On This Day: The Netherlands’ Prince Claus Is Born

Back in 1926, an infant was born in Hitzacker, Germany who would one day become the Prince Consort of the Netherlands. Claus van Amsberg was the second child and only son of Claus Felix van Amsberg and Baroness Gösta von dem Bussche-Haddenhausen.

A childhood and education in both Germany and German East Africa led to Claus’ attendance at the University of Hamburg to study law and political science in the 1950s. His university education had been delayed slightly by the Second World War, during which Claus was conscripted to the Wehrmacht and was stationed in Italy in 1945, where he was captured by the Americans and used as an interpreter until the end of the war.

Prince Claus, 1966

Claus met Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1962, before the couple met again at a wedding in Germany in 1964. During this time, Claus was working with the German diplomatic corps, working in the Dominican Republic and Côte d’Ivoire as well as his home country. The pair’s engagement in June 1965 was met with resistance from the Dutch populace, as anti-German sentiment was still strong two decades after the war (Claus’ membership in the Hitler Youth, which was not optional at the time in Nazi Germany, was a contentious point).

Despite protests, Claus and Beatrix were married on March 10, 1966 and went on to welcome three sons: Willem-Alexander, Friso and Constantijn. His wife became Queen in 1980.

Claus and Beatrix on their engagement day, 1965

Over the years, through his loyalty and dedication to his adopted country and its people, Prince Claus became one of the most beloved members of the royal family. His work had a focus on technological innovation, music and cultural preservation, as well as helping the development of the poorer countries of the world.

Prince Claus passed away at the age of 76 on October 6, 2002 following a long illness, during which he battled Parkinson’s disease and depression.

Prince Claus at the wedding of his youngest son, Prince Constantijn, in 2000

Filed under The Netherlands
Tagged Anniversary, Birth, Prince Claus of the Netherlands.

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