by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014
Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands; Credit – Wikipedia
Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands is the wife of Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, the youngest son of former Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and the younger brother of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. Born Petra Laurentien Brinkhorst on May 25, 1966, in Leiden, the Netherlandsmshe is the daughter of Dutch politician and diplomat Laurens Jan Brinkhorst and Jantien Brinkhorst-Heringa.
Following primary school, Laurentian attended the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet, and the Eerste Vrijzinnige Christelijk Lyceum, both in The Hague. The family moved to Japan where her father was serving as Permanent Envoy to the European Union, so she finished her secondary education at the Lycée français in Tokyo, graduating in 1984. She then studied history for a year at the University of Groningen, before moving on to Queen Mary College, at the University of London, where she graduated in 1989 with a Bachelors Degree in Political Science. In 1991, she earned her Masters Degree in Journalism, at the University of California, Berkeley.
Laurentien married Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands in a civil ceremony on May 17, 2001, in The Hague, followed by a religious ceremony on May 19, at the Grote of St Jacobskerk, in The Hague, the Netherlands. The couple had three children:
- Countess Eloise (born 2002)
- Count Claus-Casimir (born 2004)
- Countess Leonore (born 2006)
Laurentian is very involved in the fight against illiteracy in the Netherlands. In 2004, she founded the Stichting Lezen & Schrijven (Reading & Writing Foundation), to prevent and reduce functional illiteracy in the Netherlands and worldwide. She serves as the honorary chairman of the organization. In 2009, she was appointed UNESCO Special Envoy on Literacy for Development, and in 2001, she was appointed Chair of the European Commission’s High Level Group of Experts on Literacy.
Laurentian serves as a Fellow of the European Climate Foundation and President of the European Cultural Foundation. She has also published a series of children’s books dealing with i sustainability and climate change. In addition, she serves as President of Fauna & Flora International, an organization she has been involved with since 2003. In addition, she is the patron of several organizations.
Princess Laurentien and Prince Constantijn at King’s Day, 2014. photo: Zimbio
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