27 January 2005

AMSTERDAM — Wartime photographs and film footage from the late Prince Bernhard's personal archive have gone on display in Amsterdam.

Shortly before his death on 1 December last year, Prince Bernhard gave permission for the exhibition at the Amsterdam resistance museum or Verzetsmusuem. The exhibition was opened on Thursday by his grandson, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander.

Many of the photographs and colour film footage has never been shown publicly before. They present a unique perspective on the war years 1940 to 1945 when Bernhard and Juliana worked with the Allies to liberate the Netherlands and the rest of occupied Europe from Nazi control.

"Prince Bernhard's close connection with the resistance forces in the Netherlands and his efforts on behalf of the allied victory is a subject deserving of the museum's close attention," the museum said in a statement.

A German-born prince chose to stand by his wife, former monarch Queen Juliana, when the Germans invaded the Netherlands in May 1940. The royal couple and the government went into exile in Britain.

Bernhard retained a deep devotion to the veterans who fought on behalf of the Netherlands, either in exile or as part of the resistance. He performed the opening ceremony for the resistance museum in Amsterdam in 1985 and again when it reopened after renovations in 1999. Juliana died in early 2004.

An enthusiastic amateur photographer, Bernhard took countless photographs and shot a lot of film. He was also frequently photographed by others.

"The exhibition gives a unique picture of Prince Bernhard's activities during the war," the museum said.

The exhibition covers the royal couple's retreat to Britain after the invasion in May 1940, visiting their children in Canada, numerous military inspections in Britain and the US, Bernhard's flights over occupied France and Italy and his visits to the front in Africa.

There are also pictures of his meetings with foreign dignitaries and his tours through liberated areas of the Netherlands as commander-in-chief of the Dutch forces.

Many of the photos have captions penned by Bernhard in English and are featured in a special booklet on sale at the exhibition.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Dutch news