Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau
Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau , née Mabel Wisse Smit, is a member of the Dutch Royal family.[1]
Wisse Smit studied political science student at Amsterdam University, during which time she worked as an intern with the UN and then the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs. According to Frits Hoekstra, a former high-ranking officer in the Dutch BVD intelligence agency, Wisse Smit became a BVD agent around this time.[1]
From 1993, Wisse Smit was romantically involved with the Bosnian ambassador to the UN, Muhamed Sacirbey. She set up the European Action Council for Peace in the Balkans, whose members included Margaret Thatcher, Valérie Giscard d’Estaing and Simon Wiesenthal. Wisse Smit attended the Dayton peace talks in 1995, where according to Hoekstra, she was tasked with obtaining intelligence from Sacirbey on the Bosnian negotiating strategy.[1] She served as Executive Director of the Council from 1993 to 1997.[2]
Wisse Smit co-founded the Dutch foundation War Child and served on its board from 1995 to 1999.[2]
She was Executive Director of the Open Society Institute in Brussels from 1997 to 2003, and subsequently International Advocacy Director of the Open Society Institute from 2003 to 2008.[2]
She later worked for George Soros.[1]
Wisse Smitt married Prince Friso in 2004. The wedding sparked controversy after Dutch prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende revealed that she had been less than candid about an alleged affair during the 1980s with drugs baron Klaas Bruinsma, shot dead in 1991.[1]
In 2007, she founded the European Council on Foreign Relations, becoming a co-chair with Martti Ahtisaari and Joschka Fischer.[1]
She is the chief executive officer of The Elders.[2]
