Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau
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Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau (née: Mabel Martine Los; adopted name: Mabel Martine Wisse Smit; born August 11, 1968, Pijnacker, Netherlands) is the wife of Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau, second son of Queen Beatrix and the late Prince Claus of the Netherlands.
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[edit] Early life
She was born Mabel Martine Los to Henk Los and Flos Kooman. Her father died when she was 9-years-old; when her mother married Peter Wisse Smit in 1984, Mabel took her stepfather's surname. Princess Mabel has two younger sisters, Nicoline and Eveline. She grew up in Het Gooi in central Netherlands. She studied Economics and Political Science at the University of Amsterdam, graduating in 1993.[1]
[edit] Work
Wisse Smit founded the "European Action Council for Peace in the Balkans" in 1994 and co-founded the Dutch branch of War Child in 1995. In 1997, she was appointed director of EU affairs of the "Open Society Institute" in Brussels, one of the foundations of Hungarian-American philanthropist George Soros. [1] Since 2002 princess Mabel works in the London branch of the Open Society Institute where whe is the "International Advocacy Director", she "helps to coordinate all international OSI advocacy activities aimed at international policy change."[2]
[edit] Engagement and marriage
Mabel Wisse Smit and Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau announced their engagement on June 30, 2003. On October 10, Prime-Minister Jan Peter Balkenende wrote in a letter to parliament that she had given incomplete and incorrect information about the duration and extent of her contacts with drug kingpin Klaas Bruinsma,[3][4] and that because of this, the government had decided not to seek permission for the marriage from parliament.[5][6] In a letter to the Prime Minister dated October 9, Prince Friso stated that the couple had given some incomplete information. However, the couple has said that they did not give incorrect information or lie. Although the couple later disclosed that the friendship with Bruinsma was indeed closer than they had originally admitted, it was however not a sexual relationship. The latter has also been confirmed by Wisse Smit in a number of interviews. She received some more negative publicity by revelations about her affair, which started around 1993, with the married Bosnian official Muhamed Sacirbey, who is now under house arrest in the US on allegations of fraud.
Prince Friso married Mabel Wisse Smit in Delft on April 24, 2004, and consequently gave up any claim to the throne.
[edit] Children
Prince Friso and Princess Mabel have been living in London since their marriage.
The couple have two daughters. The elder, Emma Luana Ninette Sophie was born in London on March 26, 2005.[7] She is called Luana, a Teutonic name meaning 'graceful warrior' (also 'gracious warrior' or 'female warrior'). She holds the title Countess of Orange-Nassau. The only information the couple released to the press after the birth of their daughter were three official photographs. Luana was christened by Huub Oosterhuis on December 18, 2005, in The Hague.[8]
Their second child, a girl named Zaria (full name Joanna Zaria Nicoline Milou), was born in London on 18 June 2006.[9]
[edit] Style, titles and names
| Styles of Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau |
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| Reference style | Her Royal Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Royal Highness |
| Alternative style | Ma'am |
- Miss Mabel Martine Los (1968-1984)
- Miss Mabel Martine Wisse Smit (1984-2004)
- Her Royal Highness Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau, Countess of Orange-Nassau, Mrs. van Amsberg (since 24 April 2004)
Since her marriage, Princess Mabel has held the courtesy titles of Princess and Countess of Orange-Nassau. Hence, Princess Mabel is not a princess in her own right, but through her marriage, as custom allows a wife to use her husband’s titles. All children of the marriage will receive the titles Count or Countess of Orange-Nassau and Jonkheer or Jonkvrouw van Amsberg. Prior to her marriage, she was most often referred to as Mabel Wisse Smit in the Dutch media
[edit] References
- ^ a b Mabel Wisse Smit, briljant maar omstreden (Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (2004-04-23). Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
- ^ Osf
- ^ Prinselijk paar loog over relatie Mabel (Dutch). de Volkskrant. PCM Uitgevers (2003-10-11). Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
- ^ Wikipedia Editing Proves a Royal Embarrassment; Hafner, Katie; New York Times; 2007-09-01; retrieved 2007-09-01
- ^ BBC reports about "Mabelgate"
- ^ BBC reports about the wedding
- ^ Press release after the birth of Luana
- ^ Press release after christening of Luana
- ^ Press release after birth of Zaria
