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HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
1911-2004
HRH Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands was the husband of the late Queen Juliana (1909-2004), former Queen of The Netherlands., and father of the current Queen Beatrix. Prince Berhard passed away on 1 December 2004.
From the 6th of December until the day of the funeral, Prince Bernhard was lying in state at the Chapel Ardente at Noordeinde Palace. The public could visit the Palace to sign the book of condolence and to say their final goodbyes to the Prince. The Prince's coffin was placed in the central hall of the ground floor of the Palace. The coffin was draped with the Dutch flag and a white carnation sat on top of the flag. The Prince's personal flag and 14 decorations were displayed on three cushions.
On Saturday 11 December, the coffin of HRH Prince Bernhard was transported from Noordeinde Palace in The Hague to the Nieuwe Kerk Church in Delft on a gun carriage which was drawn by six Gelderland and Groningen horses from the Royal Stables in The Hague. The funeral took place at 12:30. The Prince was been interred in the Royal Vault at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.
Court mourning was observed by the Royal House until the day after the funeral. A period of family mourning was observed until Christmas. During this period regular activities were resumed, but no public engagements were undertaken by any member of the Royal House.
He was born Count Bernhard of Biesterfeld, in Germany, on 29 July 1911. His parents were Prince Bernhard of Lippe and Baroness Armgard von Sierstorpff-Cramm. At the age of 5, he was made His Serene Highness Prince of Lippe-Biesterfeld. He married the then Princess Juliana on 7 January 1937 in The Hague. At the time of the wedding, he was styled His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Prince of Lippe-Biesterfeld. The couple had four daughters - Beatrix, Irene, Margriet and Christina. When his wife became Queen in 1948, Bernhard was styled His Royal Highness The Prince of the Netherlands, as the consort of the Queen. Upon his wife's abdication in 1980, his style reverted to His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Prince of Lippe-Biesterfeld.
Links:
Dutch Royal House: In Memoriam - HRH Prince Bernhard
BBC: Obituary: Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
The Telegraph: Obituary - HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands