He had several mistresses, was not averse to a shady million-dollar deal and reportedly wanted to have his wife committed to an asylum. Prince Bernhard’s life can be called compelling to say the least. Reason enough for director Joost van Ginkel to make a documentary. In it he shows both the good and less beautiful sides of Princess Juliana’s husband.
Als iemand van het Nederlands koningshuis met schandalen is omgeven, dan is het prins Bernhard wel. De van oorsprong Duitse prins had vrienden die nazi’s waren, maar dat werd pas achteraf ontdekt. Tijdens zijn huwelijk met Juliana ging Bernhard meerdere keren vreemd – met zeker twee en vermoedelijk drie buitenechtelijke dochters tot gevolg. En toen in 1976 bekend werd dat de prins smeergeld had aangenomen van vliegtuigbouwer Lockheed, hing de monarchie aan een zijden draadje.
‘De schavuit van Oranje’, zo wordt Bernhard ook weleens genoemd. Maar volgens Prins Bernhard-maker Van Ginkel “is geen mens goed of slecht”. En dat gevoel wil hij met zijn documentaire overbrengen.
“Ik wist: ik wil op zoek naar de nuance”, vertelt de regisseur in gesprek met NU.nl. “In sommige boeken die over Bernhard zijn geschreven is hij echt gekruisigd, zo’n documentaire wilde ik niet. Maar ik wilde ook geen docu maken waarin hij alleen maar geprezen wordt.”
Bernhard’s illegitimate daughter is also in the documentary
Van Ginkel immerses himself in Bernhard’s life in preparation. He reads several books about the prince, who died in 2004. He decides to ask writers to commit themselves to the documentary as experts. “It is impossible to do the same research in a year and a half that the writers of these books have done. I thought: if I now let all these biographers speak about Bernhard, I have actually put together a top editor.”
Historian Gerard Aalders and writer Annejet van der Zijl, among others, talk about the life of the prince. The author, who previously obtained her PhD for her research into Bernhard, assisted Van Ginkel behind the scenes.
“I also wanted to let people speak who knew Bernhard personally,” says Van Ginkel. Mildred Zijlstra, the (most likely) third illegitimate daughter of the prince, also speaks.
“No people from the Royal Family; I wanted to make an independent documentary. For example, I was very happy that his secretary wanted to cooperate. And Ted Reilly, the wildlife park director from Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) who was good friends with the prince.”
Reilly revealed another interesting thing about Bernhard. “Just before his death, Bernhard converted a loan to his friend into a gift. Riley was allowed to use that money to protect rhinoceroses. These are beautiful anecdotes that make it clear that Bernhard made a switch from hunter to conservationist.”
‘Bernhard is a frayed free-range’
It was not his intention to make news with the documentary. “All the big things have probably already come out. I especially want to make the ultimate character documentary, which will still be standing ten years from now. Even if, for example, another new child of his emerges, haha.”
Princess Beatrix said about Van der Zijl’s book that she got to know her father better through it. Van Ginkel hopes his documentary will have the same effect. “I hope that Willem-Alexander and Beatrix watch the documentary with a smile. And maybe get an even better picture of who Bernhard was. Wonderful stories are told that they probably don’t all know. Especially the new generation in the royal family, such as the princesses who never met their great-grandfather (Bernhard died when Amalia was less than a year old, ed.).”
After months of research and conversations with Bernhard’s inner circle, Van Ginkel himself has the feeling that he knows the prince through and through. How would he describe him? “Bernhard is a sweet, charming opportunist. A frayed flinger, who maintained shady businesses, but took good care of his staff, daughters and mistresses.”
Mag je eigenlijk zomaar een docu over royals maken?
Jazeker. Een documentaire is een onafhankelijke journalistieke productie en daar hoef je geen toestemming voor te vragen. De Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst laat in een reactie aan NU.nl weten bereid te zijn een feitencheck te doen als erom gevraagd wordt.