Juliana of the Netherlands

Noordeinde Palace opens to the public

Noordeinde Palace in The Hague will open its door for four Saturdays in a row. Noordeinde Palace began its life as a medieval farmhouse in 1533. This was converted into a spacious residence, which was bought for Louise de Coligny, the widow of William I, Prince of Orange, in 1595. Her son enlarged the house [read more]

Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont

Queen Wilhelmina – The first miscarriage

With Wilhelmina’s marriage to Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on 7 February 1901, she and her mother both fervently prayed for healthy children to continue their line. Tragically, Wilhelmina would go on to suffer five miscarriages and only one healthy child was born to Wilhelmina and Henry. At the end of August 1901, the first signs of [read more]

wilhelmina juliana
Juliana of the Netherlands

Queen Wilhelmina – The abdication

When I studied history, I was particularly struck by the abdication of Emperor Charles V in 1555. I recognized the wisdom in it. Queen Wilhelmina’s decision to abdicate certainly caused some raised eyebrows with her British cousins, who had been left reeling by the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936. When the future Queen [read more]