Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (June 29, 1911 – December 1, 2004) born Count Bernhard of Biesterfeld, was Prince Consort to the late Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, and father of the current monarch, Queen Beatrix. June 29 is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 185 days remaining. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... A prince consort, generally speaking, is the husband of a Queen regnant, unless he himself is a king. ... A queen regnant is a female monarch who possesses all the monarchal powers that a king would have without regard to gender. ... Juliana Queen of the Netherlands Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (Juliana Emma Louise Wilhelmina van Oranje-Nassau) (April 30, 1909 – March 20, 2004), Princess of Orange-Nassau, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld, was Queen of the Netherlands from her mothers abdication in 1948 to her own... Beatrix of the Netherlands (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard van Oranje-Nassau) (born January 31, 1938), Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld, styled HM The Queen is the Queen of The Netherlands, having acceded to the throne in 1980. ...

Although his private life was rather unknown and even controversial, Bernhard was generally seen as a charming and popular figure among the majority of Dutch people for his suggested performance as a fighter pilot and activities as a liaisons officer during World War II and rebuilding afterwards, or even for helping out specific individuals. The German-born prince helped found the World Wildlife Fund, becoming its first president in 1961. He helped found the Rotary International and was one of two founders of the Bilderberg Group, an international grouping, with it's composition varying slightly, meeting yearly in order to discuss the idea of European unity to be and being developed behind a guise of transatlantic relations. He also founded the top secret Dutch BVD (now AIVD)-organisation. While some people in the Netherlands were given a (perhaps daily) glance at what Bernhard actually did during his life, most people were in fact rather ignorant about him, although some knew that he had received a highly advanced training in industrial espionage during his years in Germany, or even tended to glamorize him. Combatants Allies: • Poland, • UK & Commonwealth, • France/Free France, • Soviet Union, • USA, • China, ...and others Axis: • Germany, • Italy, • Japan, ...and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total: 50 million Full list Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total: 12 million Full list World War II... Note: After losing a court case in 2002 on the use of the initials WWF, the organization previously known as the World Wrestling Federation has rebranded itself as World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. WWF - The Conservation Organization was formerly known as World Wildlife Fund and Worldwide Fund for Nature. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Early life

Bernhard was born Count Bernhard Leopold Friedrich Eberhard Julius Kurt Karl Gottfried Peter of Biesterfeld in Jena, Germany, the elder son of Prince Bernhard of Lippe (younger brother of the reigning Prince of Lippe) and Baroness Armgard of Sierstorpff-Cramm. Because the marriage of his parents did not conform with the marriage laws of the House of Lippe, Bernhard was only born with the title of "count". In 1916 the Reigning Prince of Lippe, Leopold IV, gave Bernhard the title of "Prince of Lippe-Biesterfeld". Look up Count in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Countess redirects here. ... Jena is a town in central Germany on the River Saale. ... This article is about the district Lippe. ... Baroness could refer to: Female equivalent of Baron. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 - The Royal Army Medical Corps first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ...

