Editing Juliana of the Netherlands (section)

== Reign ==

=== Regency and early reign===
[[File:Inhuldiging koningin Juliana. Officieel slot van de feestweek. Gala-concert in h, Bestanddeelnr 900-0244.jpg|thumb|left|Celebration of Queen Juliana's inauguration, 1948]]
Wilhelmina's increasingly precarious health made it increasingly difficult for her to perform her duties. Juliana was forced to take over as [[regent]] from 14 October to 1 December 1947. Wilhelmina seriously considered abdicating in favour of Juliana at the end of 1947, but Juliana urged her mother to stay on the throne so she could celebrate her [[golden jubilee]] in 1948. However, Wilhelmina was forced by further health problems to relinquish her royal duties to Juliana once again on 4 May 1948.

[[File:Inhuldiging van koningin Juliana. De eed of belofte op de grondwet, Bestanddeelnr 014-1153.jpg|thumb|Juliana swearing the royal oath during her [[Inauguration of the Dutch monarch|Inauguration]]]]

The independence of [[Indonesia]], which saw more than 150,000 Dutch troops stationed there as [[decolonization]] force, was regarded as an economic disaster for the Netherlands. With the certain loss of the prized colony, the queen announced her intention to abdicate, doing so on 4 September 1948. Two days later, with the eyes of the world upon her, Juliana was [[Inauguration of the Dutch monarch|sworn in and inaugurated]] as monarch during a joint session of the States General at a ceremony held in the [[Nieuwe Kerk (Amsterdam)|Nieuwe Kerk]] in [[Amsterdam]], becoming the 12th member of the House of Orange to rule the Netherlands.
[[File:RI Transfer Signing.jpg|thumb|Queen Juliana signing Indonesian sovereignty papers, 1949]]
On 27 December 1949 at [[Dam Palace]] in Amsterdam, Queen Juliana signed the papers that recognised Indonesian sovereignty over the former [[Dutch East Indies|Dutch colony]]. She became ''Hoofd der Unie'' (Head of the Union) of the [[Netherlands-Indonesian Union]] (1949–1956). On 15 December 1954, the Queen announced that the nation's [[Caribbean]] possessions of the [[Netherlands Antilles]] and [[Suriname]] were to be reconstituted as constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, making them equal partners with the mainland.

The near-blindness of her daughter Christina and the increasing influence of Hofmans, who had moved into a royal palace, severely affected the queen's marital relationship. Over the next few years, the controversy surrounding the faith healer, at first kept out of the Dutch media, erupted into a national debate over the competency of the queen. However, the debate subsided in part due to Juliana's efforts to connect with her people. She often appeared in public dressed like any ordinary Dutch woman, and preferred to be addressed as "[[Mevrouw]]" (Dutch for "Mrs.") rather than her formal title of "majesty". She also began riding a bicycle for exercise and fresh air.

Although the bicycle and the down-to-earth manners suggest a simple life style, the Dutch royal court of the 1950s and 1960s was still an opulent affair with chamberlains in magnificent uniforms, gilded state coaches, visits to towns in open carriages and lavish entertaining in the huge palaces. At the same time the queen began visiting the citizens of the nearby towns and, unannounced, would drop in on social institutions and schools like her mother before her insisting on seeing reality rather than a prepared show. On the international stage, Queen Juliana was interested in the problems of developing countries, the refugee problem,{{which|date=November 2017}} and particularly child welfare in developing countries. Together with her daughters Beatrix and Irene, she took part in the ship tour organized by [[Frederica of Hanover|Queen Frederica]] and her husband King [[Paul of Greece]] in 1954, which became known as the “[[Cruise of the Kings]]” and was attended by over 100 royals from all over Europe. [[Franz von Bayern|Francis of Bavaria]], a participant, reports in his memoirs the anecdote that the queens of Greece, the Netherlands and Italy went ashore in a harbor in the middle of a crowd of nephews and nieces, and a waiting journalist called out to them: "What is the purpose of this trip?", whereupon Queen Juliana replied with a friendly smile: "Oh, you know, this is our [[Labor union|union’s]] company outing."<ref>[[Franz von Bayern]]: ''Zuschauer in der ersten Reihe: Erinnerungen'' publisher C. H. Beck, 2023, pp. 128–132</ref>

