World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseBorn Princess Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Marie of Orange-Nassau to King William III, Queen Wilhelmina became the ruling queen of the Netherlands at the age of 10 upon the death of her father, with her mother ruling as the regent. She was inaugurated on 6 Sep 1898, days after her 18th birthday. She was known as a determined and strong-willed monarch who enjoyed much support from her subjects. During WW1, though officially neutral, the Netherlands were linked closer to Germany for trade reasons. That did not take away Wilhelmina's suspicion of the powerful neighbor to the east, however; she constantly insisted on a high standard for the Dutch forces, which was another source of her widespread support in the Netherlands. In 1928, Amsterdam hosted the Olympics, which brought American Olympic Committee President General Douglas MacArthur to her country. MacArthur noted her as an "extraordinary woman, her grasp of world affairs was complete and her prophetic vision foresaw much of the momentous changes about to take place." MacArthur also praised her efforts to bring liberal ideals to her colonial domains in the Pacific Ocean. In 1939, she was rumored to have influenced the collapse of Prime Minister Hendrik Colijn's government via a vote of no confidence so that she could assert more personal influence in ruling her country through the new government that had closer ties to her.

ww2dbaseOn 13 May 1940, three days after the German invasion, Queen Wilhelmina fled to London much against her initial decision to remain and coordinate defenses. She named Pieter Gerbrandy the Prime Minister of the Dutch government-in-exile and established the London-based government-in-exile as the head of the Dutch resistance. Sending messages from Britain into the Netherlands with Radio Oranje, she called Adolf Hitler "the archenemy of mankind" and rallied her people. Her determination and love for her people earned praises from European leaders.

ww2dbaseAfter the war, Queen Wilhelmina's popularity declined as she was unable to halt the revolutions that took place in the Dutch East Indies. As a result, she abdicated on 4 Sep 1948, passing the crown to her daughter Juliana. She passed away in 1962 and was buried at the Nieuwe Kerk church in Delft in the Netherlands.

Wilhelmina Interactive Map

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Wilhelmina Timeline

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