Internationally Bernhard was well known as the founder of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 1961. He was its president until 1977. The prince also used his many international contacts to set up the so-called Bilderberg conferences, a yearly discussion forum of politicians, businessmen and other prominent persons from Europe, the United States and Canada.

Bernhard, a German prince born on June 29, 1911, married crown princess Juliana in 1937 after meeting her at the Olympic Games in Austria. The prince introduced Juliana to the good life with fast cars, luxury holidays and designer clothes.

In 1940 Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands and Bernhard, a one time member of the SS, headed the Dutch resistance from London where the Dutch government and his mother in law, queen Wilhelmina, resided in exile.

From that time on the dapper prince always wore a white carnation in his lapel. The carnation started as a symbol of resistance to the German occupation but became a trademark for Bernhard who was never seen in public without the flower in his buttonhole.

His wife Juliana left for Canada with the couple's two daughters Beatrix (1938) and Irene (1939). A third daughter Margriet was born in Canada in 1943 and the fourth royal daughter Christina followed in 1947.

In London, Bernhard was named the commander of the armed forces and the Dutch resistance in 1944 at just 32 years of age. On May 5, 1945 he was present when the Germans signed their Dutch surrender.

In 1948, Juliana became queen of the Netherlands and Bernhard was made inspector general of the armed forces and conducted official and unofficial missions for the government.

He played an important role in reconstruction after the war with goodwill missions to many countries but in 1976 he got entangled in the so-called Lockheed scandal.

The chairman of Lockheed, the US aerospace firm, accused Bernhard of accepting over a million dollars in bribes over a deal. A commission of elder statesmen appointed by the Dutch government concluded that he had "proceeded in relations and circumstances that are not acceptable".

The prince was stripped of his uniform and his military functions. Bernhard has always maintained his innocence. In a television interview for his 90th birthday he said he had "a completely clear conscience" about the Lockheed affair.

In 1980, Juliana abdicated and queen Beatrix took over the reigns pushing Bernhard's role to the background.

In the last years of his life, prince Bernhard took advantage of his advanced age to skirt the usual protocol and give his opinion.

In February, the prince lashed out at "mean and unfounded" allegations about his private life.

In an open letter to the media he denied rumours that he was involved in the betrayal of the 1944 battle of Arnhem in World War II and that he allegedly offered to be a vice-regent for the Nazi regime during the 1940-45 German occupation of the Netherlands.

In 2003, he personally contacted Forbes magazine, which compiles an annual rich list, to say the riches of the House of Orange, as the royal house is known, were inflated.

Earlier that year he caused controversy after he paid a fine for a supermarket employee who was sentenced to pay 600 euros because he got rough with a shoplifter. Bernhard even called a national newspaper to complain about the fact that the employee was being prosecuted.

Up until the time of his death, Bernhard was a popular member of the royal household. After the death of former queen Juliana in March this year, Bernhard's health deteriorated.

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