=== Crises and recovery ===
On the night of 31 January 1953, the Netherlands was hit by [[North Sea flood of 1953|the most destructive storm in more than five hundred years]]. Thirty breaches of dunes and dikes occurred and many towns were swept away by twelve-foot [[storm surge]]s. More than 1800 people drowned and tens of thousands were trapped by the floodwaters. Dressed in boots and an old coat, Queen Juliana waded through water and slopped through deep mud all over the devastated areas to bring desperate people food and clothing. Showing compassion and concern, reassuring the people, her tireless efforts would permanently endear her to the citizens of the Netherlands.
[[File:NL-HaNA 2.24.01.04 0 907-5339.jpg|thumb|Queen Juliana with Brazilian President [[Juscelino Kubitschek]] at [[Soestdijk Palace]], 1956]]
In 1956, the influence of Hofmans on Juliana's political views almost brought down the monarchy in a [[constitutional crisis]]; this caused the court and the royal family to split into a "Bernhard faction", set on removing a queen considered a religious fanatic and a threat to [[NATO]], and the queen's pious and [[pacifist]] courtiers. Prime Minister [[Willem Drees]] resolved the crisis. However, Juliana lost out to her powerful husband and his friends. Hofmans was banished from the court and Juliana's supporters were sacked or pensioned. Prince Bernhard planned to divorce his wife but decided against it when he, as he told an American journalist, "found out that the woman still loved him" {{Citation needed|reason=reference to interview needed|date=April 2019}}.
[[File:Koningin Juliana bezoekt de Ir Jonkie school te Hwijk, Bestanddeelnr 910-8472.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Queen Juliana inspecting the troops, 1959]]
Queen Juliana faced another crisis among her Protestant citizens in 1963, when her second daughter [[Princess Irene of the Netherlands|Irene]] secretly converted to [[Roman Catholicism]] and, without government approval, on 29 April 1964 married [[Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma|Prince Carlos Hugo]] of [[House of Bourbon|Bourbon]], [[Duke of Parma]], a claimant to the Spanish throne and also a leader in Spain's [[Carlist]] party. Given the history of the Dutch struggle for independence from Roman Catholic Spain, and with fascist German oppression still fresh in the minds of the Dutch people, the events leading to the marriage were played out in all the newspapers and a storm of hostility erupted against the monarchy for allowing it to happen—a matter so serious that the queen's abdication became a real possibility. She survived, however, thanks to the underlying devotion she had earned over the years.

Another crisis developed as a result of the announcement in July 1965 of the engagement of Princess Beatrix, heir to the throne, to German diplomat [[Claus von Amsberg]]. The future husband of the future queen had been a member of the [[Nazi]] [[Wehrmacht]] and the [[Hitler Youth]] movement. Many angry Dutch citizens demonstrated in the streets, and held rallies and marches against the "traitorous" affair. While this time there were no calls for the queen's abdication—because the true object of the people's wrath, Princess Beatrix, would then be queen—they did start to question the value of having a monarchy at all. After attempting to have the marriage cancelled, Queen Juliana acquiesced and the marriage took place under a continued storm of protest; an almost certain attitude pervaded the country that Princess Beatrix might be the last member of the House of Orange to ever reign in the Netherlands. Despite all these difficulties, Queen Juliana's personal popularity suffered only temporarily.
[[File:Christmas - queen Juliana and princess Beatrix.jpg|thumb|Queen Juliana and Princess Beatrix serving cocoa and buns to their staff on Christmas 1960]]
The queen was noted for her courtesy and kindness. In May 1959, for example, [[Polish-American]] [[ufologist]] [[George Adamski]] received a letter from the head of the Dutch Unidentified Flying Objects Society, Rey d'Aquilla, informing him that she had been contacted by Queen Juliana's palace and "that the Queen would like to receive you".<ref name="tm1">{{cite magazine|title=The Queen & the Saucers|magazine=Time|date=1 June 1959| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,811123,00.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713175327/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,811123,00.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=13 July 2007|access-date=27 April 2007}}</ref> Adamski informed a London newspaper about the invitation, which prompted the court and cabinet to request that the queen cancel her meeting with Adamski, but the queen went ahead with the meeting, saying that "A hostess cannot slam the door in the face of her guests."<ref name="tm1"/> After the meeting, Dutch Aeronautical Association president Cornelis Kolff said: "The Queen showed an extraordinary interest in the whole subject."<ref name="tm1"/> The Dutch press put it more straightforwardly. According to ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine, newspaper ''[[de Volkskrant]]'' said: "The Dutch press could hardly be accused of concealing the facts last week. Once again, Queen Juliana's weakness for the preternatural had landed her back in the headlines: she had invited to the palace a crackpot from California who numbered among his friends men from Mars, Venus and other solar-system suburbs."<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,811123,00.html#ixzz1jWNHOYuY| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713175327/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,811123,00.html#ixzz1jWNHOYuY| url-status=dead| archive-date=13 July 2007|magazine=Time|title=The Netherlands: The Queen & the Saucers|date=1 June 1959}}</ref>

