Prince’s Funeral Draws Thousands Into Streets

To the peal of a church bell, Prince Claus, husband of Queen Beatrix, was buried with royal honors in the 400-year-old crypt of the Dutch monarchy. The tearful queen leaned on her son, Prince Johan Friso, as she followed the flag-draped coffin borne by military pallbearers.

Tens of thousands of people stood along the canals and cobbled streets of Delft hoping for a glimpse of the horse-drawn hearse that brought the casket from The Hague. Kings, queens and princes from Europe, Japan and Jordan were among 1,900 invited guests.

Claus, 76, died Oct. 6 of pneumonia and Parkinson’s disease.