The engagement of the future queen to a German caused an uproar among some Dutch people and the wedding was marred by protests.

Princess Beatrix, heir presumptive to Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, first met Claus von Amsberg, an untitled German nobleman, at a New Year's Eve party in Bad Driburg in 1962.

They met again later at the wedding of Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Hesse, and Princess Tatiana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg in Giessen in the summer of 1964.

These began on 5 March, when the Dutch Government hosted a gala dinner at the Museum Het Prinsenhof in Delft, the last residence of William the Silent.

The next night, on the eve of the wedding, they hosted a smaller more informal black tie party for 300 guests at the Amstel Hotel.

[1] Witnesses included the bride's paternal uncle, Prince Aschwin of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Britain's Princess Alexandra, and former Prime Minister, Willem Drees.

[citation needed] Princess Beatrix wore a white silk duchesse gown by Caroline Bergé-Farwick of Maison Linette.

After news of the couple became public, there was intense backlash from some Dutch citizens, politicians and religious leaders due to Amsberg's German roots and membership in the Hitler Youth and the Wehrmacht during the Nazi Regime in World War II.

[5] There were protests during the wedding procession and a smoke bomb was thrown at the Golden Coach by Provos, resulting in a street battle with police.

Prince Claus died of complications of pneumonia and Parkinson's disease at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam on 6 October 2002 after a long illness, aged 76.