I had never heard of this monarch before today, but I guess she was well-known back in the day. On this date in 1948, Juliana became queen of the Netherlands. Her mother was in poor health, and she had already acted as regent in the years before. Her mother finally abdicated, and (with the world watching), Juliana became queen. She had a colorful past including being a recognized faith healer. She did not always conduct nor dress herself as a regal queen, and her heart was with the suffering and developing countries of the world. She went from crisis to crisis, and in the mid-1990’s, she was no longer seen in public. She suffered from declining health and dementia. She died March 30, 2004.
For more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliana_of_the_Netherlands
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/307851/Juliana
http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Juliana_of_the_Netherlands
