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Quick facts for kids His Excellency Louis Beel
Louis Beel in 1945

Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office 22 December 1958 – 19 May 1959
Monarch	Juliana
Deputy	Teun Struycken
Preceded by	Willem Drees
Succeeded by	Jan de Quay
In office 3 July 1946 – 7 August 1948
Monarch	Wilhelmina
Deputy	Willem Drees
Preceded by	Willem Schermerhorn
Succeeded by	Willem Drees
Vice-President of the Council of State
In office 1 August 1959 – 1 July 1972
Monarch	Juliana
Preceded by	Bram Rutgers
Succeeded by	Marinus Ruppert
Minister of Social Affairs and Health
In office 22 December 1958 – 19 May 1959
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Ko Suurhoff
Succeeded by	Charles van Rooy
Member of the Council of State
In office 1 June 1959 – 1 August 1959
In office 1 April 1958 – 22 December 1958
Vice President	Bram Rutgers
Minister of Justice
In office 4 February 1956 – 15 February 1956 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Willem Drees
Preceded by	Leendert Antonie Donker
Succeeded by	Julius Christiaan van Oven
Deputy Prime Minister
In office 2 September 1952 – 7 July 1956
Prime Minister	Willem Drees
Preceded by	Josef van Schaik
Succeeded by	Teun Struycken
Minister of Social Work
In office 2 September 1952 – 9 September 1952 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Willem Drees
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Frans-Jozef van Thiel
High Commissioner of the Dutch East Indies
In office 29 October 1948 – 2 June 1949
Monarch	Juliana
Preceded by	Hubertus van Mook
Succeeded by	Tony Lovink
Minister of Colonial Affairs
In office 30 August 1947 – 3 November 1947 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Jan Jonkman
Succeeded by	Jan Jonkman
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 27 July 1948 – 7 September 1948
In office 4 June 1946 – 3 July 1946
Minister of the Interior
In office 6 December 1951 – 7 July 1956
Prime Minister	Willem Drees
Preceded by	Frans Teulings (Ad interim)
Succeeded by	Julius Christiaan van Oven (Ad interim)
In office 23 February 1945 – 15 September 1947
Prime Minister	See list Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (1945) Willem Schermerhorn (1945–1946) Louis Beel (1946–1947)
Preceded by	Hendrik van Boeijen (Ad interim)
Succeeded by	Piet Witteman

Personal details
Born	Louis Joseph Maria Beel (1902-04-12)12 April 1902 Roermond, Netherlands
Died	11 February 1977(1977-02-11) (aged 74) Utrecht, Netherlands
Cause of death	Leukemia
Political party	Catholic People's Party (from 1945)
Other political affiliations	Roman Catholic State Party (1933–1945)
Spouse	Jet van der Meulen (m. 1926; ~~her death~~ 1971)
Children	3 daughters and 1 son
Alma mater	Radboud University Nijmegen (LL.B., LL.M., PhD)
Occupation	Politician · Civil servant · Jurist · Lawyer · Researcher · Nonprofit director · Author · Professor

Louis Joseph Maria Beel (born April 12, 1902 – died February 11, 1977) was an important Dutch politician and legal expert. He served as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands two times. His first term was from 1946 to 1948, and his second was from 1958 to 1959. He was a member of the Roman Catholic State Party and later helped start the Catholic People's Party. This party is now known as the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

Beel studied Law at Radboud University Nijmegen. He worked as a civil servant and a Lawyer. During World War II, he opposed the German occupation. After the war, he became the Minister of the Interior. He then became Prime Minister for the first time. Later, he was the High Commissioner of the Dutch East Indies. He also taught law as a professor. Beel was known for being a good manager and for helping different groups work together. He was given the special title of Minister of State in 1956.

Louis Beel's Life and Career
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Louis Beel's Life and Career

Early Life and Education

Louis Joseph Maria Beel was born on April 12, 1902, in Roermond, a town in the southern part of the Limburg province in the Netherlands. He grew up in a Catholic community. He went to school at the Bisschoppelijk College in Roermond. After graduating in 1920, he started working as a clerk for the city of Roermond.

In 1923, the Roman Catholic University was founded in Nijmegen (now Radboud University Nijmegen). Louis Beel began studying law there part-time in 1924. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1925. He then moved to Zwolle and worked for the government of the Overijssel province. While in Zwolle, he got married and had his first child, a son. He also taught classes and wrote articles about law.

