Queen Juliana And Prince Bernhard

[Marengo]

Most Dutch newspapers featured an article about Prince Bernhard yesterday. Journalist Ton Biesemaat will publish a new book called Bernhard Gate, which - according to his own words- will reveal that Berhard did write the so-called ´stadholdersletter´ to Adolf Hitler. In which the prince basically offered to rule the Netherlands as a vassal of the Nazi´s. Biesemaats ´proof´ are some people who claim that they have read the letter. Biesemaat also accuses newspaper ´De Telegraaf´ of lies, he sayus that they have known for 50 years that such a letter was around, which they have always hidden from the public. He apparently will show some letters of an old editor of the nespaper in which the editor writes about the stadholders-letter.

The newspaper reacted furiously and called it ´utter rubbish´, Prince Bernhard always denied that he ever wrote such a letter and at the end of his life he said in an interview in newspaper ´De Volkskrant´ that he offered a reward of 1 million euros to the person who could show him the letter. Nobody ever showed up of course.

Untill Biesemaat can come up witht he letter this is all highly unlikely, also as he claims that Juliana signed the letter too, which would be even more shocking and unbelievable to me. Anyway, the author has good hopes that more information will come up next year, when some information int he American archives will be opened to the public.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Most Dutch newspapers featured an article about Prince Bernhard yesterday. Journalist Ton Biesemaat will publish a new book called Bernhard Gate, which - according to his own words- will reveal that Berhard did write the so-called ´stadholdersletter´ to Adolf Hitler. In which the prince basically offered to rule the Netherlands as a vassal of the Nazi´s. Biesemaats ´proof´ are some people who claim that they have read the letter. Biesemaat also accuses newspaper ´De Telegraaf´ of lies, he sayus that they have known for 50 years that such a letter was around, which they have always hidden from the public. He apparently will show some letters of an old editor of the nespaper in which the editor writes about the stadholders-letter.

The newspaper reacted furiously and called it ´utter rubbish´, Prince Bernhard always denied that he ever wrote such a letter and at the end of his life he said in an interview in newspaper ´De Volkskrant´ that he offered a reward of 1 million euros to the person who could show him the letter. Nobody ever showed up of course.

Untill Biesemaat can come up witht he letter this is all highly unlikely, also as he claims that Juliana signed the letter too, which would be even more shocking and unbelievable to me. Anyway, the author has good hopes that more information will come up next year, when some information int he American archives will be opened to the public.

More things did happen then we know of now,but that letter,and even signed by Juliana,wasn't among it.Ever.
Fake story by another twit trying to make a buck.Pathetic.

[Marengo]

As posted by Jos on the Benelux Royals MB:

In yesterday’s and today’s NRC Handelsblad there is a plea for erecting a statue for Queen Juliana. The author is Bert van Nieuwenhuizen who published books on Juliana and Wilhelmina. His argument is that Queen Juliana succeeded to generate general support for the Dutch monarchy by the Dutch population. This can not be said of Queen Wilhelmina, who became the “Mother of the Nation” only during WWII because of her resistance against the German occupation. Before the Second World War she considered herself a Protestant queen of a Protestant nation, and disliked Catholics, hated Socialists and distrusted Liberals. Juliana, however, had great diplomatic qualities and showed true statesmanship, for I instance during her stay in Canada during WWII when she succeeded in getting the support of President Roosevelt. She was gifted with a “social antenna”, and her human way of operating was her strongest weapon.

I think the idea of a statue for Queen Juliana is very appealing. However, our history of erecting statues is not such a pleasant one. Right after Queen Wilhelmina’s death there were plans for a statue of her. It took about 20 years not to realize it. It was a most horrendous plan consisting of a pebble track through The Hague and much multi media nonsense. In the end one decided to have a copy of the statue Charlotte van Pallandt created of Wilhelmina for Het Park in Rotterdam. It was put in front of Noordeinde Palace. Other statues erected recently (for André Hazes, Pim Fortuyn, Wim Kan and Corry Vonk, etc) are striking for their ugliness. For me it would be a small statue if people would stop referring to Juliana a “princess”. After all, she was our Queen. After Juliana’s death I missed a statement by Queen Beatrix similar to the one Juliana issued after Wilhelmina’s death: it was a request to call her mother “Queen Wilhelmina” again instead of “Princess Wilhelmina”.

I agree with him completely, esp. considering they already created a statue for Bernhard. Juliana certainly ´deserves´ one, pref. in The Hague. Maybe they could make it near Palace Lange Voorhout? It would be a magnificent place.

[Marengo]

Somebody broke into the cityhall of Wageningen last night and stole a picture portrait of Prince Bernhard. 4 in het land showed an angry spokeswoman for the city saying that this kind of vandalism is not a joke (she suspects a fraternity groups of the university might have stolen it) as a window was smashed and it was an original picture that had value to the city. The Prince was honairy citizen of Wageningen as he was there on May 5th 1945 when the Nazi´s signed the capitulation in hotel ´De Wereld´.