An event in April 1967, helped by an improving Dutch economy, brought an overnight revitalization of the royal family: the first male heir to the Dutch throne in 116 years, [[Willem-Alexander]], was born to Princess Beatrix. This time, the demonstrations in the street were of love and enthusiasm.

=== Later reign ===
[[File:Ontvangst van koningin Juliana op Bali Links de vrouw van de ambassadeur, mevro, Bestanddeelnr 254-9060.jpg|thumb|Reception of Queen Juliana in [[Bali]], September 1971. On the left the ambassador's wife, Mrs. Scheltema. In the middle adjutant [[Louise Elisabeth Coldenhoff]] of the [[Indonesian Navy]]]]
[[File:Het koninklijk paar in Jogyakarta met sultan Hamenkoe Boewono IX Links mevrouw , Bestanddeelnr 254-9030.jpg|thumb|Queen Juliana and [[Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld|Prince Bernhard]] met with [[Hamengkubuwono IX]] during her visit to [[Yogyakarta]], August 1971]]
In the spring of 1975, a group of [[Republic of South Maluku|South Moluccans]] were caught conspiring to steal a heavy truck and ram the gates of [[Soestdijk Palace]] to kidnap the queen. Ten members of the group in a vehicle full of firearms were arrested.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/dutch/en/article/2017/06/23/40-years-questions-remain-extraordinary-story-1977-dutch-train-siege|title=40 years on, questions remain: the extraordinary story of the 1977 Dutch train siege|author=Witzand, Jopie|date=23 June 2017|publisher=SBS|access-date=23 September 2017|archive-date=23 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923101349/http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/dutch/en/article/2017/06/23/40-years-questions-remain-extraordinary-story-1977-dutch-train-siege|url-status=live}}</ref> The group's alleged aim was to force the Dutch government to recognize the [[Republik Maluku Selatan]] (RMS) as an independent state and try to make the Indonesian government do the same.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/09/world/vught-journal-remember-the-moluccans-is-this-a-last-stand.html|title=Vught Journal; Remember the Moluccans? Is This a Last Stand?|author=Rule, Sheila|date=9 June 1989|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=20 December 2017|archive-date=2 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200902211337/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/09/world/vught-journal-remember-the-moluccans-is-this-a-last-stand.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Seventeen South-Moluccan youngsters were tried and convicted and sentenced to up to six years imprisonment.{{citation needed|date=September 2017}} This was one of a series of actions for this cause during the 1970s, including the [[1975 Dutch train hostage crisis]], the [[1975 Indonesian consulate hostage crisis]], the [[1977 Dutch train hostage crisis]], the [[1977 Dutch school hostage crisis]], and the [[1978 Dutch province hall hostage crisis]].

On 25 November 1975, [[Suriname]] seceded from the Dutch Kingdom and became independent. Representing the Queen at the independence ceremony in the Surinamese capital, [[Paramaribo]], were the heir presumptive Princess Beatrix, and her husband Prince Claus.