After World War I, Bernhard's family lost their German principality and the revenue that came with it. Bernhard spent his early years at Reckenwalde, the family's new estate in East Prussia (now Woynovo in Poland ), near the city of Züllichau (Sulechow). He received his early education at home. When he was twelve, he was sent to board at the gymnasium in Züllichau and several years later to board at a gymnasium in Berlin, from which he graduated in 1929. Combatants Allies: • Serbia, • Russia, • France, • Romania, • Belgium, • British Empire and Dominions, • United States, • Italy, • ...and others Central Powers: • Germany, • Austria-Hungary, • Ottoman Empire, • Bulgaria Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total: 8 million Full list Military dead: 3 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total: 6 million Full... Prince Albert of Monaco on the left represents a principality where he wields administrative authority. ... Revenue is a US business term for the amount of money that a company can receive from its activities, mostly from sales of products and/or services to customers. ... An Estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. ... East Prussia (German: Ostpreu en; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия — Vostochnaya Prussiya) was a province of Kingdom of Prussia, situated on the territory of former Ducal Prussia. ... A boarding school is a school where some or all students not only study but also live, amongst their peers but away from their home and family. ... A gymnasium is a type of school of secondary education in parts of Europe. ... (help· info), IPA: , is the capital city as well as a state of Germany, and also the countrys largest city. ... Academic procession during the University of Canterbury graduation ceremony. ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Bernhard then studied law at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland and in Berlin, where he acquired a taste for fast cars, horse riding, and big-game hunting safaris. He was reckless and was nearly killed in a boating accident and an airplane crash, and he suffered a broken neck and crushed ribs in a 160 km/h (100 mi/h) car crash. Law (from the late Old English lagu of probable North Germanic origin) in politics and jurisprudence, is a set of rules or norms of conduct which mandate, proscribe or permit specified relationships among people and organizations, intended to provide methods for ensuring the impartial treatment of such people, and provide... University of Lausanne, museum and library The University of Lausanne (in French: Université de Lausanne) or UNIL in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. ... (help· info), IPA: , is the capital city as well as a state of Germany, and also the countrys largest city. ... An automobile is a wheeled vehicle that carries its own motor. ... horse, see Horse (disambiguation). ... A hunter on horseback shoots at deer or elk with a bow. ... A safari is a hunting journey. ... Lobster boat A boat is a watercraft, usually smaller than most ships. ... Fixed-wing aircraft is a term used to refer to what are more commonly known as aeroplanes in Commonwealth English (excluding Canada) or airplanes in North American English. ... Kilometre per hour (American spelling: kilometer per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... A car accident in Yate, near Bristol, England, in July 2004. ...

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 to 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. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... (help· info) (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945) was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 and Führer (Leader) of Germany from 1934 until his death. ... The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it easier to understand, this article or section may require cleanup. ... An officer is a member of a military service who holds a position of responsibility. ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop... IG Farben (short for Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG) was a German conglomerate of companies formed in 1925 and even earlier during World War I. IG Farben held nearly a total monopoly on the chemical production, later during the time of Nazi Germany. ... A secretary is an office/administrative support position. ... It has been suggested that Board of Trustees be merged into this article or section. ... The Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris, has become the international symbol of the city. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... For other uses, see Wilhelmina (disambiguation). ...

Prince Bernhard's political affiliations with the Nazi regime have received much attention. Various members of his family and acquaintances were aligned with the Nazis prior to and during the war - a number of these being entertained shortly before and joining the royal wedding. Protocol demanded that the Prince-Consort to be asked for an audience with hishead of state, the German dictator Adolf Hitler. The atmosphere was less than cordial. The dictator is reported to have made some small talk about tourism on the Rhine and reportedly hailed the union between the Prince and Princess Juliana as a great alliance of Germanic nations. The Prince and Hitler met only once.

The Prince's brother Prince Aschwin of Lippe-Biesterfeld was serving his country as an officer in the German army. Allthough the secret sevices on both sides were interested in this peculiar pair of brothers, no impropper contacts or leaks of information were discovered. The prince showed himself to be a loyal Dutch citizen and officer. He cut off the relations with those members of his family who were enthusiastic Nazis. As a sign of his "Dutchness" he spoke only Dutch when negotiating the surrender of German forces in the Netherlands. The Prince was known to be very fond of smart uniforms and medals. He made a point of wearing his medals in the English "Court style". The Dutch armed forces wear their medals in a manner that is copied from the Prussian Army. The Prince's deliberate disobediance of the regulations was not widely noticed but it is a clear sign of his allegiance.

The Prince's mother was no admirer of the Nazis and got into trouble for refusing to hoist a swastika flag on her country seat in Reckenwalde. The Nazi government did not take kindly to her, as the mother of an allied general. A right-facing Swastika in decorative Hindu form For the town in Ontario, see Swastika, Ontario. ...

