Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont

2025-02-21T21:08:01Z

2600:4040:79B6:3A00:F5A6:6FE1:8319:BE89:

{{Short description|Queen of the Netherlands from 1879 to 1890}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox royalty
| consort = yes
| title =
| image = Emma van Waldeck-Pyrmont (1882) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Emma in 1882
| succession = [[Queen consort of the Netherlands]]<br />[[Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg]]
| reign = 7 January 1879 – 23 November 1890
| succession1 = [[List of regents#Netherlands|Queen Regent of the Netherlands]]
| reign1 = 20 November 1890 – 6 September 1898
| reign-type1 = Regency
| pre-type1 = Monarchs
| predecessor1 = [[William III of the Netherlands|William III]]<br />[[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1858|8|2|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Arolsen Castle]], [[Bad Arolsen|Arolsen]], [[Waldeck (state)|Waldeck and Pyrmont]], [[German Confederation]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1934|3|20|1858|8|2|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Lange Voorhout Palace]], [[The Hague]], Netherlands
| place of burial = [[Nieuwe Kerk (Delft)|Nieuwe Kerk]], [[Delft]], Netherlands
| spouse = {{marriage|[[William III of the Netherlands]]|1879|1890|end=d}}
| issue = [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands]]
| full name = Adelheid Emma Wilhelmina Theresia
| house = [[Waldeck (state)|Waldeck and Pyrmont]]
| father = [[George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont]]
| mother = [[Princess Helena of Nassau]]
| signature = Signature of Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Queen of The Netherlands.svg
}}

'''Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont''' (Adelheid Emma Wilhelmina Theresia; 2 August 1858 – 20 March 1934) was [[List of Dutch consorts|Queen of the Netherlands]] and [[Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg|Grand Duchess of Luxembourg]] as the wife of [[William III of the Netherlands|King-Grand Duke William III]]. An immensely popular member of the [[Dutch Royal Family]], Queen Emma served as [[regent]] for her daughter, [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Queen Wilhelmina]], during the latter's minority from 1890 until 1898.

==Early life==
[[File:Georg Viktor mit Familie.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Emma with her family ca. 1864]]
Emma was born a princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont on 2 August 1858 in [[Arolsen Castle]] in [[Bad Arolsen|Arolsen]], the capital of the small German principality of [[Waldeck (state)|Waldeck and Pyrmont]]. She was the fourth daughter of [[Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont]], and [[Princess Helena of Nassau|Princess Helena of Nassau-Weilburg]]. Her brother, [[Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont|Prince Friedrich I]], was the last reigning prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Her sister, [[Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont|Princess Helena]], was the wife of [[Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany]], the youngest son of [[Queen Victoria]].

Her maternal grandfather was [[William, Duke of Nassau|Wilhelm I, Duke of Nassau]], a grandson of [[Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau]], through which she inherited a place in the line of succession to the Dutch Crown until 1887.

Emma had a religious education from a very liberal-minded pastor. With her English governess, Emma studied [[crafts]], [[drawing]], and [[French literature]].{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} Her upbringing has been described as fairly informal, though with a focus on a sense of duty.<ref name="Redactie"/> She was given an interest in social work early on due to the charity work she became involved in already as young, and an interest in medical work due to the illness of her eldest sister, who suffered from tuberculosis.<ref name="Redactie">Redactie, Emma Wilhelmine Therese van Waldeck-Pyrmont, in: Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland. URL: http://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/vrouwenlexicon/lemmata/data/Emma [24/03/2014]</ref> Emma was described as tactful, sensible, and engaging.<ref name="Redactie"/>

==Queen of the Netherlands<span class="anchor" id="Queen"></span>==
[[File:King William III and Queen Emma.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Wilhelm III and Queen Emma]]

Princess Emma married the much older King William III at [[Arolsen Castle]] on 7 January 1879, two years after the death of his first wife, [[Sophie of Württemberg]].<ref name=EdmundsonP421>George Edmundson, ''History of Holland'' (2013), p. 421</ref><ref>David Williamson, ''Debrett's Kings and Queens of Europe'' (1988), p. 101</ref> The king, born in 1817, was no less than forty-one years older than Emma; indeed, all three of his children from his first marriage were older than her. Two of his three sons were still alive at the time of Emma's wedding, and the match was not motivated by the need to produce an heir. The marriage was suggested during William's visit to Pyrmont in 1878. Emma was one of several daughters of a minor German prince, with very moderate marriage prospects, and her parents were enthused by the idea that their daughter would become a queen on her wedding day. Emma, raised in a loving and conservative family, acceded to the wishes of her beloved parents without demur.<ref name="Redactie"/> Immediately after the engagement, she began receiving lessons in the Dutch language.<ref name="Redactie"/>

