Funeral of Prince Bernhard: December 11, 2004

[The Watcher]

Some more pictures

[Ennyllorac]

I read earlier that he first wanted purple for his funeral and then changed to white. Have you all noticed that the Queen is wearing purple with white. I think it was a nice touch.

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Very sad Quen Beatrix.I'm so sorry for her.Wish her Dad in rest.

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Any picsof Princess Laurentien?I did not see her and Mabel too.

[The Watcher]

Originally Posted by Ennyllorac

I read earlier that he first wanted purple for his funeral and then changed to white. Have you all noticed that the Queen is wearing purple with white. I think it was a nice touch.

Yes I noticed that too, very nice to see.

Here are some more pictures

[The Watcher]

Originally Posted by HMQueenElizabethII

Any picsof Princess Laurentien?I did not see her and Mabel too.

Not yet. But I think later today. The photo-agency publishs first pictures of the Queen, WA & Maxima etc.

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Queen Beatrix looks really sad today.She will leave hr father today.Very sorry for all the Dutch Royal Family Members.

[GrandDuchess]

A wonderful farewell ceremony to Prince Bernhard - very dignified and pompous, but at the same time also very family intimate and emotional. May he rest in peace.

Thanks for all the pictures.

Here are King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, King Harald and Queen Sonja, and King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. Pictures from Getty (sorry if any are duplicates):

[Gabriella]

Originally Posted by Ennyllorac

I read earlier that he first wanted purple for his funeral and then changed to white. Have you all noticed that the Queen is wearing purple with white. I think it was a nice touch.

I didn't notice that, thanks for pointing it out. You are right, it is a nice touch.

[The Watcher]

Messages from BRMB:

---------------------------
1.
The Reverend Minister during his homily:


"In this Word", so starts the Gospel of John, "was life. And the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehend it not."

When I visited the Prince for the last time and did read this aloud, he listened full of concentration and sometimes moved. He beckoned that he wanted to see this text from close; I handed over my little Bible, and he began to read, line after line, softly muttering the words. 'Beautiful! That sentence that in God there is no darkness. That is why I do not fear for the death'.

And a few moments later: 'Do you know, when people do ask me how I'm doing, I do reply: "Like a five or six year old boy who is enjoying his forthcoming birthday. The difference is that I do not know when that birthday will come." He died with a smile. His next of kin are not dressed in dark because of that. Because the day he died was a new birthday for him."


2.


Now Bernhard Leopold Frederik Everhard Julius Coert Karel Godfried Pieter van Lippe- Biesterfeld has departed this life, we do bless this life.

That God may give it a place in his history with mankind, on the path to peace and brotherhood.

We do entrust his body to the womb of this church, we give him away, out of our hands, into the hands of the living God. May the Lord's blessing bear him:

The Lord bless you and watch over you.

The Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.

The Lord look kindly on you and give you peace.

[The Last Post by Trumpet]

Interment

[‘Abide With Me’, Hymn 64
Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847)
William Henry Monk (1823-1889)] HM the Queen
HRH Princess Irene of the Netherlands
HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
mr. Pieter van Vollenhoven
HRH Princess Christina of the Netherlands
go down in the royal vault to say the last farewell. [Introitus, Kyrie, Sanctus and In Paradisum
from het Requiem van Gabriël Fauré (1845-1924)]
------------------

[The Watcher]

More pictures of guests etc.

[The Watcher]

More pictures of family and guests

[The Watcher]

More pictures, also a singing princess Christina.

[susan alicia]

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Guestlist from BRMB:

Ruling Houses:

Belgium
King AlbertII

Denmark
Prince Henrik

Jordan
Prince Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath

Liechtenstein
Prince Hans-Adam II

Luxembourg
Grand Duke Henri

Morocco
Prince Mulay Abdullah el Allaoui

Norway
King Harald V and Queen Sonja

Spain
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia

United Kingdom
Prince Philip

Sweden
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Sylvia

Others present:
King Constantine of Greece
The Aga Khan and His daughter Zahra Aga Khan
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie,former President
of the Republic of Indonesia
Mr.Walter Scheel,former President of Germany.

in front of the aga khan a prince of bulgarie and his daughter (when walking to the church)

[hrhcp]

In lloking at the atached pic, can some-one tell me if there is protocol at work here.

#1. How come Carl Gustaf is up front, and King Albert of Belgium way in the back with Henri of Luxembourg? I would have thought that with the "Benelux" connection, the latter two would have some "priority"?

#2. It looks like Prince Henrik of Denmark is behind Juan Carlos of Spain. Where is Queen Margrethe at his side?

I think it makes for an interesting picture how each row of royals is accompanied by an aide. Are these aides brought along, or provided by the Netherlands?

[Martine]

I'm not sure of this, but i'll try to answer your questions
#1: Isn't it so that the most important persons enter the church last?
#2: maybe it's like with Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth only rarely attends a funeral abroad, i think she only attended Kind Bauduoin's funeral

[The Watcher]

Originally Posted by hrhcp

In lloking at the atached pic, can some-one tell me if there is protocol at work here.

#1. How come Carl Gustaf is up front, and King Albert of Belgium way in the back with Henri of Luxembourg? I would have thought that with the "Benelux" connection, the latter two would have some "priority"?

#2. It looks like Prince Henrik of Denmark is behind Juan Carlos of Spain. Where is Queen Margrethe at his side?

I think it makes for an interesting picture how each row of royals is accompanied by an aide. Are these aides brought along, or provided by the Netherlands?

1. I´m not sure but I think that the most important persons go first. And of the most important royal persons, the one who became as first the statehead. I thouhgt that Carl Gustav became king in 1973 and Juan Carlos in 1975. Is that correct?

The aides are all from the Netherlands

[Guess Who]

Could someone please explain why the royal family were in white coats and white hats and not in black?

[hrhcp]

Originally Posted by Guess Who

Could someone please explain why the royal family were in white coats and white hats and not in black?

I read on the Benelux Royals MB because it had something to do with the "joy" of Bernhard going to nis maker.

[Alexandria]

Originally Posted by The Watcher

1. I´m not sure but I think that the most important persons go first. And of the most important royal persons, the one who became as first the statehead. I thouhgt that Carl Gustav became king in 1973 and Juan Carlos in 1975. Is that correct?

I think you are right that the order of royal guests goes by who has been ruling longest. Sometimes this protocol is broken however to factor in personal friendships or relationships.

I believe that it was for Queen Beatrix's 60th birthday some years back that this protocol was broken by have the Spanish King and Queen before longer ruling Kings and Queens such as Queen Margrethe because of the personal friendship between Beatrix, Juan Carlos and Sofia.

Thank you to everyone who provided information and pictures of this impressive though sad occasion.

The emotions of this day and this loss were evident by all the family members present. I was so touched by the images of all the grandsons lighting candles, the names of the Prince's daughters on the ribbons on the funeral wreath and a picture of Willem wiping a tear away with maxima holding one of his gloved hands.

The entire family organized an impressive and such a dignified final farewell for Prince Bernhard that was full of personal touches, from the panda, the touches of purple along with the white, Christina singing, the grandsons each playing their own role, the nod to the Prince's military background, it was both personal and grand at the same time.

Someone asked about Mabel, here is a picture of her and Johan Friso as well as one of Jaime de Bourbon (I think), with Maurits and Marilene.

Source: ANP