Queen Emma (1859-1934)

[Iain]

While acting as regent for her daughter was Queen Emma regarded as the Head of State, for instance, did she open Parliament and sign their acts?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Yes, she did everything a Queen would do. Every Act and Royal Decree was worded as:

"In the name of Her Majesty WILHELMINA, by the grace of God Queen of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Etc. Etc. Etc.;
We EMMA, Queen-Dowager, Regentess of the Kingdom,
To all who shall read this or hear this read:
Salute!
As We have taken into consideration that [...];
So is it that We, having heard the Council of State and in mutual deliberations with the States-General;
Have herewith approved and understand as We do approve and understand:

Article 1

[...]

And herewith We command You in the Lord's holy protection.

EMMA"

In 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886 and 1887 Queen Emma addressed the States-General. In her last year as Regentess, the 17 years old Queen Wilhelmina joined as an escort to her mother, the Regentess.

 

[Iain]

Yes, she did everything a Queen would do. Every Act and Royal Decree was worded as:

"In the name of Her Majesty WILHELMINA, by the grace of God Queen of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Etc. Etc. Etc.;
We EMMA, Queen-Dowager, Regentess of the Kingdom,
To all who shall read this or hear this read:
Salute!
As We have taken into consideration that [...];
So is it that We, having heard the Council of State and in mutual deliberations with the States-General;
Have herewith approved and understand as We do approve and understand:

Article 1

[...]

And herewith We command You in the Lord's holy protection.

EMMA"

In 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886 and 1887 Queen Emma addressed the States-General. In her last year as Regentess, the 17 years old Queen Wilhelmina joined as an escort to her mother, the Regentess.

Thank you very much for answering my question. It's interesting to see that Wilhelmina is referred to as Queen because I had been under the impression that she didn't take the title until her 18th birthday. I don't know where I got that from but from what you wrote I take it she was Queen from day her father died.

 

[Mbruno]

Thank you very much for answering my question. It's interesting to see that Wilhelmina is referred to as Queen because I had been under the impression that she didn't take the title until her 18th birthday. I don't know where I got that from but from what you wrote I take it she was Queen from day her father died.

The old movie in the link above about Wilhelmina's inauguration as queen refers to her as "Her Royal Highness Princess Wilhelmina" before the inauguration and as "Her Majesty" only after it. Technically, however, I would imagine she was already queen from the moment of the demise of her predecessor.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IslPj5k2NeE

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

According parlement.com, a reliable source, the titulature of Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria was:

31 August 1880
H.R.H. Princess Pauline of Orange-Nassau

21 June 1884 *
H.R.H. Princess Wilhelmina of Orange-Nassau

23 November 1890
H.M. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau

4 September 1948
H.R.H. Princess Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau

28 November 1962
H.M. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau **

* on 21 June 1884 her halfbrother Prince Alexander, the Prince of Orange died. With this the almost 4 years old Princess Pauline became the Heiress-Presumptive and her name was changed into Wilhelmina, thaught to be more regal and befitting her position.

** after her death on November 28th 1962 it was decided that the deceased is referred as "Queen Wilhelmina" indeed. (The same happened with Princess Juliana, who is referred as "Queen Juliana" indeed, after her death in 2004).

 

[CyrilVladisla]

The 75th birthday of Queen Mother Emma with Queen Wilhelmina and Princess Juliana
http://www.gettyimages.com/license/82093726

 

[Tatiana Maria]

According parlement.com, a reliable source, the titulature of Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria was:

31 August 1880
H.R.H. Princess Pauline of Orange-Nassau

21 June 1884 *
H.R.H. Princess Wilhelmina of Orange-Nassau

23 November 1890
H.M. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau

4 September 1948
H.R.H. Princess Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau

28 November 1962
H.M. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau **

* on 21 June 1884 her halfbrother Prince Alexander, the Prince of Orange died. With this the almost 4 years old Princess Pauline became the Heiress-Presumptive and her name was changed into Wilhelmina, thaught to be more regal and befitting her position.

** after her death on November 28th 1962 it was decided that the deceased is referred as "Queen Wilhelmina" indeed. (The same happened with Princess Juliana, who is referred as "Queen Juliana" indeed, after her death in 2004).

Is it still a reliable source in regard to titulature? Wasn't Wilhelmina a Princess of the Netherlands as well as a Princess of Orange-Nassau until she ascended the throne?

 

[Marengo]

It is normally a reliable website - initiated by the Montesquieu institute - but they made an error indeed. Wilhelmina was a Princess of The Netherlands when she was born.

https://www.parlement.com/id/vg09llxsqztv/h_m_koningin_wilhelmina_koningin

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

When Queen Wilhelmina abdicated the kingship, she reverted to the style she had before the kingship: prinses Wilhelmina der Nederlanden. This example was followed by her daughter and granddaughter.

