According to the Dutch news agency ANP, the royal broke her upper arm while participating in the Hollandse 100—a charity event held at the Thialf ice rink in Heerenveen, Friesland.
As reported by the NL Times, an official spokesperson for the event verified that Princess Margriet was transported to the hospital via ambulance “as a precaution” after slipping on the ice, but she was “fully responsive” and had successfully completed a check-up.
Moments after her fall, the aunt of King Willem-Alexander was attended to by emergency personnel. Her sons, Prince Bernhard of Orange and Prince Pieter Maurits of Orange, quickly rushed to her side.
In the aftermath of the incident, Princess Margriet is expected to take time to recover at her residence, Het Loo House, which she shares with her husband, Pieter van Vollenhoven.
The Hollandse 100, held on March 23, typically involves 10 kilometers of skating followed by 90 kilometers of cycling, with proceeds benefiting lymph node cancer research.
This event holds special significance for both Princess Margriet and Prince Bernhard; the latter established the Lymph&Co foundation in 2016, following his own diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma three years earlier. Although Bernhard has since recovered, he continues to raise awareness and funds for innovative scientific research.
In recent years, Prince Bernhard has completed the Hollandse 100 alongside his wife of 25 years, Princess Annette. While Princess Margriet has attended as well, she did not skate in the 2024 event. King Willem-Alexander, her nephew, has not yet commented on the news of her recent fall.
It has been a busy week for the monarch. On March 21, Willem-Alexander was seen at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, where he met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. This meeting took place just a day after he and his wife, Queen Maxima, returned from a state visit to Kenya.
King Willem-Alexander and Princess Margriet have collaborated on royal engagements in the past. In September, they were present to welcome the Dutch medal winners from the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris at Noordeinde Palace. Additionally, Margriet has joined King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima at events such as the Dutch Grand Prix and the state banquet held on April 17, 2024, in Amsterdam, which welcomed Spanish royals King Felipe and Queen Letizia during their two-day state visit.
