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| Subject: Prince Claus von Amsberg - husband of Queen Beatrix | |
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Author: Amsterdam |
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Date Posted: October 07, 2002 10:18:28 EDT Prince Claus von Amsberg, husband of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, died Sunday night in Amsterdam after a long illness. He was 76. The Dutch prime minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, said the cause of death was pneumonia. The prince's health had declined in recent years, owing to Parkinson's disease. Speaking of the German-born aristocrat, Mr. Balkenende said in a televised address: "Prince Claus committed himself to Dutch society with strength, seriousness, dedication and, when appropriate, with humor. We owe him our respect and thanks for standing by the side of our Queen." Prince Claus became a beloved figure in the Netherlands after a stormy start. Many Dutch objected to the royal marriage in 1966 because as a teenager he had briefly been a member of the Hitler Youth and was later in the Wehrmacht during World War II, when Germany occupied the Netherlands for five years. The wedding of the handsome German diplomat and Princess Beatrix was marred by smoke bombs and violent protests outside the palace. But Prince Claus worked to turn the tide. He denounced the Nazi regime, learned perfect Dutch, fathered three sons — including the first male heir to the throne in nearly a century — and became involved in development work. With his unassuming and witty style, he gradually became the most popular member of the royal family, as confirmed by repeated opinion polls. Many Dutch said that he gave a more human face to the rather formal and often distant Dutch queen. "He was a man of substance, although it was sometimes difficult for him to find the right role," said Andre Spoor, a former newspaper editor and a long-time friend of the prince's. "Behind the scenes he worked hard to build bridges between the Dutch and the Germans because relations continued to be tense until well into the 1980's. He would bring people from both sides together for meals and press them to debate and air their grievances." Prince Claus was born Sept. 6, 1926, and grew up in Tanzania on his parents' sisal plantation. He was later drafted into the German army but did not fight. After Beatrix was crowned queen, he sometimes spoke privately of the constraints of royal life and of being prince consort. "We live in a glass house," he would tell his friends. He also expressed doubt about the future of the monarchy. "He once told me: I think we'll be the last ones. A hereditary monarchy does not really have a place in a modern democracy," Mr. Spoor said. But he was usually contradicted by Dutch friends and opinion polls indicating that the Dutch are quite attached to their monarchy. His oldest son, crown Prince Willem-Alexander is in line to become the next king. One story often told concerned the "neck tie incident." At a ceremony in 1998 he rose to the podium and invited all the men in the room to strip off their ties — "that chain around your neck" — and lay them before the queen. From then on, ties were no longer required at the palace. In addition to his wife and the crown prince, Prince Claus is survived by five sisters and two other sons, Johan Friso and Constantijn. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
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