Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

Noordeinde Palace, 31 Aug 1880 – Het Loo Palace, 28 Nov 1962

10 facts3 sources

Animated by AI

About Wilhelmina

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands: A 58-Year Reign

AI-assisted · edited

The collection records Wilhelmina’s birth in 1880 at Noordeinde Palace. She was the daughter of King William III of the Netherlands and Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, who served as regent during her minority. 1 2 3 4

Wilhelmina was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. Her nearly 58-year reign made her the longest-reigning monarch in Dutch history. 5 6 4

Her recorded union was with Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Her reign encompassed the First World War, the Dutch economic crisis of 1933, and the Second World War, placing a long period of European upheaval at the center of her monarchy. 7 4

Drafted with AI and edited against the collection. Open a citation to see the record, its sources and how certain it is.

Facts and their sources

Born31 Aug 1880, Noordeinde Palacenot verified1 source
MarriedDuke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerinnot verified1 source
TitleKing of the Netherlands, 1890–1948not verified1 source
Died28 Nov 1962, Het Loo Palacenot verified1 source
MotherEmma of Waldeck and Pyrmontnot verified1 source
FatherWilliam III of the Netherlandsnot verified1 source

A life in time

31 Aug 1880
Born in Noordeinde Palace
1890–1948
King of the Netherlands
30 Apr 1909
A daughter is born
28 Nov 1962
Dies in Het Loo Palace, aged 82

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-SchwerinHusband · 1876–1934

Children · 1

Juliana of the NetherlandsDaughter · 1909–2004

During her lifetime

She lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Noordeinde Palace.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1880s · Wilhelmina is born in Noordeinde Palace

What people wore

Large garnet jewelry and hidden ears

In some hamlets, peasant families possessed garnet necklaces with stones as large as a swallow's egg. Gold earrings were also common, often worn fastened to the cap while the ears themselves remained hidden.

Getting around

Bicycles became a popular transport alternative

The safety bicycle, introduced in 1885, became an increasingly affordable and popular alternative to walking or traveling by horse. By 1899, there were over 94,000 bicycles in the Netherlands, equating to one bike for every 53 inhabitants.

At the table

Potatoes were the staple food

For ordinary families, potatoes were the main staple, often eaten in one-pot meals, while meat was a rare luxury usually reserved for Sundays.

The motor car. Carl Benz patented his three-wheeled Motorwagen, the first practical car powered by a petrol engine.
supplied by Carl Benz to William Worby Beaumont · public domain

Music

Sinterklaas traditions and children's treats

During the Sinterklaas celebration, children sang songs by the fireplace and set out clogs or baskets filled with hay and carrots for the horse. Some children in poorer households received simple treats like speculaas in the shape of a rooster or marzipan pigs instead of costly toys.

Daily life

Children and work at age twelve

Children from lower-class families left school at age twelve, as allowed by law, to begin working in factories for up to twelve hours a day.

What it cost

Weekly wages of an ordinary worker

Workers earned roughly 5 to 10 guilders per week, though many struggled on 6 guilders or less. Employment was often irregular, and laborers frequently relied on charity or bread support during winters.