Prince Bernhard of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven

Prince Bernhard of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven (given names:"Bernhard Lucas Emmanuel") was born in Nijmegen on 25 December 1969. He's the second son of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven. His godparents are Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Baron J. van Boetzelaer, Baroness C. Evelein, J. Fleischman, and The Royal Air Force. The family lived in Apeldoorn throughout his childhood, moving to Het Loo House in 1975. The Prince received both his primary and secondary education in Apeldoorn.

Prince Bernhard has three brothers: Prince Maurits, Prince Pieter-Christiaan, and Prince Floris.

He studied economics in 1988 at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.. Subsequently, in 1989 he went to the Groningen University in the Netherlands where he studied marketing and market research. In 1995 he received a the degree doctorandus (Master of science) at this university.

While studying in Groningen, Prince Bernhard met Annette Sekrève, (born 18 April 1972). The couple announced their engagement on 11 March 2000. They married in July 2000. The civil ceremony was performed on 6 July, 2000 by the Mayor of Utrecht, Ms A.H. Brouwer-Korf, in the Spiegelzaal of the Paushuize, Utrecht. The marriage was blessed two days later, on 8 July 2000, by Dr Anne van der Meiden in the Domkerk, Utrecht.

Prince Bernhard and Princess Annette have three children.

* Isabella Lily Juliana van Vollenhoven, born in Amsterdam on 14 May 2002
* Samuel Bernhard Louis van Vollenhoven, born in Amsterdam, on 25 May 2004
* Benjamin Pieter Floris van Vollenhoven, born in Amsterdam, on 12 March, 2008

Although he is a member of the royal house and 11th in line for the Dutch throne, he rarely takes part in official duties. Prince Bernard makes his occupation as a self-employed entrepreneur.

Prince Bernhard and his family live in Amsterdam.

External links

*http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=8431