ [http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1438430 English article] ] After it was revealed that the Queen's personal cabinet had indeed ordered an investigation, the right to do so was legally removed from the Queen.

Because of the controversy Princess Margarita was not invited to attend either the marriage of Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima or the funeral of her uncle Prince Claus. However, since the end of her marriage with De Roy van Zuydewijn, the relationship with the royals has improved.

econd marriage and family

In February 2008, she announced that she intended to marry Tjalling ten Cate in May and that the couple was expecting a child in August. [ [http://gpdhome.typepad.com/royalblognl_news_summary/2008/02/princess-marg-1.html Royalblog on Princess Margarita & Tjalling] ] The couple started living together a year before in Amsterdam.

On 3 May, 2008, the couple married [ [http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/3923500/_Prinses_Margarita_getrouwd__.html?p=1,2 Article in Telegraaf (Dutch Newspaper)] ] . Margarita studies interior architecture in The Hague.

On September 3, 2008, Princess Margarita gave birth to the couple's first child, Julia Carolina Catharina ten Cate, at the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis in Amsterdam. [ [http://nettyroyal.nl/ Netty's Royalty Pages] ]

Ennoblement

Already a ducal princess from birth, her father bestowed on 2 September 1996 the substantive title "Contessa di Colorno" (Countess of Colorno) upon her. [cite book |title=Almanach de Gotha |edition=182nd |year=1998 |publisher=Almanach de Gotha |isbn=0953214206 |pages=55] [http://www.novatv.nl/index.cfm?ln=nl&fuseaction=artikelen.details&achtergrond_id=1078 Dossier on Nova, Dutch TV] ] The same year she was incorporated into the Dutch Nobility by Queen Beatrix, with the highest noble title "Prinses de Bourbon de Parme" (Princess of Bourbon-Parma) [cite web |url=http://www.hogeraadvanadel.nl/veertiende_adelslijst.pdf |title=The 14th list of nobility determined by royal decree on 9 June 2004 (Stb.307)|format=PDF Website of the High Council of Nobility in the Netherlands] and styled "Hare Koninklijke Hoogheid" (Her Royal Highness). She doesn't officially belong either to the House of Orange-Nassau or the Dutch Royal House. As a granddaughter of Queen Juliana and niece of the present Queen Beatrix, she is, however, still a member of the extended Dutch Royal Family.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.borbonparma.org/ Official website of the House of Bourbon-Parma]