Funeral of Prince Bernhard: December 11, 2004

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Today King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia will attend the funeral of HRH Prince Bernard,father of HM Queen Beatrix,in The Netherlands.

[The Watcher]

Today is the funeral.

Livestream on this site: http://www.nos.nl/prins_bernhard/ind...ws.html~output

[SweetHomeNC]

There is always something about funerals....

What are the pieces that they were playing when the coffin was brought out and put onto the transport?

[pdas1201]

Dutch prepare for Prince
Bernhard's final farewell

10 December 2004

AMSTERDAM — In what is being described as the "end of an era", the Dutch royal family finalised preparations on Friday for the funeral of Prince Bernhard.

Bernhard, 93, will be interred next to his wife, Queen Juliana, in the royal family vault in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft on Saturday.

About 42,000 people paid their final respects to the prince this week at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, where Bernhard has laid in state since Sunday. The chapel was open to the public on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Politicians and diplomats paid their final respects to Bernhard at the chapel on Monday.

Members of the Dutch Lower House of Parliament and the Senate later paid tribute to the prince in a joint sitting in the Knights Hall in The Hague. Lower House chair Frans Weisglas described Bernhard's death as the end of an era.

Royal court staff, security officers, employees of the Government Information Service RVD and the staff at the Queen's Cabinet were to be given the opportunity Friday to bid their final farewells to the prince. The royal family was not planning to assemble again until Saturday.

Instead, Bernhard's daughters Queen Beatrix, the princesses Irene, Margriet and Christina and Pieter van Vollenhoven (Margriet's husband) supervised final preparations in the church on Friday. Bernhard's grandchildren and extended family were also seen at the church, but the royals had left again by 3.30pm.

Saturday's funeral will have a military character to honour Bernhard's lasting connection to the armed forces and his role as the chief commander of the Dutch forces during the latter part of World War II. Trumpeters will play the "Last Post" as the prince's coffin is carried into the crypt.

If cloud cover is not too low, fighter jets will fly over the church in a missing-man formation, signifying that a soldier has not returned from battle. The German-born Bernhard flew with the RAF during World War II after helping the royal family escape the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands.

He will be interred in the uniform of a Dutch air force officer despite the fact he was stripped of the right to wear a uniform after being implicated in a bribery scandal with US aircraft manufacturer Lockheed in the 1970s.

Bernhard died of cancer on December 1 at the UMC hospital in Utrecht. He was brought from Soestdijk Palace on Sunday to The Hague. The funeral procession will leave Noordeinde Palace at 09.40am on Saturday and arrive at the Nieuwe Kerk at 12.15pm. The funeral service will start at 12.30pm.

Pastor Carel ter Linden will officiate and the service will be broadcast on Dutch public and commercial television stations. The Nieuwe Kerk is being decorated with thousands of flowers. White carnations, closely associated with the prince who wore a fresh carnation every day, will occupy a special place in a floral arrangement near the pulpit.

In the city of Delft itself, roads have been swept and repaved where necessary and flower boxes, advertisements, posters, cars and bicycles have been cleared from the streets. An alcohol ban has also been imposed on the city as part of an emergency ordinance designed to maintain public safety.

A total of 18 royal households will be represented at the funeral. Notable attendees are Belgian King Albert II, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain, Danish Prince Henrik, Britain's Prince Philip, King Carl Gustave and Queen Silvia of Sweden and King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway.

[pdas1201]

Here is the link to the official book of Condolence...

http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/bernhar...ex.php?Lang=EN

[The Watcher]

Originally Posted by SweetHomeNC

There is always something about funerals....

What are the pieces that they were playing when the coffin was brought out and put onto the transport?

- Wilhelmus, dutch anthem.
- Aan hen die vielen, of C.H. van den Bergh
(Song from the second world war)
- La Barca del Oro, van A. Martinez (Mexican song, the prince loved Mexico)
- Eternal Father, strong to save, of J. Dykes

[The Watcher]

Screenshot

[xxPatrickxx]

Photo of the 'affuit'

[xxPatrickxx]

Second Photo in 'RijsWijk'

[xxPatrickxx]

Panda Bear on the 'Bloemenbrik'. Flowers of the WWF

[xxPatrickxx]

Foto's Yesterday in Delft :














'Veteranen' last night in 'De Kuip' Rotterdam:



Carel Ter Linden in Delft:

[xxPatrickxx]

[The Watcher]

First ANP-pictures

BTW. The ladies of the Dutch Royal Family are dressed in white (like Juliana).

[susan alicia]

Originally Posted by The Watcher

First ANP-pictures

BTW. The ladies of the Dutch Royal Family are dressed in white (like Juliana).

might be wrong about this because I was not paying real attention but I think I saw the shoes of Laurentine, totally unsuitable for a funeral. too tall spiky heals with a thick leather band around the ankels, they have a sm-quality about them.

[Dennism]

The Panda was a nice touch. Symbol of the WWF. I remember Eloise having one in her hand when they all waving goodbye at the palace. My heart is heavy. Another sad goodbye.

[Tina]

All of his grandchildren were standing around the coffin. They gave a litte candle around and four of them lighted four big candles. Never seen something like this before, it was amazing.

[Lena]

A very moving ceremony (so far)! The dutch Royals know how to say the "last goodbye" in a dignified way.

[royal_sophietje]

The "Fly Past By" was very impressing!! My father said they did it VERY correct and that it was a great tribute.

[royal_sophietje]

What I find a little bit sad is that it is a more white funeral then Juliana's. Especially since Juliana's funeral was supposed to be white (but it became a funeral with white accents) and that Bernhard didn't had a specific colour for his funeral.

[Tina]

Originally Posted by royal_sophietje

What I find a little bit sad is that it is a more white funeral then Juliana's. Especially since Juliana's funeral was supposed to be white (but it became a funeral with white accents) and that Bernhard didn't had a specific colour for his funeral.

it was said, that he first choose purple, but in the last days of his life he changed his mind and choose white as a tribute to Wilhelmina or Juliana (I forgot it)