The Dutch royals have marked the 100th anniversary of Prince Claus’s birth.
King Willem-Alexander, Princess Beatrix and Prince Constantijn visited Hitzacker in Germany, where the future Prince Claus was born. Princess Beatrix’s husband, and Willem-Alexander and Constantijn’s father, died in 2002.
The three visited the Prinz-Claus-Promenade and were shown a monument dedicated to the late prince. King Willem-Alexander also watered a King’s lime tree, planted in 2013 and recently moved to a new location.
Claus von Amsberg met Princess Beatrix in 1962, and they were married in 1966. Claus had been a member of the Hitlerjugend, and he had served in the Wehrmacht. This made him unpopular, and their wedding was marred by protests. Nevertheless, he proved himself to the Dutch people.
Queen Beatrix reigned from 1980 until 2013, when she abdicated in favour of her son. In the late 1980s, Prince Claus was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. This, combined with pneumonia, caused his death in 2002.
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