250: Wilhelmina of Prussia, Queen of the Netherlands (Part two)

Read part one here.

On 18 June 1792, Wilhelmina’s mother-in-law wrote to her daughter, Louise, “I found Mimi [Wilhelmina] in our house, very healthy, very pretty and still with a little roundness.” She was by now starting to show.¹ It was supposed to be a happy time, but the situation in France was concerning.

On 6 December 1792, Wilhelmina gave birth to a son – the future King William II. Her mother-in-law wrote proudly, “She gave us this morning a big, tall boy, very healthy and she herself is doing wonderfully, thanks to Heaven. We cannot give enough thanks to providence.[…] At 4 a.m. I was called, and at 8 a.m., the child was here. Mimi behaved like an angel, and although she was in great pain, she kept her word and tried to sing all the time between the pains.”² The following morning, she added, “Mimi rested well last night. She is well today, and so is the newborn.”²

In a similar vein, William wrote to his sister, “Guillaume Frédéric Georges Louis is the name of my firstborn, whom I commend to Your favour, my dearest sister, assuring You that his coming has given me an inexpressible pleasure, although it was actually a most unpleasant moment, but as soon as it was over, the joy of too bigger. Mimi is doing well, as circumstances allow; I love that little mother & that little boy with all my heart. Now that he is well and truly here, I definitely ask you to be a godmother, so you don’t have to ask that question yourself because I am ahead of you. Adieu, dear sister, follow Mimi’s example & be assured of the perfect devotion with which I abide in life & in death.”³

In January 1793, King Louis XVI of France was executed, and just days later, the French revolutionaries declared war on William’s father, the Stadtholder. On 8 February, Wilhelmina’s mother-in-law wrote to her daughter, Louise, in lemon juice, “I do not want to hide from you that our situation is detestable and that in the event of an invasion, our defence measures could come too late if our allies cannot save us.”⁴ Wilhelmina’s husband had left for Frankfurt to join the allies in the war against France, which led to many worries for Wilhelmina. Her health suffered as a result, and she travelled to both the Loo Palace and Soestdijk Palace to recuperate. For the next two years, William was sometimes able to join her there in the winters.

At the end of 1794, it became clear that the situation was spiralling and that the family would need to flee. Wilhelmina’s mother-in-law wrote to her daughter, “It is a cruel moment, my dear Loulou, that I write these lines to you. It is decided we are leaving. Mimi, the poor child and me.”⁵ Wilhelmina was a few weeks pregnant when they left from Scheveningen in the early hours of 18 January 1795. Wilhelmina’s husband, his father and his brother left from the same place around mightnight. The route to Germany had been blocked, so England was the only option. They landed at Yarmouth and were soon reunited. Wilhelmina’s father-in-law wrote, “If I will ever see my homeland again, I don’t know, but I will never stop loving it; whatever happens, I will always pray to God for its prosperity. That’s all I can do for her.”⁶

The family went to live in Kew Palace, also known as the Dutch House, granted to them by King George III and Queen Charlotte. This had also been the residence of the Prince of Orange’s mother, – Anne, Princess Royal, daughter of King George II. They were later also offered Hampton Court Palace and moved there in February. They tried to make a life for themselves in exile and regularly attended court cercles. In August 1795, Wilhelmina gave birth to a stillborn son. According to her husband, “she kept herself strong, ” but it must have been difficult.⁷ He had been itching to leave England, and he did so one month after the loss of their son. He left Wilhelmina behind and headed first to his sister Louise in Brunswick and then to Berlin. Wilhelmina would follow him in April 1796 with their little son. She, too, went via Brunswick to see her sister-in-law, Louise.

Louise wrote to her mother, “So I kissed this good Mimi and her little darling. The mother has a very good face, and her healthy appearance surprised me so much that I couldn’t believe it.”⁸ William was delighted to be reunited with his wife. However, he wrote to his mother that he was sorry that she was now separated from his little son. Now that they were reunited, Wilhelmina became pregnant again, and this time, all went well.

On 28 February 1797, she gave birth to a son named Frederick. Her mother-in-law was still in London, but she happily wrote to her son, “We have great thanks to give to Heaven for the happy delivery of our dear Mimi and for having given you a second son who appears so strong and robust. I do not need to tell you all the joy that this event has given me.”⁹

A third child – a daughter named Pauline – was born on 1 March 1800. Her father was not present at her birth and did not return to Berlin until the middle of April, just in time for her baptism. She received the names Wilhelmina Frederika Louise Pauline Charlotte. The name Pauline was for Emperor Paul I of Russia, which led to some trouble in the family. Louise wrote to her mother, “So, your latest grandchild is now a Christian and Mimi (Wilhelmina of Prussia) calls her Pauline because she thinks it is the most beautiful of the names. Last year, I would have admired her choice as a gesture to Paul, but since the Emperor has abandoned us so abruptly, it now seems to me to be reprehensible and ill-considered flattery.”¹⁰ As a response to the dissatisfaction over her name, she was nicknamed “Polly.”

Part three coming soon.

1. Correspondentie van de stadhouderlijke family 1777-1795 p.178
2. Correspondentie van de stadhouderlijke family 1777-1795 p.213
3. Koning Willem I by Jeroen Koch p.68
4. Correspondentie van de stadhouderlijke family 1777-1795 p.232
5. Correspondentie van de stadhouderlijke family 1793-1795 p.239
6. Correspondentie van de stadhouderlijke family 1793-1795 p.242
7. Koning Willem I by Jeroen Koch p.96
8. Correspondentie van de stadhouderlijke family 1795-1799 p.117
9. Correspondentie van de stadhouderlijke family 1795-1799 p.166
10. Willem I by Jeroen Koch p.117