Never was a story more Dutch than that last week of "The Other Juliana." It had been decided by Her Majesty's Government that, as a mark of respect to Crown Princess Juliana, she and her bridegroom would be the only persons married in The Netherlands on their wedding day. The attention of Her Majesty's Government was then drawn to that buxom coincidence, the Dutch female who was born on the same day and at approximately the same moment as H. R. H. Juliana, the honest wench Petronella van der Meer.
It appeared that this person was engaged to marry the honest vegetable peddler Martinus van Stijn and wished to do so on the day of the Crown Princess' marriage. How far was it appropriate to go in this case? The wench and her vegetable man were both of substantial folk in the village of Oegstgeest. They were not going to have a Third-Class wedding (free) at the Town Hall, nor a Second-Class wedding ($2.75), but were prepared to pay for a First-Class wedding ($5.50) with the bridegroom in striped trousers and tails, the bride in modest everyday dress. In these becoming circumstances Her Majesty's Government, with the benevolent concurrence of Her Majesty Queen Wilhelmina, authorized the marriage of Petronella & Martinus to be held as the only other marriage in The Netherlands on the wedding day of H. R. H. Juliana.
Petronella at once became "The Other Juliana" in newsprint. Her mighty Martinus, who towers so high above dumpy Petronella that the top of her head is just even with his breast pocket, heartily exclaimed, "Ja, we move right into a six-room house—small, but six rooms—for children, Ja!" It was beneath the dignity of the Royal Family to send a wedding present to "The Other Juliana" and they rested upon their royal dignity amid general Dutch satisfaction. WThen Petronella & Martinus went to the village Town Hall for their First-Class wedding the whole countryside had turned out to cheer them but the Vice-Burgomaster, who performed the ceremony, lectured them in the same Dutch-uncle vein as the Burgomaster of The Hague used in lecturing Their Royal Highnesses. After completing the marriage with a stroke of his gavel, the Vice-Burgomaster concluded, "You two young people must not get the idea that you are of any importance just because all these people have come here while you are married. Your marriage would never have been noticed had it not been celebrated on the same day as that of our Crown Princess. You are not of the least importance. I offer my congratulations and good wishes."