In 1928, Beel earned his master's degree in law from Radboud University Nijmegen. He then moved to Eindhoven in 1929 and worked for the city. Eindhoven was growing fast because of the Philips company. In Eindhoven, his three daughters were born. Beel continued to teach and publish legal articles. In 1935, he earned his doctorate in law.

Role During World War II

By 1942, Louis Beel was a Director of Social Affairs and Deputy Town Clerk in Eindhoven. He resigned from his job because he did not agree with the German occupation of the Netherlands. He often had to hide to avoid being captured by the Germans.

Eindhoven was freed on September 18, 1944. Beel was seen as a leader by the Dutch resistance fighters. He spoke for a group of important citizens in Eindhoven who had resisted the Germans. This group wanted a new political system after the war. They sent a message, written by Beel, to Queen Wilhelmina, who was in London.

Beel was asked to advise the temporary government in the liberated southern Netherlands. He traveled to London in January 1945 to advise on helping war victims. On January 10, he met with Queen Wilhelmina. This meeting changed his life.

Prime Minister Louis Beel (center) with Chancellor of Austria Leopold Figl (left) at The Hague Central railway station in 1952.

Political Career Highlights

Queen Wilhelmina saw Beel as a true patriot. She wanted new leaders to replace her wartime government. Beel was quickly appointed Minister of the Interior in the last government-in-exile. This government resigned in May 1945 after the war ended. Beel was asked to stay on as Minister of the Interior in the new government. He agreed, even though he was hesitant. He moved his family to Wassenaar, near The Hague, where the government is located.

Elections were held in May 1946. Beel spoke against the economic plans of the Prime Minister. The Catholic People's Party won many seats, but no party had a full majority. Queen Wilhelmina asked Beel to form a new government. He became Prime Minister of a "red-Roman coalition," which included socialists and Roman Catholics. This government helped shape the Netherlands after the war.

In 1948, new elections were needed to change the constitution. This was important because of problems in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), where nationalists wanted independence. Beel's party won again, and he was asked to form a new government. However, he could not form a broad government with socialists, Catholics, and liberals. Another politician, Josef van Schaik, succeeded by making Willem Drees Prime Minister.

Drees then appointed Beel as the High Commissioner of the Crown in the Dutch East Indies. He served from October 1948 to June 1949. Beel tried to prevent an agreement with the Republic of Indonesia because he believed they did not want a federal state. He was unsuccessful and resigned.

Beel returned home in May 1949. A few months later, he became a professor of administrative law at his old university in Nijmegen. This was one of his early dreams.

In November 1951, the Minister of the Interior suddenly died. Prime Minister Drees asked Beel to return to government. Beel agreed and became Minister of the Interior again. After the 1952 elections, he continued in this role and also became Deputy Prime Minister.

In July 1956, Beel resigned from the government. He became the chairman of a special committee. This committee was asked by Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld to help solve problems with the Royal Family. The committee quickly finished its work with a secret report. Three months later, Beel was given the honorary title of Minister of State.

In 1958, Beel was appointed a member of the Council of State. Soon after, he was asked to form his second government. This was a temporary government from December 1958 to May 1959, which had to prepare for new elections. After these elections, Beel helped another politician, Jan de Quay, form a new government. This ended the "red-Roman coalition" that Beel had started.

The new government appointed Beel as Vice-President of the Dutch Council of State. This is a very important position in the Dutch government. The head of state (the monarch) is the honorary President.

Vice-President of the Council of State Louis Beel (center), Prince Claus (right), and Prime Minister Piet de Jong (left) during the announcement of Prince Willem-Alexander's birth in 1967.

Later Life and Legacy

Louis Beel retired from politics on July 1, 1972, at the age of seventy. His wife had passed away a few years earlier. He moved to the quiet village of Doorn with his eldest daughter and her helper.

Beel remained very influential, even after leaving active politics. As Vice-President of the Council of State, he had a big impact on the government. He was also trusted by the Royal Family. Because of his quiet way of working and his influence behind the scenes, he was nicknamed "The Sphinx" and "Viceroy of the Netherlands." He helped form almost every new government during his thirteen years as Vice-President.

On February 11, 1977, Louis Beel died in the University Hospital Utrecht from leukemia. He was 74 years old.

Beel is remembered as the only Prime Minister after World War II to serve two terms that were not back-to-back. Even though his terms as Prime Minister were short, his work as a Minister in the 1940s and 1950s, and later as Vice-President of the Council of State, had a lasting impact.