Netherland's Queen Wilhelmina

Early Years

Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Marie of Orange-Nassau was born on August 31, 1880, in The Hague the first and only child of King Willem III and Queen Emma. Her father was 63 years old when she was born and had been previously married to Princess Sophie of Wurttemberg, by whom he had had three surviving sons all of whom died before Wilhelmina was 4 years old.

Wilhelmina was only 10 years old when her father died leaving her the throne. Queen Emma, who had been Regent during her husband’s illness, continued in that role until her daughter’s 18th birthday.

Queen of the Netherlands

The coronation of Queen Wilhelmina took place in Amsterdam on August 31, 1898. She was crowned queen of the Netherlands, Indonesia, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. Wilhelmina took her coronation vows seriously. Though proud and authoritarian, she honored the restrictions of the law despite differences of opinion with her ministers on matters of foreign affairs and defense.

On February 7, 1901, at the age of twenty, the Queen married the German Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin whom she had met the year before. The marriage was not successful due to Heinrich’s penchant for alcohol and his playboy attitudes. Wilhelmina’s first pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage and it was considered a miracle by those in the know, that a second child, to be named Juliana, was born on April 30, 1909. The marriage faltered and before long the couple drifted apart and led separate lives.

World War I

When the Great War engulfed Europe in 1914, Holland maintained an armed neutrality. The German U-boats and the British blockade permitted limited commercial shipping through a narrow corridor. Fortunately, the popularity of Queen Wilhelmina helped stabilize the government and in the years between the wars Holland emerged as an industrial powerhouse as vast amounts of land were reclaimed under the Zuiderzee scheme.

The Great Depression

During the 1930’s, while the world fought against the Great Depression, Wilhelmina became more involved in questions of state. With the support of her pro-monarchist prime minister, Hendrik Colijn, her personal power reached its peak.

Invasion

When the Second World War began in 1939, the Netherlands again declared itself neutral. This time the declaration was ignored and on May 10, 1940, Germany invaded Holland and quickly overran the small country. Queen Wilhemina wanted to stay in her country move to Breskens in Zeeland to better organize resistance against the Germans. Instead, the Queen, her family and her government were evacuated to England three days after the invasion began. On May 14, with the exception of troops in Zeeland, the Dutch armed forces surrendered.

The Queen set up a government in exile in England and immediately began sending broadcast messages to her people. Though it meant death to be caught listening to Radio Oranje, many Dutch people anxiously awaited the Queen’s late night messages. Wilhelmina was so well thought of by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill that he referred to her as "the only real man among the governments in exile".

Liberation

With the end of the war and the liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian soldiers, Wilhelmina returned home and took up residence in a mansion in The Hague. From here she frequently drove or bicycled about the countryside, speaking to people, encouraging them and raising morale. After eight months she moved into the Palace in Amsterdam.

Wilhelmina’s keen understanding of economics and business stood her in good stead after the war as her investments enabled her to become the first female self made billionaire. Wilhelmina saw this as a good time to step aside and on September 4, 1948 she abdicated in favor of her daughter Juliana, ending her fifty-eight year reign. Now known as Princess Wilhelmina, she founded the Dutch Cancer Society but until 1953 made few public appearances. In that year the devastating North Sea Flood ravaged the country and though a 73 year old grandmother, Wilhelmina once again went out amongst her people to encourage and motivate them.

On November 28, 1962, at the age of 82, Queen Wilhelmina died. She is buried in the crypt of the Dutch Royal Family in New Church in Delft.

Bibliography

Geoffrey Hindley - The Royal Families of Europe – 1979

Encyclopedia Brittanica

Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia

Queen Wilhelmina - 1898

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