Profile of the Day: Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

Today we remember Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands, who died on this day in 1962 at the age of 82. She reigned for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch.

Wilhelmina was born on August 31, 1880 at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. She was the only child of King William III and his second wife, Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Her father was 63 years old at the time of her birth. He had three sons from his first marriage, however, two had passed away before Wilhelmina was born. When her brother, Prince Alexander, died childless in 1884, Wilhelmina became the heir-presumptive. She became queen in 1890 after the death of her father. At only 10 years old, her mother was named regent until Wilhelmina’s inauguration at the age of 18.

Wilhelmina’s long reign saw the First and Second World War, the Great Depression, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial power. During World War II, Wilhelmina broadcasted messages over the radio while the government was in exile and became a great inspiration to the Dutch resistance.

After the war, Wilhelmina’s health began to fail and in 1948, she abdicated the throne in favor of her daughter, Juliana. At the time of her abdication, she had reigned for nearly 58 years. She died on November 28, 1962 at the age of 82.

Explore the Wilhelmina of the Netherlands’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related to the Dutch royal.
 

View Wilhelmina of the Netherlands’s Geni Profile

Image: Library of Congress