Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld

Husband of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (1911-2004); prince consort of the Netherlands (1911-2004)

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Activists rank#58

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Fame60.6
Momentum11.8
Activists rank#58
Wikipedia35.5K

Lived 1911–2004, aged 93Germany

Germany ActivistsActivist

Wikipedia
42 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1911–2004
Aged 93
Known for
The World of Polygoon
1994

Summary

Updated 2026-06-21

A German prince who joined the SS, married into the Dutch throne, flew combat missions against his former allies, then lost his uniforms forever in an arms bribery scandal — all while co-founding the World Wildlife Fund and the Bilderberg Group.

Biography

About

Born a count in the German House of Lippe-Biesterfeld in 1911, Bernhard joined the Nazi Party, the SA, and served as an SS officer before marrying Princess Juliana of the Netherlands in 1937. After the German invasion he switched allegiance to the Allies, flew fighters and bombers as an honorary RAF wing commander, served as aide to Queen Wilhelmina, and earned the Military William Order for wartime service — denying his Nazi membership until his death. When Juliana became queen in 1948, he became prince consort and turned his energy outward: he co-founded the Bilderberg Group in 1954 and beca…

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