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.

Postwar roles

Prince Bernhard became a member of the councils of all branches of the Netherlands military and was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was made a director of Fokker Aircraft, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and within a few years was invited to serve on the board of directors of numerous international corporations. After a 1952 trip with Queen Juliana to the United States, Prince Bernhard was heralded by the media as a business ambassador extraordinaire for the Netherlands. With his global contacts, in May of 1954 he was a key figure in organizing a meeting at the Bilderberg Hotel in the Netherlands for the male-only business elite and intellectuals of the Western World to discuss the economic problems in the face of the then growing threat from communism. As a result of the success of this first meeting, it would become an annual affair known as the Bilderberg Group. The idea for the European Union, first proposed by Robert Schuman on May 9 1950, was encouraged at Bilderberg.

Related Topics:
Fokker - KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - Corporation - 1952 - United States - Ambassador - 1954 - Hotel - Communism - Bilderberg Group - European Union - Robert Schuman - May 9 - 1950

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Though generally not reported in the Dutch press, growing strain arose between Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard during this time. The jet-setting Bernard used his many absences from the country to carry on numerous affairs, while throwing lavish parties at the various Dutch embassies.

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Prince Bernhard was a very outspoken person, who often flaunted protocol by making personal remarks on subjects he felt deeply for. Almost till his last day he has called for more recognition for the Polish WWII veterans, who played such an important role in the liberation of the Netherlands.

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