Netherlands bids farewell to Queen Juliana

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Netherlands bids farewell to Queen Juliana

Former Dutch Queen Juliana, mother of current Queen Beatrix, was buried Tuesday with the royal honours that she shunned in her lifetime, leaving behind a grieving nation grateful for her leadership through the difficult years after the WWII and beyond.

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Former queen Juliana, who as a princess spent the war years in Ottawa where she fostered enduring ties with Canada, was buried Tuesday with the royal honours that she shunned in her lifetime, leaving behind a grieving nation grateful for her leadership through the difficult years after the Second World War and beyond.

Juliana died March 20 at age 94 after a long illness that kept her out of the public view for many years. She abdicated in favour of her daughter Beatrix in 1980 after a 32-year reign.

Reflecting her lifelong distaste for regal privileges, Juliana requested that her funeral be kept as humble as possible. Nonetheless, the ceremony at the royal crypt in the ancient city of Delft was regal and attended by royalty and dignitaries from around the world.

In keeping with her mother's wishes, Juliana's youngest daughter, Christina, sang It's a Gift to be Simple with an orchestra for accompaniment.

Juliana was buried in the vault next to her parents, Queen Welhelmina and Prince Hendrik, under the Nieuwe Kerk, or New Church. The founder of the ruling House of Orange, William the Silent, was the first to be buried in the church after his assassination in Delft in 1584.

Juliana's husband Prince Berhard, 92, was assisted by his daughters, Queen Beatrix and Irene, and wore a trademark white carnation in his lapel. He followed the coffin borne by six military pallbearers into the vault to pay his last respects.

Royalty from 15 countries attended. Among them were Prince Philip, King Juan Carlos of Spain, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, Queen Noor of Jordan, King Albert of Belgium and Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko of Japan, plus royalty from Morocco, Thailand and Norway.

Source: agencies

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