Early Life
She was born Mabel Martine Los to Hendrik Cornelis "Henk" Los (Voorschoten, 27 April 1944 - Loosdrecht, 18 February 1978) and wife Florence Malde Gijsberdina "Flos" Kooman (b. 1944), in turn daughter of Anthonie Kooman (Maastricht, 15 June 1915 - 's-Hertogenbosch, 8 November 1979) and wife Antoinette Petronella van Woerkom. Her father died when she was 9 years old; when her mother married Peter Wisse Smit (15 October 1939 - Hilversum, 11 November 2000) in 1984, Mabel and her sister took their stepfather's surname. Princess Mabel has two younger sisters, Nicoline Los, later Nicoline Wisse Smit (b. 1970) and Eveline Wisse Smit (b. 1982). She grew up in Het Gooi in the central Netherlands.
She studied economics and political science at the University of Amsterdam, graduating summa cum laude in 1993. During her study she also finished internships at the United Nations, Shell, ABN AMRO and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition to Dutch, she speaks fluent English, Spanish and French and also learned Slavic languages during her work in the Balkans.
During her university years, she showed special interest in human rights situations around the world, and later specialised in Balkan diplomacy and international relations. In 1995 she was present at the peace conference in Dayton, Ohio.
Read more about this topic: Princess Mabel Of Orange-Nassau
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