Princess Margriet of the Netherlands will visit Ottawa this week

Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, right, and her husband Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven in Hamilton, Ont., Monday, May 15, 2017. (Aaron Lynett/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and her husband, Pieter van Vollenhoven, will arrive in Ottawa this week for a five-day visit to the capital.

The royal couple will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Governor General Mary Simon, Mayor Jim Watson and speak with Canadian veterans who were involved in the Liberation of the Netherlands during the Second World War. Princess Margriet will also officially open the Canadian Tulip Festival next weekend.

The visit was originally scheduled for 2020 to mark the 75^th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The royal couple will arrive in Ottawa on Thursday and plant a bed of tulips at Stornoway. The Dutch royal family stayed at Stornoway while they took refuge in Ottawa during the Second World War, and Princess Margriet was born in Ottawa in 1943.

On Friday, Princess Margriet and Professor van Vollenhoven will meet with Mayor Watson at Ottawa City Hall and view the photo exhibition about the life of the royal family in Canada during the Second World War.  Princess Margriet will also visit Beechwood Cemetery with Prime Minister Trudeau, followed by hosting a reception with invited guests.

Princess Margriet will open the Canadian Tulip Festival on Saturday.

The royal visit will wrap up on May 16 with a visit to the Canadian War Museum to meet with veterans, followed by a meeting with the Governor General.

The royal visit by Princess Margriet is the first of two royal visits to Ottawa this month.

Prince Charles and Camilla will be in Ottawa on May 18 as part of a visit marking the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.