Dötzingen, September 6, 1926 - Amsterdam, October 6, 2002
The Dutch monarchy will never be the same again...
Claus Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Gert von Amsberg was born in Germany as only son and second child of Claus von Amsberg (1890-1953) and Baroness Gösta von dem Bussche-Haddenhausen (1902-1996). He had six sisters: Sigrid (1925), Rixa (1927), Margit (1930-1988), Barbara (1930), Theda (1939) and Christina (1945). He grew up at Dötzingen, the family estate of his mother's family near Hitzacker. In November 1929 the family moved to Tanganyika (now Tanzania), Africa. In April 1933 his mother brought Claus back to Germany, to Bad Doberan, to live with his grandmothers Von Amsberg and Von dem Bussche-Haddenhausen and his great-grandmother Von dem Bussche-Ippenburg, together with his sisters Sigrid and Rixa. Soon afterwards he had a meeting with Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands during a walk with one of his grandmothers. The Prince asked him what he wanted to be when he was an adult. Claus answered that he would like to become an engine-driver. At the end of 1936 Claus returned to Africa and continued school at a boarding-school in Lushoto. His parents and part of his sisters lived in Mjesani. In 1938 he returned to Germany and continued education at the Balten School in Misdroy (Pomerania). Like all other boys of his age Claus joined the Hitler Youth. At Easter 1943 Claus leaves the school, because of heavy bombings, and goes back to Bad Doberan where he goes to the local gymnasium.
In October 1943 Claus and his class are called up to serve at the anti-aircraft gun artillery in Kiel. After a short stay in Bad Doberan, he was called up for labour service. Claus was sent near Königsberg in Neumark where he was between January and March 1944. After 2 1/2 month he started serving in the 6th armoured division. After an education in Neuruppin and in Viborg, Denmark, he was sent to the front in Italy in March 1945 to join the 90th armoured division. He didn't fight anymore. The German army in Italy capitulated on April 28. Near Vicenza Claus was taken prisoner by the Americans. He was interned in Brescia, where he worked as interpreter and driver. In September 1945 he was brought to England to act as interpreter in an American camp. On Christmas Eve 1945 he returned to Germany. His family was only able to return from Africa in the Summer of 1947. Claus restarted his education in March 1946 at the Johanneum in Lüneburg. During his study he works among others at the Crown Brewery and the marmelade and cannery-factory Winsenia as well as in a garage. He passes his exams at the end of 1946. In March 1948 Claus starts working at the bank Marcard & Co in Hamburg, where he stays until March 1949. Then he starts studying law at the university of Hamburg. He passes his referendary exam in October 1952 and finishes his study in September 1956. After a sollicitation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs he is invited for a course to prepare him for a job. In the meantime he works for the lawyer's office of Walter Lippmann, that looks after the interest of the Jewish survivors of the war. The course starts in Bonn and after a year he gets a job as a secretary at the German embassy in Santo Domingo. In April 1961 he moves to Ivory Coast. In July 1963 he starts working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bonn at the department of Africa southern of the Sahara.
In 1964 Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands and Claus meet at a dinner of a cousin of the Princess in Germany. They meet again at the party the evening before the wedding of Prince Moritz von Hessen and Princess Tatjana zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. A week later Claus and Beatrix have arranged a meeting in Bad Driburg and then the hide-and-seek game starts. It is not until May 1st, 1965 that photographer John de Rooij discovers them in the park of Drakesteyn Castle. Some days later the photos are published and the relationship known. Many people still hadn't forgotten the war and many found it hard to accept that their crown princess would marry a German. A research was done after his past, but nothing wrong was found. The engagement was announced on June 28, 1965. 'It is good', Queen Juliana said. The wedding took place in the Westerkerk in Amsterdam on March 10, 1966 and Claus von Amsberg became Prince Claus of the Netherlands. After a honeymoon the couple started living at Drakesteyn Castle. In the following years three sons were born: Willem-Alexander (1967), Johan Friso (1968) and Constantijn (1969).
In the 1970s Prince Claus performed tens of functions, especially in the area of development aid. In April 1980 the life of the family changed when Beatrix became Queen of the Netherlands. In 1981 the family moved to Palace Huis ten Bosch near The Hague. In October 1982 Prince Claus was admitted to a clinic in Basel, Switzerland, with a heavy depression. Only in 1984 he resumed his engagements. He became inspector-general development aid. In 1991 he was admitted to hospital again with signs of depression. It became known that the prince had Parkinson's Disease already since 1987. The past few years Prince Claus got more and more health problems. In 1998 he was operated on his prostate. Also in 2000 he spent several weeks in hospital. In May 2001 one of his kidneys was removed. In March 2002 his health got worse and he was admitted to hospital again. He returned home in May and was able to enjoy the birth of his first grandchild, Eloise in the beginning of June. Since July he has been in hospital most of the time and got a pacemaker in August. He was released from hospital on September 5th, 2002, and was able to celebrate his 76th birthday at home. On Prince's Day on September 17th he returned back to the Amsterdams Medisch Centrum, where he died at 19:00 on October 6th surrounded by Queen Beatrix, their three sons, Princess Máxima and Princess Laurentien. The Queen will sadly miss her biggest supporter and their sons a father they admire, and Eloise the grandfather who has only been able to enjoy her for a few months.
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