by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014
Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands
Prince Constantijn Christof Frederik Aschwin of the Netherlands was born on October 11, 1969, in Utrecht, the Netherlands, the youngest son of the future Queen Beatrix and Claus von Amsberg. He was christened on February 21, 1970, at St. Martin’s Cathedral in Utrecht, the Netherlands. His godparents were:
- King Constantine II of Greece
- Prince Aschwin of Lippe-Biesterfeld, his paternal uncle
- Axel von dem Bussche, German diplomat
- Max Kohnstamm, Dutch historian and diplomat, served as private secretary to Queen Wilhelmina
- Corinne de Beaufort-Sickinghe, former governess of Queen Beatrix and her sister Princess Irene
Constantijn has two older brothers:
- King Willem-Alexander (born 1967) married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti, had three daughters
- Prince Friso (1968 – 2013) married Mabel Wisse Smit, had two daughters
Prince Constantijn grew up at Castle Drakesteijn in Baarn, the Netherlands until his mother’s accession as Queen in 1980. At that point, the family moved to Huis ten Bosch, in The Hague. He received his primary education at the Nieuwe Baarnse School in Baarn and his secondary education at the Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague. Following a year spent studying languages in France and Italy, he began studying law at Leiden University in the Netherlands, earning his degree in 1995.
After earning his degree, Constantijn took an internship in the office of the European Commissioner Hans van den Broek. He remained with the EU, in various roles, until late 1999. In 2000, he earned his MBA from INSEAD in France and spent a summer working at the International Finance Corporation, part of the Work Bank, in Washington DC. He then moved to London where he worked as a strategic policy consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton until late 2002. He then worked for RAND Corporation Europe, eventually becoming the head of the corporation’s Brussels office. He also served as an advisor to the Dutch Ministry for Foreign Affairs. He returned to the European Commission where he served as Chief of Staff to Commissioner Neelie Kroes from 2013 – 2014. Since July 1, 2016, Constantijn has been the Special Envoy for TechLeap.NL, formerly Startup Delta. He is also an independent consultant in business innovation and is also Director of Digital Technology and Macro Strategy at MAP in London and Edge Fellow at Deloitte Center for the Edge.
Constantijn married Petra Laurentien Brinkhorst in a civil ceremony on May 17, 2001, in The Hague. A religious ceremony followed on May 19, 2001, at the Grote of St Jacobskerk in The Hague, the Netherlands.
The couple had three children:
- Countess Eloise (born 2002)
- Count Claus-Casimir (born 2004)
- Countess Leonore (born 2006)
Prince Constantijn does not undertake many official duties for the Dutch monarchy. However, as a member of the Dutch Royal House, he and his wife are typically in attendance at major events, such as King’s Day and the annual Opening of Parliament.
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