The king had three sons from his first marriage, [[William, Prince of Orange|William]], [[Prince Maurice of the Netherlands|Maurice]], and [[Alexander, Prince of Orange|Alexander]], the youngest of whom was seven years older than Emma. Maurice had died in childhood, but the other two were alive to receive their step-mother. Six months after the wedding, Crown Prince William died in France of a combination of [[typhus]], and liver complaints (excessive indulgence in drink). The King's youngest son, Alexander, then became heir apparent.<ref name=EdmundsonP421/>

In August 1880, Emma became a mother with the birth of what would be her only child, the future [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Queen Wilhelmina]]. When her last surviving stepson Alexander, Prince of Orange died in 1884, her daughter became heiress to the throne. This changed Emma's position, since it was likely that her daughter would succeed while yet a minor, in which case Emma herself would be regent during the minority.

After the death of his youngest son, the king retired from public life due to his health conditions, and Emma undertook the task of nursing him.<ref name="Redactie"/>

==Regency==
[[File:Emmainrouw.JPG|thumb|left|150px|Emma and Wilhelmina in 1890]]
Three days before William died on 23 November 1890, Emma became [[regent]] for her incapacitated husband. She continued her regency until Wilhelmina's eighteenth birthday on 31 August 1898. The [[Grand Duchy of Luxembourg]], the crown of which according to the House-Treaty should not be inherited by a woman, passed to [[Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Adolf, Duke of Nassau]], who happened to be Queen Emma's maternal uncle.

Emma was the first woman to rule The Netherlands since [[Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau]] a century before, and the first woman to rule the Kingdom of the Netherlands. She took her position of regent seriously. Her task was not simple, since William had antagonized many politicians with his autocratic ways. She managed to establish better relations between the royal house and the political world fairly quickly with good advisors, particularly Jhr J. Röell and Jhr GCJ van Reenen.<ref name="Redactie"/> She met personally with every government minister at least once every two weeks to keep herself informed of all political issues, and strictly adhered to the rules of the constitutional monarchy. She used the trust she gained by respecting the constitutional forms and her influence on political issues she cared about, which resulted in compromises where she often managed to get her way.<ref name="Redactie"/> One statesman commented that Emma was efficient because she combined a strong will with soft forms, something they had not been used to.<ref name="Redactie"/>

As regent Emma presided over three cabinets. In 1891, Emma refused to appoint the suggested minister [[Johannes Tak van Poortvliet]], with whom she had a tense relationship, in favor of G. van Tienhoven.<ref name="Redactie"/> In 1894 she was convinced by Tak van Poortvliet to dissolve Parliament.<ref name="Redactie"/> When a new cabinet was to be sworn in, she refused until she had read and approved of their political program.<ref name="Redactie"/> In 1897, she demanded that both the Liberal parties were to be included in the new cabinet and the [[Aceh War]] was to continue, before she agreed to have the new government sworn in.<ref name="Redactie"/> She wrote and held her speeches in Dutch, and engaged herself in the Dutch Colonial Empire, attending the military parades and celebrations associated with Imperial achievements.<ref name="Redactie"/>

In addition to her administrative duties, Emma paid great attention to the education of her daughter. When Wilhelmina reached the age of 16, Emma considered her childhood over and Wilhelmina spent the next two years being prepared for her job as a reigning queen. During her government, she took Wilhelmina on tours through the provinces to visit local charities, hospitals, churches and factories and acquaint Wilhelmina with her future duties.