1880-1990
H.K.H. prinses Wilhelmina der Nederlanden, prinses van Oranje-Nassau

1890-1948
H.M. de Koningin

1948-1962
H.K.H. prinses Wilhelmina der Nederlanden, prinses van Oranje-Nassau


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


1909-1948
H.K.H. prinses Juliana der Nederlanden, prinses van Oranje-Nassau, hertogin van Mecklenburg


1948-1980
H.M. de Koningin


1980-2004
H.K.H. prinses Juliana der Nederlanden, prinses van Oranje-Nassau, hertogin van Mecklenburg


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


1938-1980
H.K.H. prinses Beatrix der Nederlanden, prinses van Oranje-Nassau, prinses van Lippe-Biesterfeld

1980-2013
H.M. de Koningin

2013-....
H.K.H. prinses Beatrix der Nederlanden, prinses van Oranje-Nassau, prinses van Lippe-Biesterfeld

 

[Stefan]

According parlement.com, a reliable source, the titulature of Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria was:

31 August 1880
H.R.H. Princess Pauline of Orange-Nassau

21 June 1884 *
H.R.H. Princess Wilhelmina of Orange-Nassau

23 November 1890
H.M. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau

4 September 1948
H.R.H. Princess Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau

28 November 1962
H.M. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau **

* on 21 June 1884 her halfbrother Prince Alexander, the Prince of Orange died. With this the almost 4 years old Princess Pauline became the Heiress-Presumptive and her name was changed into Wilhelmina, thaught to be more regal and befitting her position.

** after her death on November 28th 1962 it was decided that the deceased is referred as "Queen Wilhelmina" indeed. (The same happened with Princess Juliana, who is referred as "Queen Juliana" indeed, after her death in 2004).

Why was she from 1880-1890 only Princess of Orange-Nassau? Not also Princess of the Netherlands?

 

[An Ard Ri]

Queen Emma could very well be the last Dutch Dowager Queen/Queen Mother,God forbid Maxima would be widowed.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Queen Emma in a Mercedes-Benz Nuerburg
http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-em...etherlands-711879-23111890-in-a-48725304.html

 

[Blog Real]

Queen Emma's voice in a radio speech to combat tuberculosis, March 23, 1933.
Subsequently, the word of thanks from Queen Wilhelmina on the occasion of the death of Queen Emma, ​​​​​​​on March 31, 1934.

 

[Marengo]

I never heard her voice before. She had less of a German accent then Prince Bernhard and Prince Claus did.

 

[Lee-Z]

Indeed, it's nice to hear her voice, and she indeed speaks dutch really well

 

[SLV]

Wow, what a unique recording.

 

[Prinsara]

Why did she decide to marry a man who was so much older? Sure, fantastic social position, but was that all?

 

[SLV]

Presure from her family, perhaps. Girls like Emma knew that they would marry who they were told to. I have not read anything to think her sister Helena's wedding to the British RF was a lovematch.

 

[Prinsara]

Presure from her family, perhaps. Girls like Emma knew that they would marry who they were told to. I have not read anything to think her sister Helena's wedding to the British RF was a lovematch.

Actually, I have read the opposite about Helen; the Duke of Albany may have been gravely ill and had been turned down by others to his great unhappiness, but he was also young, handsome, intelligent, obviously extremely well-placed socially, and relatively nice, and Helen said she was not afraid of the hemophilia. If they didn't marry solely for love, they were still noted to be acting like it before and after they got married.

The Waldeck sisters obviously weren't shy of complicated matches, but Emma was also widowed not only relatively quickly, but Willem was an old, difficult, seemingly far-less attractive man. So it fascinates me whether she married him from fondness, or pressure, or something else.

I suppose given that not much is known about Emma, the biggest decision of her life is also something of a mystery.

 

[Lee-Z]

Actually, I have read the opposite about Helen; the Duke of Albany may have been gravely ill and had been turned down by others to his great unhappiness, but he was also young, handsome, intelligent, obviously extremely well-placed socially, and relatively nice, and Helen said she was not afraid of the hemophilia. If they didn't marry solely for love, they were still noted to be acting like it before and after they got married.

The Waldeck sisters obviously weren't shy of complicated matches, but Emma was also widowed not only relatively quickly, but Willem was an old, difficult, seemingly far-less attractive man. So it fascinates me whether she married him from fondness, or pressure, or something else.

I suppose given that not much is known about Emma, the biggest decision of her life is also something of a mystery.

From what i read, generally it a attributed to her being brought up with a very strong sense of duty, her family wasn't wealthy, so she very likely knew what was expected of her and went along with it. She knew about big agedifferences in marriage because her own father had, after her mother died, remarried a much younger woman.
And somehow she knew better how to handle K.Willem III than most people and the marriage was quite succesful, the king mellowed down a lot (esp. after their daughter was born).

 

[Stefan]

I have often read that King Willem III. meet Sophie sister Marie, who was married to the future King Wilhelm II. of Württemberg when visting relatives of his first wife and was very impressed by her