It reads like something from the plot of a Hollywood blockbuster - a beautiful blonde royal who led a double life as a spy. But it appears the story isn't fiction. Recent claims suggest that the Netherlands' Princess Mabel may have been a secret agent. The accusations come from a memoir written by a retired officer from the country's National Intelligence Agency, the BVD. In his book, The Service: Inside the BVD, Frits Hoekstra claims that Mabel – married to Prince Johan Friso – was courted by the organisation when she was a politics student at the University of Amsterdam.
He suggests her relationship with Bosnian politician, Mohammed Sacirbey, was an "extremely valuable" resource in securing the 1995 Dayton Agreement – a peace treaty which ended the country's civil war. The pair's paths crossed during the royal's time as an activist when she travelled extensively in the Balkans and promoted human rights in the area. No official statement has been released by the Dutch crown, and the book does not indicate whether Queen Beatrix (pictured with Mabel) or her family members knew of the alleged activities.
The claims come as Mabel continues to deal with her own personal tragedy. Her husband is fighting for his life in a London hospital after a skiing accident left him in a coma. Their relationship has been dogged by controversy since they became engaged in 2004. Prince Friso was forced to renounce his succession rights due to Mabel's close links to underworld figure Klaas Bruinsma, who was murdered in 1991.