==Queen mother==
[[File:Portret van de Koninklijke familie, RP-F-F20969.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Emma, [[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana]], [[Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|Henry]], and [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina]] in 1929]]

On 31 August 1898 her daughter, Queen Wilhelmina, reached legal majority and Queen Emma thereby retired from regency on Wilhelmina's inauguration on 6 September. In her farewell speech as regent, she expressed her wish that The Netherlands should continue to be great in the way small nations could show greatness.<ref name="Redactie"/>

Emma continued to live with her daughter until Wilhelmina's marriage to Henry of Mecklenburg in 1901, after which she moved to her own residence Lange Voorhout in The Hague. When her granddaughter [[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana]] was born in 1909, it was declared that in case Juliana succeeded to the throne as a minor, her grandmother Emma should be regent rather than her father.<ref name="Redactie"/>

As queen mother Emma continued to attend to public royal representational duties, supporting her daughter and son-in-law, and was a well known figure in her black widow lace. She was called "queen of charity" and especially engaged in improvement of the conditions for those suffering from tuberculosis.
She retired from public life when her granddaughter Juliana was declared adult and started to participate in public duties in 1927.<ref name="Redactie"/>

The queen mother died in [[The Hague]] on 20 March 1934, of complications from [[bronchitis]] at the age of 75, and was buried in [[Delft]].

==Honours and arms==
[[File:Coat of Arms of Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Queen of the Netherlands.svg|thumb|Coat of arms of Queen Emma]]
;National orders and decorations<ref name="Parlement">[http://www.parlement.com/9353000/1f/j9vvhy5i95k8zxl/vg09llxrkztu H.M. (koningin Emma) koningin Adelheid Emma Wilhelmina Theresia, prinses van Waldeck en Pyrmont] {{in lang|nl}}. ''arlement.nl''.</ref><ref name="Almanak">''Staatsalmanak voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden'', 1921, "Koninkrijk Huis der Nederlanden" p. [https://archive.org/details/staatsalmanakvo00nethgoog/page/n29/mode/2up 2]</ref>
* Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Netherlands Lion]]
* Grand Cross of the [[Order of Orange-Nassau]]
* Grand Cross of the [[Order of the House of Orange]]
* Cross of Merit of the Red Cross

;Foreign orders and decorations<ref name="Almanak"/>
* {{flagicon|Austrian Empire}} {{flagicon image|Flag of Hungary (1915-1918; angels).svg}} [[House of Habsburg-Lorraine|Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Family]]: Grand Cross of the Imperial Austrian [[Order of Elizabeth]], ''1901''<ref name="osterreich">{{citation|chapter-url=https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1918&page=702&size=45|chapter=Elisabeth-orden|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie|date=1918|location=Vienna|publisher=Druck und Verlag der K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei|page=328}}</ref>
* {{flag|Belgium}}: Grand Cordon of the [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold]] (civil division), ''August 1898''<ref>{{citation|title=Almanach Royale Belgique|year=1899|chapter=Liste des Membres de l'Ordre de Léopold|language=French|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105238356&view=1up&seq=82&skin=2021 74]|location=Bruxelles|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
* {{flagcountry|French Third Republic}}: Grand Cross of the [[Legion of Honour|National Order of the Legion of Honour]], ''December 1896''<ref>{{cite book| author = M. & B. Wattel | title = Les Grand'Croix de la Légion d'honneur de 1805 à nos jours. Titulaires français et étrangers |location= Paris |date = 2009 |publisher= Archives & Culture | pages = 500, 597 | isbn = 978-2-35077-135-9}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|German Empire}} [[House of Hohenzollern|German Imperial and Royal Family]]: Dame of the [[Order of Louise]], 1st Division, ''30 May 1892''<ref name="prus">{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (supp.)|volume=1|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878823&view=1up&seq=7&skin=2021|chapter=Luisen-orden|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878823&view=1up&seq=544&skin=2021 116]|language=German|location=Berlin|year=1886|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
** {{Flagicon image|Flagge Großherzogtümer Mecklenburg.svg}} [[House of Mecklenburg|Mecklenburg Grand Ducal Family]]: Grand Cross of the [[House Order of the Wendish Crown]]
* {{flag|Empire of Japan}}: Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Precious Crown]], ''18 June 1898''<ref>{{cite book|author=刑部芳則|title=明治時代の勲章外交儀礼|url=http://meijiseitoku.org/pdf/f54-5.pdf|year=2017|publisher=明治聖徳記念学会紀要|language=ja|page=157}}</ref>
* {{flagicon image|Early 20th Century Qajar Flag.svg}} [[Qajar dynasty|Persian Imperial Family]]: [[Order of Aftab|Order of the Sun]], 1st Class
* {{flagicon|Kingdom of Portugal}} [[Portuguese Royal Family]]: Dame of the [[Order of Saint Isabel|Order of Queen Saint Isabel]]
* {{flagicon|Russian Empire}} [[Russian Imperial Family]]: Grand Cross of the Imperial [[Order of Saint Catherine]]
* {{flagcountry|Restoration (Spain)}}: [[List of the Dames of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa|812th Dame]] of the [[Order of Queen Maria Luisa]], ''29 March 1880''<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=http://hemerotecadigital.bne.es/issue.vm?id=0000971359&search=&lang=es|chapter=Real orden de Damas Nobles de la Reina Maria Luisa|title=Guía Oficial de España|date=1898|access-date=21 March 2019|page=178|language=es}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Thailand|1855}} [[Siam]]: Dame of the [[Order of the Royal House of Chakri]], ''7 September 1897''<ref name='Loos'>{{cite journal |author=Royal Thai Government Gazette |author-link=Royal Thai Government Gazette |date=7 May 1899 |url=http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2442/006/82_1.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304195543/http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2442/006/82_1.PDF |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 March 2016 |title=พระราชทานเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์ที่ประเทศยุโรป (ต่อแผ่นที่ ๕ หน้า ๖๔)|language=th |access-date=2019-05-08 }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Ottoman Empire}} [[House of Osman|Turkish Imperial Family]]: Grand Cordon of the [[Order of Charity (Ottoman Empire)|Order of Charity]]

