'Tulipa Michaëlle Jean'. "It is incredible. I never thought I would have a tulip named after me." Canada's Governor General Michaëlle Jean was elated and proud when visiting Dutch Princess Margriet presented her with the new tulip variety in the garden of Rideau Hall, Wednesday.
"Your tulips are renowed around the world and have become an emblem of the Netherlands. So I am extremely honoured and touched that one is being dedicated to me, What greater tribute can there be than to have a flower named after you?", the Right Hon. Michaëlle Jean said.
Princess Margriet, whom Canadian veterans of the Second World War like to call Canada's Princess since she was born while the Dutch royal family lived in exile in Ottawa, said she hoped the tulip - the first named after a governor general - would start a new tradition, as its "exuberance" symbolizes the string ties of friendship between The Netherlands and Canada.
Michaëlle Jean and her husband Jean-Daniel Lafond hosted a luncheon for the Princess and her husband Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven, who are staying in Canada's official guest house at 7 Rideau Gate. There the Dutch flag had been lowered to half mast after news broke of the airplane crash near Tripoli in Libya, which killed all but one of the people on board, many of whom were Dutch citizens.
"Let me present my most sincere condolences for the loss of so many Dutch people in a plane crash that just ook place in Libya", Jean said in her speech. She reminded the royal visitors that Rideau Hall's park has three trees planted by members of the Dutch royal people: Queen Juliana (1952), Queen Beatrix (1988) and Margriet herself.
© Royalblog, Hans Jacobs; © Royalblog HJ
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