Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 52° 22.151 E 004° 53.536
31U E 628827 N 5803786
This sculpture of Queen Wilhelmina is in Rokin square in Amsterdam.
Waymark Code: WMDBTK
Location: Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Date Posted: 12/21/2011
Views: 21
She was born on 31st August 1880, the daughter of King William III who was 63 at the time. The King had already outlived two of his children from a previous marriage and she born 3rd in line to the throne.
The king died at 1890, after the other two heirs had already died and so at the age of ten she became Queen of Netherlands. However due to her young age her mother acted as regent in Wilhelmina’s place until she reached the age of 18 in 1898.
During the First World War she took a great interest in the army of the Netherlands and visited the troops on many occasions. She felt she was a "Queen-On-Guard" and was always wary of German attack, although after the war she did grant political asylum to Kaiser Wilhelm.
In the Second World War after the Nazis invaded in 1940 she tried to go to the town of Breskens in the south of the Netherlands to organise an army of resistance. She boarded the British destroyer HMS Hereward, but it came under attack and so she moved to the UK and lived there for the rest of the war.
Whilst in the UK she took charge of the Dutch government in exile. She also broadcast radio messages to the people of Holland, and many of them tuned in even though to do so was illegal.
After the war she suffered ill health and abdicated in favour of her daughter Juliana. She continued to be popular with the Dutch population until her death in November 1962 at the age of 82.
Two years later it was decide to erect a statue in her honour. The original design was intended to show here broadcasting to the Dutch people during World War II. However after seeing a picture of a young Wilhelmina on horseback the sculptress Theresa R. Van der Pant decided to sculpt her in that pose.
The life size bronze sculpture shows her sitting side saddle on the horse. The pedestal has the inscription WILHELMINA 1880 1962.
Monarch Ranking: King / Queen
Proper Title and Name of Monarch: Whilelmina, Queen of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau
Country or Empire of Influence: The Netherlands
Website for additonal information: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:Waymark Visitor - Must either
- Provide a photo at the Statue
- Answer a related question, if available, as posted on the Waymark description to the satistfaction of the Owner