He was the only son of Herr Claus von Amsberg, a German planter in Tanzania. His mother was Baroness von dem Busche-Haddenhausen.

Claus attended primary school in Germany and at the age of 11, moved with his family to Tanzania, where he developed his life-long love of Africa. He attended primary school in Lushoto, Tanzania.

In 1938 he was sent to boarding school in Germany, where he completed his education in 1944.

Towards the end of World War II, he was called up for German military service and served from March until May 1945 with the 90th Panzer Division in Italy. He never saw action and was captured by US forces, but was released in December 1945.

After being cleared by an allied court of any Nazi links, Claus studied law in Hamburg from 1948 to 1956 and later became a German diplomat. He met the then Princess Beatrix in the mid-1960s.

A royal romance and family life

The relationship between Princess Beatrix and the unassuming, intelligent Claus led to great commotion in the Netherlands, with a large proportion of the public being unable to accept that just 20 years after World War II, their future queen might marry a German.

Vocal protests continued up until they were married on 10 March 1966 and despite intense security, protests also occurred on the wedding day itself with festivities overshadowed by smoke bombs.

In 1967, Princess Beatrix gave birth to the married couple's first son, Prince Willem-Alexander. In the years to come, two more boys were born — Prince Johan Friso and Prince Constantijn.

Prince Claus, who admitted he found it difficult to adjust to royal life and at times felt he was a nobody living in the shadow of Queen Beatrix, was confirmed to be suffering from "complaints of a depressive nature" in 1982.

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