Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands

Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (June 29, 1911 – December 1, 2004) was Prince Consort to the late Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, and father of the current monarch, Queen Beatrix.

Entry into the House of Orange

In the 1930s, with the rise of Adolf Hitler, Prince Bernhard's younger brother Aschwin publicly declared his support for the Nazi Party. Prince Bernhard was trained as a fighter pilot and was later made an officer of the German Reiter SS Corps. The Prince eventually went to work for the German chemical company, IG Farben. After a period of training, he became Secretary to the Board of Directors at the Paris office in 1935. Because he was a Protestant and a Royal, Bernhard was acceptable by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands as a suitable husband for her daughter, Princess Juliana. However, Bernhard's appropriateness as the consort of the future Queen would later become a matter of public debate.

Related Topics:
1930s - Adolf Hitler - Nazi Party - Fighter - Pilot - Officer - SS - IG Farben - Secretary - Board of Directors - Paris - 1935 - Protestant - Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

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Prince Bernhard's political affiliations with the Nazi regime have received much attention. As well as his brother, various relations and acquaintances were alligned with the Nazis prior to and during the war - a number of these being entertained shortly before and joining the royal wedding. Allegations include an alleged meeting with Adolf Hitler who reportedly hailed the union between the Prince and Princess Juliana as a great alliance of Germanic nations. The Prince is also alleged to have sent a letter to the dictator offering the Prince's support in exchange for Hitler's support of Bernhard as "Stadtholder" of the occupied Netherlands. These allegations have never been substantiated.

Related Topics:
Adolf Hitler - Hitler's

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