Princess Margriet of the Netherlands officially opened the 74th annual Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa on Saturday, celebrating the historic friendship between Canada and the Netherlands.
Hundreds gathered at Dow’s Lake to witness the opening ceremony and admire more than 300,000 tulips featuring over 100 vibrant varieties displayed throughout the festival grounds.
Speaking during the ceremony, Princess Margriet highlighted the symbolic importance of the flowers in strengthening ties between the two nations.
“Tulips symbolize how the past has united our two countries. May they continue to do so,” she said.
The opening event also featured a flyby by a CF-18 Hornet from the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Princess Margriet shares a unique personal connection with Ottawa. She was born at the Ottawa Civic Hospital in 1943 after the Dutch royal family fled to Canada during the World War II to escape Nazi occupation in the Netherlands.
To ensure the princess would hold only Dutch nationality, part of the hospital was temporarily declared extraterritorial by the Canadian government before her birth.
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe praised the longstanding relationship between the two countries during the ceremony.
“The enduring friendship between Canada and the Netherlands was forged through courage and commitment and sacrifice,” he said.
Following the liberation of the Netherlands during World War II, the Dutch government gifted 100,000 tulips to Ottawa as a symbol of gratitude for Canada’s role in the war effort and for sheltering the royal family during exile. The tradition evolved into the annual Canadian Tulip Festival.
Many festival attendees said the royal visit held deep emotional significance, especially for Canadians of Dutch heritage and families connected to wartime history.
Princess Margriet also emphasized the importance of remembering Canadian soldiers who helped liberate the Netherlands from Nazi occupation.
“The Tulip Festival reminds generation after generation of the crucial role young Canadians played in liberating our country,” she said.
The 83-year-old princess and her husband, Pieter van Vollenhoven, visited Ottawa City Hall on Friday and are expected to continue official engagements in the city, including a visit to the The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus.
The Canadian Tulip Festival will continue through May 19 at Dow’s Lake.