World War II

Prince Bernhard began to make himself popular and trusted in the eyes of the Dutch people at the outset of World War II. During the German Invasion, the Prince, carrying a machine gun, organised the palace guards into a combat group that managed to expel the German paratroopers from the palace grounds, so allowing for the royal family to flee the Netherlands and take refuge in England. Once safely there, Princess Juliana and the children then went on to Canada, where they remained until the end of the war. Combatants Allies: • Poland, • UK & Commonwealth, • France/Free France, • Soviet Union, • USA, • China, ...and others Axis: • Germany, • Italy, • Japan, ...and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total: 50 million Full list Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total: 12 million Full list World War II... An American Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st...

In England, Prince Bernhard asked to work in British Intelligence but the War Admiralty, and later General Eisenhower's Allied Command offices, did not trust him sufficiently to allow him access to intelligence information. However, on the recommendation of King George VI, he was later permitted to work in the war planning councils. Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st... Intelligence (abbreviated or ) is the process and the result of gathering information and analyzing it to answer questions or obtain advance warnings needed to plan for the future. ... Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723-26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander Pope The Admiralty was historically the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor) (14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was the third British monarch of the House of Windsor, reigning from 11 December 1936 until his death. ...

In 1941 Prince Bernhard was given the honorary rank of wing commander in the Royal Air Force. He then trained as a pilot and gained his wings later that same year. For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... A Wing Commanders sleeve/shoulder insignia A Wing Commanders command flag Wing Commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. ... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

From 1942 to 1944 Bernhard flew as a pilot with the Royal Air Force. He also helped organize the Dutch resistance movement and acted as personal secretary for Queen Wilhelmina. This article is about the year. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ...

By 1944, Prince Bernhard became commander of the Dutch armed forces. After the liberation of the Netherlands, he returned with his family where he became active in the negotiations for the German surrender. He was present during the armistice negotiations and German surrender in Hotel de Wereld ("The World Hotel") in Wageningen (in The Netherlands) on May 5, 1945. However, he ia alleged to have said that he felt sorry for the German General Blaskowitz, later charged with war crimes, who was responsible for the Nazi surrender in the Netherlands. The Prince was a genuine war hero in the eyes of most of the Dutch and even kept cordial relations with the communists who fought against the Nazis. In the post-war years the popular and very regal, glamourous and well-connected Prince earned respect for his hard work in helping to reinvigorate the economy of the Netherlands. 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... A white flag is traditionally used to represent a truce. ... Negotiation is the process whereby interested parties resolve disputes, agree upon courses of action, bargain for individual or collective advantage, and/or attempt to craft outcomes which serve their mutual interests. ... Hotel De Wereld Hotel de Wereld (meaning the World Hotel) in Wageningen was the site of the capitulation of the German troups in The Netherlands on 5 and 6 May 1945, and the end of German occupation during World War II. This fact is remembered annually. ... Wageningen is a municipality and a historical town in the central Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Johannes Blaskowitz (July 10, 1883 - February 5, 1948) was a German general during World War II. During the Polish September Campaign he commanded the German Eighth Army. ...

Postwar roles

Queen Wilhelmina erased the word " honorary" in the decree that promoted Bernhard to General. In this unconstitutional manner she gave this Royal Prince a position that was never intended by either parliament or her ministers. The minister of defence did not dare to correct his headstrong monarch and the Prince took a real and important role in the Dutch Armed forces. After the war the position of Inspector General was created for the Prince. He was made a member of the board of supervisors of Fokker Aircraft, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and within a few years was invited to serve as an advisor of numerous corporations and institutions. 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 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. Fokker 100 of British Midland Airways Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. ... KLM (in full: Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, literally Royal Aviation Company; usual English: Royal Dutch Airlines) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before its (agreed) take-over by Air France, KLM was the national airline of the Netherlands. ... It has been suggested that Incorporation (business) be merged into this article or section. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging, usually on a short-term basis and especially for tourists. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Robert Schuman receiving the Karlspreis in the city of Aachen in 1958 Robert Schuman (June 29, 1886 – September 4, 1963) was a noted French politician, a Christian Democrat (M.R.P.) who is regarded as one of the founders of the European Union. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

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. An affair is a euphemism for a situation where two people are involved in an illicit sexual, romantic and/or passionate attachment, usually for a limited duration. ...

