Dutch Princess Margarita caused a stir Friday evening when she brought her new boyfriend Mr. Tjalling Ten Cate along to the Royal Gala in Amsterdam hosted by her two aunts, Queen Beatrix and Princess Margriet.
It was the first time the 35-year old, divorced princess showed her new beau in public. Dutch gossipmagazine Weekend had already published pictures of the couple earlier and had ‘outed’ the Amsterdam sollicitor as Margarita’s new love.
* Margarita (2nd from right) and her friend Tjalling Ten Cate (3rd from left) join the rest of the Dutch royal familiy in singing 'Happy Birthday' for Queen Beatrix and Princess Margriet. Also pictured are (from left) Carlos, Floris, Anita and Pieter-Christiaan.
Not much is known of Mr. Tjalling Ten Cate, who is said to have been introduced to the princess by her cousins. The couple were seated in the royal box of the Royal Theater Carré and visibly enjoyed themselves during the unique performance by young Dutch talent, recruited from the country’s art, dance and music academies.
Princess Margarita of Bourbon-Parma is a daughter of Dutch Princess Irene, who also attented the royal birthday bash, with her other children Carlos, Jaime (Margarita’s twin brother) and Carolina. Her ex husband, Prince Carlos Hugo (Charles Hugues), one time contender to the throne of Spain, was also invited.
Margarita made headlines early 2003 when she and her husband at the time, Mr. Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn, attacked both the royal family and the Bourbon-Parma family for ostracizing them and for hindering and obstructing Edwin’s professional career.
The couple were not invited to the wedding of Prince Willem-Alexander and the funeral of Prince Claus (in 2002). In interviews with a Dutch weekly magazine the two, among many other things, accused Queen Beatrix of spying on them. "This is not the Margarita I know", the queen reacted in an unprecedented televised statement at the start of her state visit to Chili, in March 2003.
Princess Margarita and her husband, who after their marriage in 2001, lived in a castle in the south of France, drifted apart, separated and after much litigation and mud-slinging divorced in late 2006.
Margarita was welcomed back in the royal family - she was guest at her godmother Queen Beatrix’ Silver Jubilee Show - and Mr. De Roy van Zuydewijn sought rehabilitation and compensation through a never ending series of court cases. He also threatened to reveal "all" in a couple of books he planned to write about the Royal Family.
Last week he was successful when a judge rewarded him some 1500 euros because he had been described a ‘fraud’ by a tv-show host. The money subsequently was claimed by a third party, which said Mr. De Roy van Zuydewijn, still owed them money.
Princess Margarita’s troubles are far from over too. She is said to have make do with a monthly income of 800 euros; because of that claims for alimony by her ex husband have been thwarted, but lawyers who represented her in previous court cases are said to be still waiting for payment of their fees.
© RB Hans Jacobs; Photos by © Phil Nijhuis
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