General Notes

Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, b. June 29, 1911, is the consort of
Juliana, former queen of the Netherlands, and father of the present queen,
Beatrice. The nephew of Leopold IV, the last reigning prince of the German
state of Lippe, he married Juliana on Jan. 7, 1937.

Becoming a Dutch citizen, Bernhard fought against the invading Germans in 1940
and was appointed commander of the Dutch resistance fighters who helped
liberate the Netherlands in 1944-45.

After Juliana's accession to the throne in 1948, Bernhard used his status to
encourage cultural activities and international trade. In 1976 he was
implicated in a bribery scandal involving the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.
An official commission concluded that Prince Bernhard had "showed himself open
to dishonorable requests and offers"; he then resigned from his military and
business positions. In 1980, Juliana abdicated in favor of Princess Beatrice.