Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

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Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands died at Het Loo Palace on this day in 1962. The only child of King William III of the Netherlands and his second wife Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, she became Heiress Presumptive in 1884, succeeding to the Dutch Throne in 1890, at the age of ten. Dowager Queen Emma served as Regent until 1898, when Queen Wilhelmina came of age. In 1901, she married Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and the couple had one daughter, the future Queen Juliana. The longest-ruling Dutch Monarch, reigning for 58 years, she is most famous for closely escaping the Nazi Occupation of the Netherlands during WWII, and, through her radio broadcasts, became a symbol for the Dutch Resistance. The liberation of the Netherlands and her subsequent involvement led to great exhaustion, making Queen Wilhelmina abdicate in favour of her daughter, Queen Juliana, in 1948. She retired to Het Loo Palace, where she wrote her autobiography: Eenzaam, maar niet alleen (Lonely but Not Alone), and where she passed away in 1962

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Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara

Mellerio Ruby Tiara

Dutch Diamond Bandeau

Queen Emma’s Diamond Tiara

Dutch Emerald Parure

Queen Wilhelmina’s Sapphire Parure

Dutch Pearl and Diamond Stomacher

Diamond Trellis Necklace

Dutch Diamond Stars

Diamond Stomacher

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