October 7, 2002	Monday	Rajab 29, 1423

AMSTERDAM, Oct 6: Prince Claus of the Netherlands, husband of Queen Beatrix, died on Sunday at the age of 76, the government information service said.

The prince, who had suffered from sporadic ill health over the past decade, died at 1700 GMT in the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam, a statement said.

Claus had been in hospital for several weeks. The exact cause of his death was not immediately clear.

Claus’ failing left kidney was removed in May last year. In 1991, doctors had diagnosed him with a mild form of Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative brain disorder.—AFP