The revolutions in Europe as well as the social unrest were a sign of time to the Dutch socialist party at that time as well.It's leader,Troelstra,saw the time fit to proclaim a republic in The Netherlands as well.On the 12th of november he delivered a speach in the Tweede Kamer(House of Commons)and attacked the Queen directly for interfering with government policies and her strong military influence.That,ofcourse,quite upset the Court.The treath was felt there.Moreover as demonstrations spread all over the country,and the Nooreinde Palace was under protection of the Forces from november 13th.Measurements were taken in case of an emergency.
The attempt for a revolution,9 days of revolts from november 9th till november 18th 1918,went out like a candle,fortunately,in fact that "revolution"died quietly before it was well started off.
(Glad it did if it was just that I detest the word,let alone the act in the context of all that happened at that time)
On the 18th of november 1918 a gathering was staged at the Malieveld,The Hague,thousands and thousands attended,and so did Queen Wilhelmina and her 9 year old daughter Princess Juliana.The crowds cheered Wilhelmina and Juliana and pledged its allegiance to Her.
here's a pic:
http://www.wereldoorlog1418.nl/wilhelmina/malieveld.jpgThe horses were set apart from Wilhelmina's carriage and that was then pulled by as many as could get their hands on it back to the Palace,with a triumphant Queen.
After that by order of the Queen the Court "shrunk"to a much smaller size and Court protocol was simplyfied,she adjusted to the changing times.Her interference with the countries politics almost ceased to be,almost,not always.
The twenties saw many reforms in all fields,and from time to time,if things didn't go quite-or quite as speedy- as Wilhelmina wished,she still pulled the plug and "flushed"a minister,fe,by refusing to sign a bill/law,or by treathening to abdicate.The economic crisis of the roaring twenties didn't leave the Netherlands out of its spectrum,and the Dutch RF,all four of them,Emma,Wilhelmina,Hendrik and Juliana were all over the country visiting here,speeching there,heading aidfunds as their Chair etc etc .
The Netherlands were a colonial force,at that time,and trade was our main force,it stil is.The East Indies provided a large part of the Bnp,and dutch multinationals were on the rise,Philips,Royal Dutch(Shell) and the ancestor of Unilever(dutch).There were voices in the Indies calling for independence,but Wilhelmina was strongly opposed.Why?She had sworn to protect and maintain The Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1898,and wouldn't want to hear a word about having to give up a part of it.On occasion the Princes/Sultans would come over to pay tribute to her,and especially Juliana developed what could be called friendly terms with some.She already saw the sign of time.
In march 1934 Queen Mother Emma died,followed in July by Prince Hendrik,that,was a terrible blow,by any standart.Wilhelmina didn't expect any of them to end their lives so abrupt.Her mother suffered from bronchitis,sure,but that it was that severe she never had a clue.Hendrik died of a heart attack while in his office at Noordeinde Palace.Their relationship wasn't/had not been happy,but Wilhelmina was shocked nonetheless.Later,much later,she adjusted her view on him,while Juliana always spoke about the good man her father was.
The Dutch Royal Family was decimated to two.Their had been suitors for Princess Juliana,one of them being Prince Carl of Sweden but that didn't last.By order of Wilhelmina dutch embassies were on the "look out"for a fitting suitor.The embassy in Paris found one,Bernhard zu Lippe-Biesterfeld.A meeting was arranged at Garmisch Partenkirchen during the 1936 winter Olympics,and Bernhard visited Het Loo Palace several times after that,untill their engagement was announced in 1936.The wedding took place on january 7th 1937 at The Hague.Wilhelmina was delighted.
The couple went on a honeymoon that took them to Poland(wintersports)Austria,Italy,Monaco and Paris.It lasted 4 months,while Wilhelmina started to contact them within a month asking when they would return.Her daughter had left not quite the fashion symbol,but returned in couture from Paris,and smoking.Wilhelmina took it all,with a frown,but she was happy "her children"were back.A year later Wilhelmina became a grandmother,Princess Beatrix was born(our present Queen)
http://www.seegerpress-online.de/seegerpress-cgi/topixx?op=preview&ID=1074544402&str...
followed on august the 5th 1939 by Princess Irene,a name specially choosen,Peace.
Dark clouds gathered over Europe at that time and in that same year,1939,on august 29 and november 7th,Queen Wilhelmina and King Leopold of Belgium jointly offered to act as mediators to maintain peace.Wilhelmina had paid a State Visit to Belgium in may of the same year,no doubt discussing the details.But it was all in vain,as we all know.
In the early morning of may 10th 1940 german troops invaded The Netherlands.The RF was at Noordeinde Palace,The Hague since a while as it was the seat of government and thus more adequate a residence in this time.Wilhelmina ordered both her daughter and Bernhard to leave immediatly for England with their chidren.Wilhelmina refused to leave her country and people point blanc,and delivered a speech on the radio fulminating against the Germans,and Hitler mostly.She was to set off to the dutch front herself,wanted to be with her boys there,die there if necessary.Only with the greatest effort she was kept from actually going there,and she never forgave the guy that got her not too,a general.Juliana had left from the port of IJmuiden to Harwich,Beatrix on her arm,Irene in a cradle,along with all the Royal Jewels,parures,the lot of it.Wilhelmina remained in the shelter in the garden of Noordeinde Palace,together with Prince bernhard,who had returned from safely delivering his wife and children.
