Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont |
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Emma as queen mother in 1900
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| Queen consort of the Netherlands Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg |
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| Tenure | 7 January 1879 – 23 November 1890 | ||||
| Queen regent of the Netherlands | |||||
| Tenure | 20 November 1890- 6 September 1898 | ||||
| Monarch | William III; Wilhelmina | ||||
| Born | 2 August 1858 Arolsen Castle, Arolsen, Waldeck and Pyrmont, German Confederation |
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| Died | 20 March 1934 (aged 75) Lange Voorhout Palace, The Hague, Netherlands |
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| Burial | Nieuwe Kerk, Delft, Netherlands | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Wilhelmina of the Netherlands | ||||
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| House | Waldeck and Pyrmont | ||||
| Father | George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont | ||||
| Mother | Princess Helena of Nassau | ||||
Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont (born August 2, 1858, died March 20, 1934) was a very important queen in Dutch history. She was the wife of King William III and became Queen of the Netherlands. She was also the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. People loved Queen Emma very much. She served as a regent for her daughter, Queen Wilhelmina. This happened when Wilhelmina was too young to rule, from 1890 until 1898.
Contents
Emma's Early Life
Emma was born a princess on August 2, 1858. Her birthplace was Arolsen Castle in Bad Arolsen, Germany. This was the capital of a small area called Waldeck and Pyrmont. Her parents were Prince Georg Viktor and Princess Helena of Nassau-Weilburg.
Emma had a brother named Prince Friedrich I. He was the last prince to rule Waldeck and Pyrmont. Her sister, Princess Helena, married Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany. He was a son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Emma's education was religious and open-minded. She learned crafts, drawing, and French literature from her English governess. Her childhood was quite relaxed, but she learned to be responsible. She became interested in helping others early on. This was because she did charity work and cared for her sick older sister. Emma was known for being thoughtful, smart, and friendly.
Becoming Queen of the Netherlands
Princess Emma married King William III on January 7, 1879. The wedding took place in Arolsen. King William was much older than Emma, by 41 years. He had three sons from his first marriage, and all of them were older than Emma.
The king needed a new wife after his first wife died. Emma was one of several daughters of a minor German prince. Her parents were very happy that she would become a queen. Emma loved her parents and agreed to marry the king. She started learning Dutch right away.
The king's oldest son, Crown Prince William, died in 1879. Then, his youngest son, Alexander, became the heir. In August 1880, Emma had her only child, a daughter named Wilhelmina. When Alexander died in 1884, Wilhelmina became the next in line for the throne. This meant Emma would likely become regent if Wilhelmina became queen while still a child.
After his son's death, the king's health declined. Emma took care of him.
Emma's Time as Regent
King William III became very ill. Three days before he died on November 23, 1890, Emma became regent for him. She continued to rule until Wilhelmina turned 18 on August 31, 1898. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg had different rules. Its crown went to Emma's uncle, Adolf, because a woman could not inherit it there.
Emma was the first woman to rule the Kingdom of the Netherlands. She took her role as regent very seriously. It was a difficult job because King William had upset many politicians. Emma quickly improved relations between the royal family and the government. She had good advisors who helped her.
She met with every government minister often to stay informed. Emma always followed the rules of the constitutional monarchy. Because she respected the rules, people trusted her. She used this trust to influence political issues she cared about. She often found ways to get what she wanted. One politician said Emma was effective because she was strong-willed but gentle.
As regent, Emma worked with three different governments. She made sure she approved of their plans before they took office. She also gave speeches in Dutch and cared about the Dutch colonies. She attended military parades and celebrations.
Emma also focused on her daughter Wilhelmina's education. When Wilhelmina was 16, Emma prepared her for her future role as queen. They traveled through the country, visiting charities, hospitals, and factories. This helped Wilhelmina learn about her future duties.
Life as Queen Mother
On August 31, 1898, her daughter Queen Wilhelmina became an adult. Emma then stopped being regent. In her farewell speech, she hoped the Netherlands would continue to be a great nation.
Emma lived with her daughter until Wilhelmina married Henry of Mecklenburg in 1901. Then, Emma moved to her own home in The Hague. When her granddaughter Juliana was born in 1909, it was decided that Emma would be regent again if Juliana became queen as a child.
As queen mother, Emma continued to attend public events. She supported her daughter and son-in-law. She was known as the "queen of charity." She worked especially hard to help people suffering from tuberculosis. She stopped her public duties in 1927 when her granddaughter Juliana started taking part in royal events.
Queen Emma died in The Hague on March 20, 1934. She was 75 years old and died from complications of bronchitis. She was buried in Delft.
Images for kids
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Coat of arms of Queen Emma
See also
In Spanish: Emma de Waldeck-Pyrmont para niños
