Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands

Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (June 29, 1911 – December 1, 2004) was a German-born nobleman who became Prince Consort of the Netherlands as the husband of Queen Juliana. His life was marked by significant contributions during World War II, international influence through founding the Bilderberg Group and the World Wildlife Fund, and controversies, including the 1976 Lockheed Bribery Scandal and his early Nazi affiliations.

Early Life and Background

Born Bernhard Friedrich Eberhard Leopold Julius Kurt Carl Gottfried Peter, Graf von Biesterfeld, in Jena, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Germany, Bernhard was the elder son of Prince Bernhard of Lippe and Armgard von Cramm. His family’s marriage was initially morganatic, so he held the title Count of Biesterfeld until 1916, when his uncle, Prince Leopold IV of Lippe, elevated him to the rank of Prince with the style Serene Highness. Bernhard studied law at the universities of Lausanne, Munich, and Berlin, and briefly worked for IG Farben in Paris. During the early 1930s, he joined the Nazi Party and served in the Reiter SS Corps, a fact he later denied but was confirmed by a 2023 discovery of his NSDAP membership card (1933–1936). He left these affiliations before marrying Princess Juliana of the Netherlands in 1937, taking Dutch citizenship and the title Prince of the Netherlands.

World War II and Dutch Resistance

During World War II, Bernhard played a prominent role after Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940. The Dutch royal family fled to London, and Bernhard remained with Queen Wilhelmina while Juliana and their daughters, including future Queen Beatrix, relocated to Canada for safety. As a liaison officer with the British armed forces, Bernhard became a pilot with the Royal Air Force, flying both fighter and bomber planes. By 1944, he was appointed Commander of the Netherlands Forces of the Interior, leading Dutch resistance efforts and negotiating the German surrender at Wageningen in 1945. His wartime bravery earned him the Military William Order, the Netherlands’ highest honor, and an honorary Air Marshal title from the RAF. Despite his heroism, his German background and Nazi affiliations raised suspicions among British intelligence, though he was widely popular among the Dutch.

Post-War Influence and Initiatives

After Queen Wilhelmina’s abdication in 1948, Juliana became queen, and Bernhard served as Prince Consort until 1980. He traveled globally to promote Dutch economic and cultural interests, helping restore relations with Indonesia after its independence. In 1954, he founded the Bilderberg Group, an annual meeting of influential Western leaders to discuss political and economic issues, which later fueled conspiracy theories about global elite control. In 1961, he co-founded the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), serving as its first president until 1976, and established its “1001: A Nature Trust” endowment in 1970 with Prince Philip. These initiatives reflected his international stature but also drew scrutiny for their secretive networks.

Controversies

Bernhard’s life was mired in scandals. In 1976, he was implicated in the Lockheed bribery scandal, accepting payments to promote Lockheed and Northrop aircraft sales to the Dutch military. This led to his resignation from the Bilderberg Group, WWF, and military roles, with a lifelong ban on wearing Dutch military uniforms. His early Nazi affiliations, revealed posthumously, further tarnished his legacy, prompting public apologies from his grandson, King Willem-Alexander. Bernhard also admitted to fathering two illegitimate daughters, Alicia von Bielefeld (born 1952) and Alexia Grinda (born 1967), and rumors persisted of other affairs, including an alleged child with Penelope Maffey. A 2016 biography of Juliana claimed he refused divorce twice and later barred her from seeing him.

Connections to Operation Gladio

There is no definitive evidence directly linking Prince Bernhard to Adnan Khashoggi, but their spheres of influence overlapped in the arms trade and intelligence networks. Khashoggi, a Saudi arms dealer, was deeply involved in the Iran-Contra affair, facilitating arms sales through the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), which had CIA ties. Bernhard’s Lockheed scandal involved similar arms industry dealings, and both men operated in elite circles with access to Western intelligence. The Bilderberg Group, founded by Bernhard, included figures connected to U.S. and NATO interests, potentially aligning with Khashoggi’s CIA-linked activities, though no specific collaboration is documented.

Regarding Operation Gladio, a NATO “stay-behind” operation to counter Soviet influence, Bernhard’s role is speculative but plausible given his wartime and post-war activities. Gladio involved CIA and NATO coordination of anti-communist networks, sometimes linked to arms dealing and financial secrecy. Bernhard’s leadership in the Bilderberg Group, which discussed Western defense strategies, and his arms industry ties could suggest peripheral involvement. However, no primary sources, such as Italian Gladio investigations, directly implicate him. His connections to figures like David Rockefeller, a Bilderberg attendee, and his role in defense-related scandals mirror the clandestine networks associated with Gladio.

Later Life and Legacy

After Juliana’s abdication in 1980, Bernhard and she retired to Soestdijk Palace. Health issues, including a colon tumor in 1994 and lung cancer, led to his death in Utrecht in 2004 at age 93. His funeral featured a military tribute with F-16 and Spitfire flyovers, reflecting his wartime legacy. Despite his contributions, Bernhard’s reputation is complex—celebrated as a war hero but criticized for scandals and Nazi ties. Historians like Annejet van der Zijl have called him “a failure” in Dutch royal history, citing damage to the monarchy’s integrity.

Conclusion

Prince Bernhard’s life blended heroism, influence, and controversy. His wartime leadership and global initiatives like the Bilderberg Group and WWF shaped his public image, but scandals, including Lockheed and his Nazi past, cast a long shadow. While no direct ties to Khashoggi or Operation Gladio are confirmed, his arms dealings and elite networks suggest proximity to such covert operations.