==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|1= 1. '''Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont'''
|2= 2. [[George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont]]
|3= 3. [[Princess Helena of Nassau]]
|4= 4. [[George II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont]]
|5= 5. [[Princess Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym]]
|6= 6. [[William, Duke of Nassau]]
|7= 7. [[Princess Pauline of Württemberg (1810–1856)|Princess Pauline of Württemberg]]
|8= 8. [[George I, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont]]
|9= 9. [[Princess Augusta of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen]]
|10= 10. [[Victor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym]]
|11= 11. [[Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg|Princess Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg]]
|12= 12. [[Frederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg]]
|13= 13. [[Burgravine Louise Isabelle of Kirchberg]]
|14= 14. [[Prince Paul of Württemberg]]
|15= 15. [[Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen]]
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont}}
*{{in lang|nl}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20101218044116/http://koninklijkhuis.nl/Wie_is_wie/Stamboom_Koninklijk_Huis/Stamboom_gegevens_personen/Koningin_Emma_1858_1934.html Koningin Emma (1858–1934)] at the Dutch Royal House website
* {{PM20|FID=pe/004694}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[Waldeck (state)|House of Waldeck and Pyrmont]]|2 August|1858|20 March|1934|[[Waldeck (state)|House of Waldeck]]}}
{{s-roy}}
{{s-break}}
{{S-vac|rows=2|last=[[Sophie of Württemberg]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[List of Dutch consorts|Queen consort of the Netherlands]]|years=1879–1890}}
{{S-vac|next=[[Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands|Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]|as=Prince consort}}
{{s-break}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[List of consorts of Luxembourg|Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg]]|years=1879–1890}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Princess Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau|Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Dutch consorts}}
{{Consorts of Luxembourg}}
{{Princesses of Waldeck and Pyrmont by birth}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Emma Of Waldeck And Pyrmont}}
[[Category:1858 births]]
[[Category:1934 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century regents]]
[[Category:People from Bad Arolsen]]
[[Category:People from the Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont]]
[[Category:Queens consort of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Regents of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:19th-century women regents]]
[[Category:Grand ducal consorts of Luxembourg]]
[[Category:House of Waldeck and Pyrmont]]
[[Category:Princesses of Waldeck and Pyrmont]]
[[Category:Dutch queen mothers]]
[[Category:Wilhelmina of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Dames of the Order of Saint Isabel]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the House of Orange]]
[[Category:Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown]]
[[Category:Deaths from bronchitis]]
[[Category:Burials in the Royal Crypt at Nieuwe Kerk, Delft]]
[[Category:Daughters of princes regnant]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Saint Catherine]]

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Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont