The Dutch Royal Family: Prince Friso

Prince Friso (1968) is the second son of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus. He married Mabel Wisse Smit on 24 April 2004. The government decided not to seek parliament’s permission to approve the marriage, respecting the wishes of the couple. Through his marriage, the Prince is no longer a member of the Royal House, and has forfeited his right to succeed to the throne.

Youth

Johan Friso Bernhard Christiaan David was born on 25 September 1968 in Utrecht, the second child of Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus.

The Prince has two brothers: Prince Willem-Alexander and Prince Constantijn. At his birth, Prince Friso held the titles of Prince of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau and Jonkheer van Amsberg. Through his marriage, he no longer bears the title Prince of the Netherlands.

The Prince spent his early childhood with his parents and brothers at Drakensteyn Castle in Lage Vuursche in the province of Utrecht. His mother became Queen of the Netherlands in 1980 and the royal family moved to Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague in 1981.

Education

Prince Friso received his primary education at the Nieuwe Baarnse School in Baarn and started his secondary education at the Baarns Lyceum.

In 1981, the royal family moved to The Hague. The Prince continued his secondary education at the Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague and gained his VWO (pre-university education) certificate in 1986.

From 1986 to 1988, the Prince studied mechanical engineering at the College of Engineering of the University of California at Berkeley, USA.

He studied aerospace engineering at Delft University of Technology from 1988 to 1994. In 1994, he received work experience training with the aircraft manufacturer McDonnell Douglas in California. In that same year, the Prince graduated in aerospace engineering management. His dissertation was on lead time reduction in the delivery of aircraft.

From 1990 to 1995, the Prince also studied economics at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, graduating on 25 September 1995, with a dissertation entitled “The applicability and application of concurrent engineering in commercial aircraft development”.

From 24 October 1995 to 31 December 1996, Prince Friso was employed as a fellow by McKinsey & Company.

In 1997, he resumed his studies, at the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD) at Fontainebleau in France.

Marriage and family

The engagement of Prince Friso and Mabel Wisse Smit was announced on 30 June 2003.

Prince Friso and Mabel Wisse Smit married on 24 April 2004 in Delft. Their daughter, Luana (Emma Luana Ninette Sophie Countess of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg) was born on 26 March 2005. Their second daughter, Zaria (Joanna Zaria Nicoline Milou Countess of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg) was born on 18 June 2006.
The family lives in London.

Permission to marry

The government decided to respect the wishes of the couple not to seek parliament’s permission to marry. Through his marriage, the Prince is no longer a member of the Royal House, and has forfeited his right to succeed to the throne.

Title

Under the Membership of the Royal House Act (2002), Prince Friso no longer bears the title Prince of the Netherlands. He still bears the personal title of Prince of Orange-Nassau, the hereditary title Count of Orange-Nassau and the designation Jonkheer van Amsberg.

Work

The Prince was from 1 August till 30 June 2003 employed with the investment bankers Goldman, Sachs & Co. in London.

On 1 March 2004, Prince Friso became a director of TNO Space, Delft.

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