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

Scandals

As a man Prince Bernhard was a " larger than life" figure with a large network and a cosmopolitan lifestyle. Rumours, gossip and anecdotes about him are widespread. Some of the "facts" that have been printed about him are clearly not true. Some of the Prince's work for charity was never made public. On the other hand there were business deals and parts of the Prince's private and political life that are distinctly shadowy...

The following list of scandals and rumours is therefore by no means complete. On the other hand there is no complete list of the Prince's achievements and charitable work.

By the 1970s, Prince Bernhard served on more than 300 corporate boards or committees worldwide and was loudly praised in the Netherlands for his very active efforts to promote the economic well-being of the country. But scandal rocked the Royal family in 1976 when it was revealed that Prince Bernhard had accepted a US$1.1 million bribe from U.S. aircraft manufacturer, Lockheed Corporation to influence the Dutch government's purchase of fighter aircraft. Prime Minister of the Netherlands Joop den Uyl ordered an inquiry into the affair while Prince Bernhard refused to answer reporters' questions, stating: "I am above such things." The Dutch and international press headlined the stories for months, providing proof of Prince Bernhard's German SS participation and his numerous extra-marital affairs, including the purchase of a luxurious Paris apartment for his mistress Helene Grinda, with whom he had an illegitimate daughter, Alexia. (Bernhard has a second illegitimate daughter, Alicia, in the USA.) The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... Bribery is the practice of offering a professional money or other favours in order to circumvent ethics in a variety of professions. ... The Lockheed SR-71 was remarkably advanced for its time and remains unsurpassed in many areas of performance. ... F-104 Starfighter The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was a high-performance supersonic interceptor aircraft, capable of high speeds and climb rates. ... The Prime Minister of the Netherlands (Minister-President in Dutch) is the chairman of the council of ministers and active executive authority of the Dutch government. ... Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dr. Johannes Marten Joop den Uyl (August 9, 1919 - December 24, 1987) was a Dutch politician, prime minister of the Netherlands from 1973 until 1977, as a member of the socialist PvdA party. ... The Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris, has become the international symbol of the city. ... Mistress is the feminine form of the word master. ... Illegitimacy was a term in common usage for the condition of being born of parents who are not validly married to one another; the legal term is bastardy. ...

Further evidence came to light of the Prince having been deeply involved with Tibor Rosenbaum, the Swiss banker and front man for Mafia financier Meyer Lansky. To make things worse, it was revealed that the Prince had also been involved in business dealings with Robert Vesco who had been a frequent guest at the Royal Palace. Vesco used an Amsterdam mailing address while committing the largest single fraud ever, stealing more than US$220 million from a Swiss based company, Investors Overseas Services Ltd. The Mafia, also referred to in Italian as La Cosa Nostra, which is generally translated this thing of ours in the Italian language, is an organized criminal secret society which evolved in mid-19th century Sicily. ... Lanskys mugshot (see also the full image with profile) Meyer Lansky (born Majer Suchowliński, July 4, 1902 – January 15, 1983), was a gangster born in Grodno, then part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth occupied by the Russian Empire but now in Belarus. ... Robert Lee Vesco (born December 4, 1935) is a US financier who fled Securities and Exchange Commission and ended up in Cuba. ...

