Wilhelmine of Prussia (1774–1837)
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at a young age
Wilhelmine of Prussia, born Princess of Prussia (full names in Dutch: Frederica Louisa Wilhelmina; full names in German: Friederike Luise Wilhelmine) (Potsdam, 18 November 1774 - The Hague, 12 October 1837), was the first wife of King William I of the Netherlands and so the first Queen of the Netherlands.
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[edit] Biography
Princess Wilhelmine was born in Potsdam. She was the fourth child (out of eight) of King Frederick William II of Prussia and Queen Frederica Louisa. Her upbringing was dominated by the strict regime of her great-uncle Frederick the Great. Very little is known about her youth.
On 1 October 1791 she married her cousin William, son of Stadtholder William V, Prince of Orange in Berlin. The young couple went to live at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague. In 1795 the French invaded the Dutch Republic. The princely family went into exile. First they stayed in England and later in Berlin. The Princess returned to The Hague in the beginning of 1814.
Princess Wilhelmine became Queen of the Netherlands in 1815; until 1830, the Netherlands also included present day Belgium. Queen Wilhelmine was modest and stayed at the background. She was not a popular queen, but critizised for isolating the royal family. In present day Belgium, she was critizised for her German dress fashion. She performed the charity expected from a queen, she was interested in painting and protected museums and was present at exhibitions. Her health worsened from 1820, and after 1829, she was rarely seen in public.
Princess Wilhelmine became Queen of the Netherlands in 1815. Queen Wilhelmine was modest and stayed at the background. She died at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague in 1837, aged 62. She is entombed in the New Church in Delft.
[edit] Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| King William II of the Netherlands | 6 December 1792 | 17 March 1849 | married, 1816, Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia; had issue |
| Stillborn son | 18 August 1795 | 18 August 1795 | |
| Prince Frederick of the Netherlands | 28 February 1797 | 8 September 1881 | married, 1825, Princess Louise of Prussia; had issue |
| Princess Pauline of the Netherlands | 1 March 1800 | 22 December 1806 | |
| Stillborn son | 30 August 1806 | 30 August 1806 | |
| Princess Marianne of the Netherlands | 9 May 1810 | 29 May 1883 | married, 1830, Prince Albert of Prussia; had issue |
