Petra Laurentien Brinkhorst was born in Leiden on 25 May 1966 to Laurens Jan Brinkhorst and Jantien Brinkhorst-Heringa.

Image: © RVD - Martijn Beekman

Princess Laurentien, 2020.

Education

Princess Laurentien received her secondary education in The Hague and later at the Lycée Français in Tokyo, Japan, where she passed the Baccalauréat A examinations.

The Princess studied history at the University of Groningen, completing her foundation year in 1986. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at Queen Mary College, University of London, in 1989. In July 1991 she obtained her Master of Journalism degree at the University of California at Berkeley.

Marriage and family

Princess Laurentien married Prince Constantijn in The Hague on 17 May 2001. The marriage was blessed on 19 May 2001 in the Grote of St Jacobskerk in The Hague.

Princess Laurentien and Prince Constantijn have three children. Their first daughter, Eloise, was born on 8 June 2002, their son Claus-Casimir on 21 March 2004 and their second daughter, Leonore, on 3 June 2006. The family lives in The Hague.

Work 

The Princess has been active in promoting literacy since 2001. Stichting Lezen en Schrijven (the Reading and Writing Foundation) was set up on her initiative in May 2004 to prevent and reduce functional illiteracy in the Netherlands. From 2009 to 2020 Princess Laurentien served as UNESCO Special Envoy on Literacy for Development. In this capacity, she acted as an advocate for the cause of literacy all over the world. On 1 February 2011 the Princess was appointed Chair of the European Commission’s High Level Group of Experts on Literacy. The Group published its final report in 2012. In November 2017 Princess Laurentien stepped down as honorary chair of Stichting Lezen en Schrijven, but she remains committed to promoting literacy in the Netherlands and abroad.

In 2009 Princess Laurentien set up the Missing Chapter Foundation to foster dialogue between decision-makers and children and young people on societal issues. In 2014 the foundation launched the Kids Council, a platform which invites children to explore the strategic dilemmas facing businesses, NGOs and local and national government. The Missing Chapter Foundation’s work was absorbed by the number 5 foundation in 2022, to ensure that the perspectives of young people and children are always taken into account when resolving issues.

In 2009 Princess Laurentien published the first in a series of children’s books which centre on a character called Mr Finney and deal with issues such as sustainability and climate change. The second book in the series was published in February 2011, and the third in November 2013. The Princess has written several other books, including two editions of De Sprookjessprokkelaar (with Paul van Loon, 2014, 2019) and Nog Lang en Gelukkig (with Jeroen Smit, 2016).

Since late 2012 Princess Laurentien has been the President of Fauna & Flora International (FFI), the oldest international nature conservation organisation, which focuses on the protection of endangered wildlife species and ecosystems worldwide. The Princess was first associated with the FFI in 2003, initially as a member of the Executive Committee and then as Vice-President until she was appointed President. She was previously a Fellow of the European Climate Foundation, and is a special adviser for Rewilding Europe for the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature).

Princess Laurentien is co-director of the number 5 foundation, a charity she founded together with Prince Constantijn in 2017. The foundation works to address a range of societal issues, such as language development in under 4s, a just energy transition and lasting redress. Under the flag of the number 5 foundation and in consultation with affected children, young people and parents, as well as personal injury and other experts, in 2023 the Princess co-founded the Stichting (Gelijk)waardig Herstel (Equal and Dignified Redress Foundation), which aims to provide redress for victims of the serious failings in the childcare benefit system. Her involvement in its operations ended in January 2026. 

Princess Laurentien has a background in journalism and strategic communication. Between 1996 and 2003 she held various senior roles in international communications, at companies including Weber Shandwick and Edelman PR Worldwide. In 2017 she launched her own social enterprise, House of Hi, which presents innovative solutions based on human insights. She also devised the mission of social enterprise My Lima Lima.

Honorary posts