On August 26, 1976, a toned down, but nonetheless devastating, report on Prince Bernhard's activities was released to a shocked Dutch public. The Prince's own letter in 1974 to Lockheed Corporation that demanded "commissions" be paid to him on Dutch government aircraft purchases was one of the most damaging documents in a mountain of evidence. The investigations also revealed other serious actions by the Prince, including arranging to pay more than a million dollars in bribes to Juan Peron of Argentina in exchange for Argentina buying new railroad equipment from the Netherlands. Criminal charges were not laid by the government due to threats by Queen Juliana that she would abdicate if her husband were prosecuted. August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... Juan Domingo Perón (October 8, 1895 – July 1, 1974) was an Argentine military officer and the President of Argentina from 1946 to 1955 and from 1973 to 1974. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... Abdication (from the Latin abdicatio, disowning, renouncing, from ab, from, and dicare, to declare, to proclaim as not belonging to one) is the act of renouncing and resigning from a formal office, especially from the supreme office of state. ...

Prince Bernhard was sacked as Inspector-General of the Dutch armed forces and was prohibited to wear the uniform. He resigned his various high profile positions in many businesses, charities, and other institutions and in return the States-General voted against criminal prosecution. He turned over presidency of the international World Wildlife Fund to the British prince Philip. The Dutch Royal family worked hard to rehabilitate the Prince's name, but another scandal was to be revealed. The Estates-General (Staten-Generaal) is the parliament of the Netherlands. ...

In 1988, Prince Bernhard and Princess Juliana sold two paintings from their personal collection to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund. The paintings sold for GBP700 000, which was deposited in a Swiss WWF bank account. In 1989, however, Charles de Haes, director-general of the WWF, transferred GBP500 000 back to Bernhard, for what de Haes called a private project. In 1991, newspapers reported what this private project was: Prince Bernhard had hired mercenaries - mostly British - to fight against poachers in nature reserves. The paramilitary organisation infiltrated organisations profiting from illegal trade in ivory in order to roll them up. 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... UKP redirects here. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A mercenary is a soldier who fights, or engages in warfare primarily for private gain, usually with little regard for ideological, national or political considerations. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A nature reserve (natural reserve, nature preserve, natural preserve) is an area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. ... A paramilitary organization is a group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion. ... An elaborately carved ivory decoration Ivory is a hard, white, opaque substance that is the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals such as the elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth, narwhal, etc. ...

This 'Project Lock', as it was called, seemed to have backfired enormously, however. The "private army" of Bernhard had not only infiltrated in the illegal trade, they were also participating in it. To make things worse, Irish reporter Kevin Dowling discovered that the South-African army was also involved in the trade, hinting at connections between the army of Bernhard and the WWF and the struggle for maintaining apartheid. Moreover, he claimed members of the South-African run counterinsurgency unit Koevoet (Afrikaans for "crowbar"), responsible for the Boipatong massacre in 1992, were trained under Project Lock. A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... Koevoet (Afrikaans for crowbar) was a counterinsurgency unit in South-West Africa (Namibia). ... Afrikaans is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in South Africa and Namibia with smaller numbers of speakers in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Zambia. ... A crowbar is a tool consisting of a metal bar with one curved end and flattened points, often with a small fissure on the curved end for removing nails. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

In 1995, Nelson Mandela called upon the Kumleben Commission to investigate, among other things, the role of the WWF in apartheid South-Africa. In the report that followed, it was suggested that mercenaries from Project Lock had been planning assassinations of ANC members and that mercenaries had been running training camps in the wildlife reserves, training fighters from the terrorist groups UNITA and Renamo. Although Prince Bernhard was never accused of any crime in its context, the Project Lock scandal dealt another damaging blow to the Prince's name. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela IPA: (born July 18, 1918) was the first President of South Africa to be elected in fully-representative democratic elections. ... Jack Ruby murdered the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, in a very public manner. ... The African National Congress (ANC) is a centre-left political party, and has been South Africas governing party supported by a tripartite alliance between itself, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) since the establishment of majority rule in May 1994. ... It has been suggested that Terrorist be merged into this article or section. ... UNITA sticker The União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola (UNITA) is an Angolan political faction. ... The Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO; Portuguese: Resistência Nacional Moçambicana) is a conservative political party in Mozambique led by Afonso Dhlakama. ...

