Prince Bernhard and Princess Annette of Orange-Nassau have confirmed they are ending their quarter-century marriage, releasing a joint statement through the Dutch royal family's official website on Friday.
The couple, who are parents to three children, stated: "After 25 years of marriage, we have decided to divorce. We are doing this by mutual agreement and with mutual respect.
"We will continue to care for our three children together. Despite this, it remains a difficult step. We therefore ask for everyone's understanding and respect for our privacy.".
The announcement was signed using their names Bernhard van Oranje and Annette Sekrève, with the princess reverting to her maiden name.
Prince Bernhard and Princess Annette make the shock announcement of their divorce after 25 years of marriage
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The pair first crossed paths whilst studying at university, beginning a relationship that would lead to their marriage in the summer of 2000.
Their wedding took place over two days in July that year, with a civil ceremony held on the 6th followed by a religious blessing at the Cathedral of St. Martin in Utrecht on the 8th.
Despite announcing their separation, the couple appeared together publicly as recently as April 2025, when they were photographed at King's Day celebrations in Doetinchem, where Prince Bernhard was seen with his arm around his wife as they posed for cameras.
The marriage produced three children: Isabella, who arrived in 2002, followed by Samuel two years later, and youngest son Benjamin, born in 2008.
The former royal couple have three children together
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Unlike their father, the children do not hold royal titles and instead carry the surname van Vollenhoven, reflecting their position outside the immediate royal household.
The couple have emphasised their commitment to continuing to raise their children together despite the end of their marriage, with their joint statement making clear that shared parenting remains a priority for both parties going forward.
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Prince Bernhard is a cousin of the reigning Dutch monarch, King Willem-Alexander, through his mother Princess Margriet, herself a daughter of the late Queen Juliana.
Though once positioned in the line of succession, this changed following Queen Beatrix's decision to step down from the throne in 2013.
Prince Bernhard is not in the line of succession to the Dutch throne
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Dutch constitutional rules restrict succession to those within three degrees of kinship to the sovereign, meaning Bernhard and his siblings from the Margriet-Pieter van Vollenhoven branch lost their places and ceased to be Royal House members.
According to the royal family's website, the prince now works as a self-employed entrepreneur and seldom participates in official engagements, though he attends family occasions including King's Day.
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