[[File:Prinses Beatrix, prins Claus, prins Bernhard en koningin Juliana, Bestanddeelnr 254-7180.jpg|thumb|left|Queen Juliana, Prince [[Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld|Bernhard]], Princess [[Beatrix of the Netherlands|Beatrix]] and Prince [[Prince Claus of the Netherlands|Claus]] on holiday in [[Porto Ercole]].]]

Scandal rocked the royal family again in 1976, when it was revealed that Prince Bernhard had accepted a [[US$]]1.1 million bribe from U.S. aircraft manufacturer [[Lockheed Corporation]] to influence the Dutch government's purchase of fighter aircraft in what became known as the [[Lockheed Scandal]].

[[Prime Minister of the Netherlands|Prime Minister]] [[Joop den Uyl]] ordered an inquiry into the affair, while Prince Bernhard refused to answer reporters' questions, stating: "I am above such things." Rather than calling on the queen to abdicate, the Dutch people were this time fearful that their beloved Juliana might abdicate out of shame or because of a criminal prosecution conducted in her name against her consort.

On 26 August 1976, a censored and toned-down yet devastating report on Prince Bernhard's activities was released to a shocked Dutch public. The prince resigned his various high-profile positions as a [[lieutenant admiral]], a general, and an [[Inspector General of the Armed Forces]]. He resigned from his positions on the boards of many businesses, charities, the [[World Wildlife Fund]], and other institutions. The prince also accepted that he would have to give up wearing his beloved uniforms. In return, the [[Netherlands States-General|States-General]] accepted that there was to be no criminal prosecution.
[[File:Troonswisseling 30 april bijeenkomst voor de abdicatie het Paleis op de Dam , Bestanddeelnr 253-8181.jpg|thumb|Queen Juliana on the day of her abdication, 1980]]
On her [[Silver Jubilee]] in 1973, Queen Juliana donated all of the money that had been raised by the National Silver Jubilee Committee to organizations for children in need throughout the world. She donated the gift from the nation which she received on her seventieth birthday, in 1979, to the "[[International Year of the Child]]". As a reigning European monarch, she was given supernumerary membership of the British [[Order of the Garter]] as the 922nd inductee, with the rank of Stranger Lady Companion, in 1958.

On 30 April 1980, her 71st birthday, Queen Juliana abdicated and her eldest daughter succeeded her.<ref name=dutchn2813>{{cite news|title=Queen Beatrix to address the nation tonight; is she abdicating?|url=http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2013/01/queen_beatrix_to_address_the_n.php|access-date=28 January 2013|newspaper=Dutch News|date=28 January 2013|archive-date=2 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202045610/http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2013/01/queen_beatrix_to_address_the_n.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Juliana remained active in numerous charitable causes until well into her eighties.

Queen Juliana was very attached to [[Monte Argentario]], in [[Tuscany]], a favorite place for the [[House of Orange-Nassau|Dutch royal family]] for their summer holidays for more than 40 years.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ricerca.gelocal.it/iltirreno/archivio/iltirreno/2001/07/13/LTH31.html |title=Il Tirreno (italian) |access-date=21 August 2020 |archive-date=15 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615071854/https://ricerca.gelocal.it/iltirreno/archivio/iltirreno/2001/07/13/LTH31.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www1.adnkronos.com/Archivio/AdnAgenzia/2005/07/10/Cronaca/REALI-IN-VENDITA-ALLARGENTARIO-ELEFANTE-FELICE-LA-VILLA-DEI-SOVRANI-DOLANDA-3_130722.php |title=Adnkronos (italian) |date=10 July 2005 |access-date=21 August 2020 |archive-date=15 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615071925/http://www1.adnkronos.com/Archivio/AdnAgenzia/2005/07/10/Cronaca/REALI-IN-VENDITA-ALLARGENTARIO-ELEFANTE-FELICE-LA-VILLA-DEI-SOVRANI-DOLANDA-3_130722.php |url-status=live }}</ref>