The Prince is also alleged to have sent a letter to Adolf Hitler offering the Prince's support in exchange for Hitler's support of Bernhard as "Stadthouder" of the occupied Netherlands. These allegations have never been substantiated and no letter has ever been discovered.It is obvious that the Nazi government would have used a letter like this to embaress the Dutch monarch and her cause. It is therefore, in all probability, a made up story.

Yet more controversy came on 30 October 2002, when he paid the fines of two Albert Heijn supermarket staff members, who were convicted of assaulting a shoplifter after they detained him. October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ... Albert Heijn B.V. is a supermarket chain founded in 1887 in Oostzaan, the Netherlands. ... Exterior appearance of typical American supermarket (a Safeway) A supermarket or grocery store is a store that sells a wide variety of food. ... Shoplifting (also known as retail theft) is theft of merchandise for sale in a shop, store, or other retail establishment, by an ostensible patron. ...

In an interview published after his death, Prince Bernhard admitted that he had accepted more than one million dollars (US) in bribes from Lockheed. He also admitted to having fathered two illegitimate daughters in the years following his marriage. [1]

Death

Prince Bernhard died of cancer at the age of 93 in an Utrecht hospital (the Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht - University of Utrecht Medical Centre) on 1 December 2004; until his death he suffered from malignant lung and intestinal tumours. On December 11 he was interred at the Nieuwe Kerk, Delft. Bernhard's funeral was different form those of Claus and Juliana in that Bernhard's coffin was transported on the undercarriage of a cannon instead of in the traditional carriage used when the coffins of Claus and Juliana were transported to Delft. Together with the playing of many military marches and the forming of guards of honour by Second World War veterans this gave the funeral procession a military character as the late prince, as a Second World War veteran himself, had wished. As a final tribute to his former military role in the Netherlands Air Force, three modern F-16s jet fighters and a World War II Spitfire plane performed a low fly-by during the funeral in a classic missing man formation. When normal cells are damaged beyond repair, they are eliminated by apoptosis. ... Utrecht is a municipality and the capital city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. ... Utrecht University (Universiteit Utrecht in Dutch) is a university in Utrecht, The Netherlands. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ... The intestine is the portion of the alimentary canal extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine. ... Tumor (American English) or tumour (British English) originally means swelling, and is sometimes still used with that meaning. ... December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Nieuwe Kerk is also the name of various other churches, such as the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft. ... Delft is a city in South Holland (Zuid-Holland), the Netherlands, located halfway between Rotterdam and The Hague (Den Haag). ... Claus van Amsberg (born Klaus-Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Gerd von Amsberg) (September 6, 1926 - October 6, 2002) was a German diplomat and the husband of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. ... Juliana Queen of the Netherlands Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (Juliana Emma Louise Wilhelmina van Oranje-Nassau) (April 30, 1909 – March 20, 2004), Princess of Orange-Nassau, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld, was Queen of the Netherlands from her mothers abdication in 1948 to her own... A small Civil War-era cannon on a carriage A cannon is any large tubular firearm designed to fire a heavy projectile over a considerable distance. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... A veteran refers to a person who is experienced in a particular area, particularly referring to people in the armed forces. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a modern multi-role jet fighter aircraft built in the United States and used by dozens of countries all over the world. ... Spitfire may refer to: Supermarine Spitfire, a single-seat fighter plane used in World War II Triumph Spitfire, a small two-seat British sports car from Triumph Motor Company Spitfire, a slang term for a highly-excitable or passionate person, especially a woman. ... The missing man formation flying over the USS Arizona memorial in Hawaii The missing man formation is an aerial salute performed as part of a fly-over of aircraft at a funeral. ...

External links

• Dutch Royal House official website
• The World Wildlife Fund website
• Official site of the Dutch Royal House
• Official memorial
• Article about Prince Bernhard during WWII on Go2War2 (Dutch)
• The Mars en Mercurius website