Bernhard, prince of The Netherlands, prince of Lippe-Biesterfeld

Bernhard, prince of The Netherlands, prince of Lippe-Biesterfeld

▪ prince of The Netherlands
Dutch in full  Bernhard Leopold Frederik Everhard Julius Coert Karel Godfried Pieter, prins der Nederlanden, prins van Lippe-Biesterfeld  
born June 29, 1911, Jena, Germany
died December 1, 2004, Utrecht, Netherlands

      prince of The Netherlands who, during World War II, served as liaison between the Dutch government-in-exile and the British armed forces and commanded The Netherlands Forces of the Interior (1944–45).

      Bernhard was the son of Prince Bernhard Casimir and nephew of Leopold IV, the last reigning prince of Lippe-Biesterfeld. He was educated at the universities of Lausanne, Munich, and Berlin, where he studied law. Following the majority of German princelings after 1933, he joined the Reiter SS Corps. In 1936, while working for the German chemical concern IG Farben in Paris, he met Crown Princess (later Queen) Juliana, and on January 7, 1937, they were married. Bernhard, who took Dutch citizenship and received the title of prince of The Netherlands, opposed Germany's invasion of The Netherlands. After taking his family to safety in England (May 12, 1940), he immediately returned to lead Dutch troops in battle against the Germans; after the Dutch surrender (May 14, 1940), he fled to England with the remnants of his troops.

      After being appointed, in August 1940, a captain in the Dutch navy and a colonel in the army, Prince Bernhard assumed increased responsibilities and, by 1944, as commander of The Netherlands Forces of the Interior, he directed all Dutch armed forces. Also serving as Dutch liaison officer with the British armed forces, Bernhard became a pilot and flew with the Royal Air Force (1942–44). He led the Dutch troops during the Allied offensive in The Netherlands and was present during the armistice negotiations and German surrender at Wageningen (in The Netherlands) on May 5, 1945. After World War II and Juliana's accession in 1948, he served as The Netherlands' goodwill ambassador, encouraging international trade and cultural activities, and in 1954 initiated the annual Bilderberg Conference, a meeting of influential bankers, economists, and politicians. In 1961 he helped establish the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and served as its first president.

      In 1976 Prince Bernhard was implicated in a bribery scandal involving the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (Lockheed Martin Corporation). After initial revelations in the U.S. Congress, a special Dutch commission found that he had accepted large sums of money from Lockheed for promoting Dutch purchases of aircraft manufactured by the company. The scandal precipitated a constitutional crisis that temporarily tarnished the monarchy. He continued to be active in a number of causes, including conservation.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lippe-Biesterfeld — was a line of the House of Lippe that received sovereign status on 25 October 1905. The line was founded by Count Friedrich who ceded Biesterfeld to the princely line of Lippe( Detmold) on 24 May 1762.cite book |year=1904 |publisher=Justus… …   Wikipedia

  • Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld — For his father, see Prince Bernhard of Lippe Biesterfeld (1872–1934). Prince Bernhard of Lippe Biesterfeld Prince of the Netherlands (more) Prince consort of the Netherlands …   Wikipedia

  • Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld — Infobox Dutch Royalty|prince|consort name =Bernhard of Lippe Biesterfeld title =Prince Consort of the Netherlands caption = imgw =200 reign =6 September 1948 30 April 1980 spouse =Juliana issue =Beatrix Princess Irene, Duchess of Parma Princess… …   Wikipedia

  • Bernhard, Prince — ▪ 2005 Bernhard Leopold Frederik Everhard Julius Coert Karel Godfried Pieter, prince of The Netherlands, prince of Lippe Biesterfeld        German born Dutch royal (b. June 29, 1911, Jena, Ger. d. Dec. 1, 2004, Utrecht, Neth.), was the husband of …   Universalium

  • Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands — Prince Constantijn Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands (more) Prince Constantijn (in the middle) together with his wife Princess Lauren …   Wikipedia

  • Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands — Princess Catharina Amalia of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange Nassau (given names: Catharina Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria ; born December 07, 2003, The Hague, the Netherlands), is the first child of Willem Alexander, Prince of Orange, the… …   Wikipedia

  • Princess Ariane of the Netherlands — Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange Nassau (given names: Ariane Wilhelmina Máxima Ines) (born April 10, 2007) is the daughter of heir apparent to the throne of the Netherlands Prince Willem Alexander and Princess Máxima. She is …   Wikipedia

  • Princess Alexia of the Netherlands — and Orange Nassau (given names: Alexia Juliana Marcela Laurentien ; born June 26, 2005, The Hague, the Netherlands) [ [http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=18208 The Dutch Royal House ] ] ), is the second daughter of Willem… …   Wikipedia

  • Prince Claus of the Netherlands — Claus van Amsberg Prince of the Netherlands (more) Prince Claus of the Netherlands in 1970 Prince Consort of the Netherlands Tenure …   Wikipedia

  • Beatrix of the Netherlands — Beatrix Queen Beatrix in 2008 Queen of the Netherlands Reign 30 April 1980 – present Predecessor …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”