Historian: Prince Bernhard tried to depose Queen Juliana

Prins Bernhard once tried to depose his wife Queen Juliana, a historian has revealed. Dutch historian Gerard Aalders wrote in a book "Niets is wat het leek" (Nothing is as it seems) that the Queen's husband once made efforts to have the Queen removed from the throne and then gain sole custody over his children. Queen Beatrix, then an under-aged princess- would then ascend to the throne and Bernhard would become regent. Aalders writes in his book that the relationship between the then Queen and her husband was suffering a bad spell, which resulted in a crisis in the monarchy. He claims it was a direct result of the 'Greet Hofmans Affair', which refers to controversial faith healer Greet Hofmans, the late queen’s confidante in the 1950s. German born Prince Bernhard was involved in what some considered a personal vendetta against Hofmans, who he thought had too much influence on the Queen. Aalders says it was then Prime Minister Willem Drees who averted Prince Bernhard's move for the throne, because he thought the plan to be ridiculous. The historian's book also claims Prince Bernhard siphoned a lot more money from Dutch tax payers than was previously known. Apparently he even charged for appearing at ribbon cutting ceremonies, a fact that Ministers back then worked hard to hide from the general public. Aalders paints a picture of the Prince as a man for whom personal interests superseded those of the monarchy and the country.