Blinded by Superstition? The Life Story of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands

In 1948, the second Queen of the Netherlands, Juliana, ascended the throne. She met her husband, Prince Bernhard, at the Winter Olympics in 1936. Queen Wilhelmina was quite pleased with this son-in-law. At that time, the Netherlands was a Protestant country, and members of the royal family had to marry someone of the same faith, ruling out Catholics. The potential candidates from European royalty were limited to those from the UK, Sweden, and Germany. Bernhard had a respectable family background and was intelligent. In his youth, he wore glasses, which gave him a scholarly and handsome appearance. Thus, Queen Wilhelmina grew increasingly satisfied with her choice of son-in-law.