A Nazi party membership card belonging to the late Dutch prince consort has been found in the prince’s private archives. Historian and former director of the Royal House Archives Flip Maarschakerweerd discovered the membership card after years of speculation that the prince was affiliated with the party before his marriage to the late Queen Juliana. 

Nazi membership card found among Prince Bernhard’s private archives

The card was found among the prince’s private archives, despite the prince having previously insisted that he was not associated with the NSDAP. In 1996, historians reported that they had found a copy of his membership card in the US, as well as correspondence regarding its cancellation in 1936, according to Dutch broadcaster NOS. 

Despite this, the prince denied being a part of the party, even when evidence to the contrary was presented to him. In a series of interviews he had with the Volkskrant before his death, the prince said: "I can declare with my hand on the Bible: I was never a Nazi. I never paid for party membership, I never had a membership card."

Finding revealed as part of a new book

The membership card was revealed as part of a new book, released on October 4. The book, written by Flip Maarschakerweerd, is entitled: De achterblijvers. Speaking to NOS, historian and writer Annejet van der Zijl said that she has already read the book, and praised both Maarschakerweerd’s historical research and the Dutch royal family for allowing the information to be published. 

Van der Zijl also told the newspaper that she is surprised Prince Berhard never burned his old party membership card, which he only held before 1936. The prince suspended his membership of the party in the year that he became engaged to Juliana.

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