[lucien]

Four years today since Her Majesty Queen Juliana passed away.

[Marengo]

The cities Baarn and Soest both get a small bronze sculpture of Queen Juliana. It will be 55cm and it still has to be decided where they will be placed.

--

HP/De Tijd has an article on Prince Bernhards interest in the army. A while ago some private papers were released. The papers were usually typed by the prince and sent to ministers, officers etc. Nothing shocking, mostly suggesting another uniform here, complain about the long hairstyle of soldiers in the 70-ties there and more of the sort.

[Marengo]

Nieneke Lamme made 2 small bronze statues of Juliana for Baarn and Soest, in which Juliana lived (the two villages were both claiming that their village was where Soestdijk was located, though I believe in the end Baarn was right).

IMO the statues aren't very nice, it seems to be a lady doing the groceries, suitable for the Ahold office maybe.

The statue can be seen here.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Nieneke Lamme made 2 small bronze statues of Juliana for Baarn and Soest, in which Juliana lived (the two villages were both claiming that their village was where Soestdijk was located, though I believe in the end Baarn was right).

IMO the statues aren't very nice, it seems to be a lady doing the groceries, suitable for the Ahold office maybe.

The statue can be seen here.

Could be anyone,don't you think?Pity that 4 years have passed and nothing substantially worthwhile but most of all worthy of Queen Juliana has seen the light of day.Sad.

[PssMarie-Elisabeth]

Juliana in Dutch costume

[Marengo]

Thank you for reminding us about the late Queen. This would have been her 99th birthday. I wonder if they will do something next year, to commemorate her 100th birthday.

[lucien]

TV program NOVA will be entirely dedicated to Princess Juliana during the war years in Canada this saturday may 10th,Ned2 at 22.15PM.

Witness of those years there,now 91 year old Martine (Roëll) Feaver,tells how she and her daughter Renée got to the Palace and left together with the RF.

Renée was a playmate for wee Beatrix then,but the two remained each others best friends to this day.

http://www.royalblog.nl/

Courtesy HJA.

P/S

And while you are at Hans's wonderfull Royalblog,clcik on "Majestic Keukenhof" (At your left)too,to get an idea of how beautifull the national flower garden looks in may.For all those who can't make it there themselves.

[Marengo]

I saw the introduction of the programme on NOVA yesterday. Martine Feaver was saying tht Juliana loved to dust the house (in Canada)

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Marengo

I saw the introduction of the programme on NOVA yesterday. Martine Feaver was saying tht Juliana loved to dust the house (in Canada)

An amazing lady,an icon of days long gone in a way,what a rich life,not always easy,no,but a wealth of experiences.Extraordinary Lady.

[PssMarie-Elisabeth]

Queen Juliana & Prince Bernhard's wedding:
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/8...4p0911vwi8.jpg

[PssMarie-Elisabeth]

Another scene from their wedding -
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/8750/1937wedgu7.jpg

[PssMarie-Elisabeth]

The royal couple -

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/9761/jbyi9.jpg

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/9...4p1402vwm7.jpg

[Marengo]

From radionetherlands.nl:

Prince Bernard abused his position for compensation



By Sebastiaan Gottlieb*
08-06-2008


Research by a historian working for the Dutch Institute for War Documentation has revealed that the late Prince Bernard, husband of the late Queen mother Juliana, managed to get a million marks in compensation from Germany, even though he had no right to the money. Historian Gerard Aalders, who extensively researched Dutch and German archives, says the incident was typical of the late prince's passion for money. However much he had, it was never enough.
In 1905, Bernard's uncle Leopold inherited a castle and land from the Lippe family. Bernard is entitled to 87,000 German marks in compensation, but after the Second World War the money was confiscated by Germany. Bernard demanded it back, claiming its value has increased to a million marks. Mr Aalders puts this amount down to a bit of creative bookkeeping fed by Bernard's greed.

Read the entire article here.

-----

According to this article in the Volkskrant (!), Mr. Aalders was not objective in the research about Bernhards finances. Aalders also usually refers to a certain stadhouders-letter (in which Bernhard supposedly offers to become a Nazi-puppet in the Netherlands), which is Nazi-propeganda according to Prof. Cees Fasseur. Mr. van der Voet says that anything the prince has done in the eyes of Aalders and a few others (Tomas Ross, Kikkert, Philip Droge) will be assumed to be corrupt and a disgrace. The reality according to Mr. van der Voet is different, for example, Prince Bernhard had a right to be compensated for the loss of his german account, that was exactly what happened to others who used this special arrangement.