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Princess Christina of the Netherlands

Soestdijk Palace, 1947 – Noordeinde Palace, 16 Aug 2019

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 1947

    Born in Soestdijk Palace

  2. 16 Aug 2019

    Dies in Noordeinde Palace

Family

See the tree

Parents

During her lifetime

She lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Soestdijk Palace.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1940s · Princess is born in Soestdijk Palace

In the news1940

1940 Rotterdam Blitz Destruction

On 14 May 1940, German bombers destroyed the inner city of Rotterdam, killing 814 to 900 people and leaving 78,000 homeless.

Getting around

Modernization and travel comfort

Motor transport was seen as modern and comfortable, with bus passengers enjoying padded seats, whereas third-class rail travelers still sat on hard wooden seats until the introduction of new streamlined diesel trains in 1934.

At the table

Famine food during the Hunger Winter

During the severe food shortages of the Hunger Winter in 1944–1945, desperate families consumed sugar beets, tulip bulbs, and potato peels. Some even used roasted chicory root as a coffee substitute and dried large leaves to smoke as a tobacco replacement.

The Second World War. The deadliest war in history, from 1939 to 1945: some 70 million people died. Brazil sent 25,000 soldiers to fight in Italy.Around the world · 1939–1945

The Second World War. The deadliest war in history, from 1939 to 1945: some 70 million people died. Brazil sent 25,000 soldiers to fight in Italy.

Chief Photographer's Mate (CPHoM) Robert F. Sargent · public domain

What people wore

Wartime Scarcity and Fashion Substitutes

During the German occupation, clothing became extremely scarce, leading women to paint their legs brown to simulate stockings and draw a seam line with an eyebrow pencil. Home-made dresses were crafted from scraps of fabric, and worn-out leather shoes were often replaced by shoes with wooden soles or ones made from paper twine.

Music

Music and Dance Bans During Occupation

During the German occupation in World War II, jazz was suppressed and bands were forced to change English-sounding names, while public dancing was strictly prohibited.

Daily life

Improvised wartime lighting methods

During the final years of the war, families improvised lighting using jam jars filled with water and a wick floating on a layer of oil, or pedaled a bicycle connected to a dynamo to generate light.