A 65-year-old woman claims to be the illegitimate child of Prince Bernhard, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reports. In the paper, royalty reporter Marc van der Linden says she was born as the result of a romantic tryst that Queen Beatrix’s late father had during the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945.
Mr Van der Linden came across the woman’s story while researching a book about the prince. He says the woman never met Prince Bernhard and there is a good chance that he never even knew of her existence.
The royalty-watcher says the woman only discovered her royal connection in 2003 and that her story is corroborated by her mother, stepfather and a mayor. The paper reports that the birth was covered up by the hospital in The Hague where she was born.
When Prince Bernhard died in 2004, he publicly acknowledged two illegitimate children – Alicia de Bielefeld and Alexia Grinda – and recognised them in his will.
(dd/imm)
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Email this Bulletin
Printer-friendly version
