The princess celebrates her birthday today without her eldest son, King Willem-Alexander and daughter-in-law, Queen Máxima and Princess Amalia. They are on a working visit to the Caribbean islands. Beatrix was Queen of the Netherlands from April 30, 1980 to April 30, 2013.
The 85-year-old princess was born on January 31, 1938 at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn, the eldest child of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. On March 10, 1966, Beatrix married Claus von Amsberg and together they had three sons: Willem-Alexander, Friso and Constantijn. In 2002 her husband Claus passed away. Eleven years later, her son Friso also died as a result of a skiing accident.
Nowadays, Princess Beatrix lives at Drakensteyn Castle in Lage Vuursche. She still occasionally appears in the public eye as Princess of Orange-Nassau, but not very often anymore. In mid-January she was still at the funeral of the Greek king Constantine and at the traditional New Year’s receptions of the royal couple.