Former Queen’s Commissioner Frank Houben died on Wednesday at the age of 84. He was Queen’s Commissioner in Brabant from 1987 to 2003. Previously, he was mayor of the municipality of Etten-Leur and of the then municipality of Luyksgestel.
Houben’s political career started early. After studying law, he became mayor of Luyksgestel at the age of 29. As a descendant of a Limburg family of administrators, it was no great surprise that he entered public administration. His father Frans was governor in Limburg and his brother Philip was mayor of Maastricht.
As a CDA member, Frank Houben remained mayor in the Brabant countryside for seventeen years. Luyksgestel was followed by a short period as acting mayor in the municipalities of Vessem, Knegsel and Wintelre. He then became mayor of Etten-Leur in 1977. Ten years later he said goodbye there and succeeded Dries van Agt as Queen’s Commissioner in Brabant.
“Truly a special person,” says Arnoud Reijnen about Houben. Reijnen had only been working for the province for six months when Frank Houben became the new Queen’s Commissioner. “There was someone standing next to my desk who said: ‘The commissioner has no spokesperson, you will do that’. Of course you couldn’t say ‘no’ to that.”
“Before his time, the Queen’s Commissioner was approached in an old-fashioned way.”
Reijnen experienced Houben up close. The commissioner was a great innovator, he believes. “Before his time, the Queen’s Commissioner was approached in an old-fashioned way. It was customary for him never to walk through the provincial hall alone. A chamberlain always had to accompany him. Well, that ended quickly,” Reijnen remembers.
Unlike his flamnosy predecessor, Frank Houben was a quiet, modest diplomat who managed to achieve a lot. He strengthened the economic position of Brabant and committed himself to a better environment. If it suited him, he would go to the provincial government building by bicycle. “His driver would cycle next to him, with the suitcase,” says Reijnen.
Houben looked ahead. In 1997, he was one of the driving forces behind the Brabant 2050 manifesto, which described the vision for the future of the province. “He was modesty itself, so he would never claim it. But he initiated discussions about nature policy, the environment and the energy transition. You can still see that reflected in the province’s policy.”
“When there was a fuss, he sought people out.”
Reijnen characterizes Houben as a real people person. “He was not a pedantic commissioner. He had the ability to talk to people, he had an eye for others. And when there was a fuss, he sought people out.”
When he retired as provincial administrator in 2003, dozens of Brabant mayors helped plant a forest around Nemerlaer Castle in Haaren. It was a tribute, thanking Houben for his efforts for a sustainable Brabant. There is also a bust of him in the forest.
Frank Houben was a friend of the royal family. This relationship ensured that Den Bosch regularly received royal visits. Princess Christina was a witness at the wedding of Frank Houben to Monique van Lanschot. In 2002 he was a witness at Willem-Alexander’s wedding. After retiring from the provincial government, he became a chamberlain in the extraordinary service of the queen.
Frank Houben was Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion and Grand Officer in the Order of the Crown of Belgium. At his farewell he became an honorary citizen of North Brabant and Den Bosch. He was also honorary chairman of Brabant Landscape.
