More today from Commissioners Park, starting where I left off. The Crown Princess of the Netherlands, Princess Juliana, was sent to Canada with her daughters for safety after the fall of the Netherlands, while her mother Queen Wilhelmina stayed on in London, doing what she could for her people. Juliana settled in Ottawa and did the same, working tirelessly.
Her husband Prince Bernhard spent much of the war in Britain with his mother-in-law working for the cause, but visited Juliana and their daughters periodically. Out of this came the birth of a royal princess in North America. Princess Margriet was born in Ottawa; the Canadian government at the time passed a motion designating the maternity suite as extraterritorial, preserving her royal status.
Margriet would have many godparents, and her christening was held at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church downtown. The photographs displayed on this panel were taken by Yousuf Karsh, the Canadian photographer who had already made a name for himself internationally with his Churchill portrait earlier in the war. Karsh would end up one of the world's most esteemed portrait photographers of the 20th century, all while calling Ottawa home.
The end of the war saw the liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian soldiers, and the formation of a strong and lasting friendship between two countries that has endured ever since.
Princess Margriet herself has often come back on visits.
The Dutch started sending tulips to Canada in thanks after the war. Malak Karsh, brother of Yousuf and himself a famous landscape photographer, made the recommendation of a festival organized around the tulips, and so he is deemed the father of the Tulip Festival.
I passed by this bed, with the sculpture in its midst.
This was beyond it.
Thanks for the back story of the tulip festival.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
DeleteIt's a wonderful history behing the tulip festival.
ReplyDeleteJuliana was a god woman and she became a good queen, but her husband Bernhard was a crook..
So it seems.
DeleteThe story compliments the tulip garden well
ReplyDeleteIt does.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see the history of the festival, pretty sculpture and tulips! Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you.
DeleteWasn't the original Karsh portrait of Churchill recently stolen?
ReplyDeleteIt was.
Delete...Ottawa's fabulous tulips have such an interesting story.
ReplyDeleteThey do.
DeleteIt is nice to be reminded of the details because one forgets, and perhaps one learns a few extra details as we go.
ReplyDeleteTrue.
DeleteThe Karsh connection is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThese brothers left a big legacy.
DeleteThe tulips!
ReplyDeleteLots of them.
DeleteThat is quite a history.
ReplyDeleteIt is.
DeleteI love this bit of history.
ReplyDeleteMe too.
DeleteThank you, this was interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
DeleteThe history is very interesting and adds to the festival. Very nice!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteInteressante a historia destas tulipas.
ReplyDeleteUm abraço e boa semana.
Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
Livros-Autografados
Thanks.
DeleteAhora me explico, la gran cantidad de tulipanes, que adornan los jardines de esta ciudad. El clima le habrá venido muy bien, para lograr tan excelente cultivo.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteThe 25 years I lived in Ottawa, I always thought they did Tulipfest well!
ReplyDeleteThey continue to do so.
DeleteThe Karsh Brother certainly put Ottawa on the map in the eyes of many people. You live in a wonderful place and it is indeed a refuge and a beacon to the world
ReplyDeleteThey left behind quite a legacy.
DeleteThere's a strong relationship between the Dutch and Canadians. There are many Dutch here and we hear many times about Holland and it's rescue .
ReplyDeleteIt is the same here.
DeleteA fascinating history behind the tulip festival.
ReplyDeleteIt is.
DeleteFascinating post and beautiful photos of the flowers ~
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Thank you.
DeleteInteresting history. That war was so awful. Interesting that the maternity suite was declared to be extraterritorial.
ReplyDeleteIt was a good touch by the government at the time.
DeleteWell, that explains a lot -- and a lot that I never knew. I did know that many of the heads of state who had to leave their countries found other spots to be but I don't think I knew the Canadian/Netherlands connection. And of course tulips are such a thing there. Well, I think all who started this would be pleased to see how Ottawa has carried on the tradition.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good connection.
Delete