Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont
Encyclopedia
Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont (2 August 1858 – 20 March 1934) was Queen consort
of William III
, King of the Netherlands
and Grand Duke of Luxembourg. An immensely popular member of the Dutch royal family, she also was Queen regent (1890–1898) and Queen Mother
(1890–1934) of the Netherlands
.
in Arolsen
, the capital of the small German principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont
. She was the fourth daughter of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Princess Helena of Nassau
.
Her brother, Friedrich, was the last reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Her sister, Helena Frederica, would become the wife of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
, a son of Queen Victoria
and Prince Albert.
Her maternal grandparents were William, Duke of Nassau
and his second wife Princess Pauline of Württemberg
. Pauline was a daughter of Prince Paul of Württemberg
and his wife Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
Paul was a son of Frederick I of Württemberg
and his wife Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
. Augusta was the eldest daughter of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg and Princess Augusta of Great Britain, elder sister of George III of the United Kingdom
.
She married the elderly king, William III, in Arolsen on 7 January 1879, two years after the death of his first wife, Princess Sophie of Württemberg. The ageing, licentious king, once described as "the greatest debauchee of the age", had previously been rejected by Emma's sister Pauline and by Princess Thyra of Denmark
.
With William, Emma had her only child, the future Queen Wilhelmina
, on 31 August 1880. The king also had three sons from his first marriage, William, Maurice
, and Alexander
, all of whom died before him and without leaving legitimate offspring.
, the late king's only surviving child. She would remain Queen regent until Wilhelmina's eighteenth birthday on 31 August 1898. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, which could not be inherited by a woman at that time, passed to their distant cousin Adolf, Duke of Nassau
(who was also Queen Emma's maternal uncle).
She was the 812th Dame
of the Royal Order of Queen Maria Luisa.
She died in The Hague
in 1934, of complications from bronchitis
at the age of 75, and was buried in Delft
.
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Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of William III
William III of the Netherlands
William III was from 1849 King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg until his death and the Duke of Limburg until the abolition of the Duchy in 1866.-Early life:William was born in Brussels as son of William II of the Netherlands and...
, King of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Grand Duke of Luxembourg. An immensely popular member of the Dutch royal family, she also was Queen regent (1890–1898) and Queen Mother
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
(1890–1934) of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Family
Emma was born as Adelheid Emma Wilhelmina Theresia, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont on 2 August 1858 in Arolsen CastleArolsen Castle
Arolsen Castle is a baroque styled Schloss in Bad Arolsen, Hesse, Germany. It has served as the family home of the Waldeck and Pyrmont family. It was birthplace of Queen consort Emma of the Netherlands.-History:...
in Arolsen
Bad Arolsen
Bad Arolsen is a small town in northern Hesse, Germany, in Waldeck-Frankenberg district. From 1655 until 1918 it served as the residence town of the Princes of Waldeck-Pyrmont and then until 1929 as the capital of the Waldeck Free State...
, the capital of the small German principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont
Waldeck (state)
Waldeck was a sovereign principality in the German Empire and German Confederation and, until 1929, a constituent state of the Weimar Republic. It comprised territories in present-day Hesse and Lower Saxony, ....
. She was the fourth daughter of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Princess Helena of Nassau
Princess Helena of Nassau
Princess Helena of Nassau was daughter of William, Duke of Nassau , and consort of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont.-Early life:...
.
Her brother, Friedrich, was the last reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Her sister, Helena Frederica, would become the wife of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
The Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany was the eighth child and fourth son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold was later created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow...
, a son of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
and Prince Albert.
Her maternal grandparents were William, Duke of Nassau
William, Duke of Nassau
Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg was the father of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Queen Sophia .-Biography:Wilhelm was the eldest son of Frederick...
and his second wife Princess Pauline of Württemberg
Princess Pauline of Württemberg
Princess Pauline Friederike Marie of Württemberg, full German name: Pauline Friederike Marie, Prinzessin von Württemberg was a member of the House of Württemberg and a Princess of Württemberg by birth...
. Pauline was a daughter of Prince Paul of Württemberg
Prince Paul of Württemberg
Prince Paul of Württemberg was a German prince and the fourth child and second son of Frederick I of Württemberg and Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.-Early life:...
and his wife Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
Paul was a son of Frederick I of Württemberg
Frederick I of Württemberg
Frederick I William Charles of Württemberg was the first King of Württemberg. He was known for his size: at and about , he was in contrast to Napoleon, who recognized him as King of Württemberg.-Biography:...
and his wife Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was a German princess, and first wife of Frederick of Württemberg...
. Augusta was the eldest daughter of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg and Princess Augusta of Great Britain, elder sister of George III of the United Kingdom
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
.
Marriage
Princess Thyra of Denmark
Princess Thyra of Denmark was the youngest daughter of Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel.-Early life:Thyra was the sister of Frederik VIII of Denmark, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, George I of Greece and...
.
With William, Emma had her only child, the future Queen Wilhelmina
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
, on 31 August 1880. The king also had three sons from his first marriage, William, Maurice
Prince Maurice of the Netherlands
Prince William Frederick Maurice Alexander Henry Charles of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau , , was the second son of King William III of the Netherlands and his first spouse Queen Sophie.When Prince Maurits...
, and Alexander
Alexander, Prince of Orange
Willem Alexander Charles Henry Frederick, Prince of Orange , , was heir apparent to his father King William III of the Netherlands from 11 June 1879 until his death.-Life:...
, all of whom died before him and without leaving legitimate offspring.
Widowhood
When William died on 23 November 1890, Emma became regent for her underaged daughter, WilhelminaWilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
, the late king's only surviving child. She would remain Queen regent until Wilhelmina's eighteenth birthday on 31 August 1898. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, which could not be inherited by a woman at that time, passed to their distant cousin Adolf, Duke of Nassau
Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Adolphe I, Grand Duke of Luxembourg was the last Duke of Nassau, and the fourth Grand Duke of Luxembourg.-Biography:...
(who was also Queen Emma's maternal uncle).
She was the 812th Dame
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
of the Royal Order of Queen Maria Luisa.
She died in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
in 1934, of complications from bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
at the age of 75, and was buried in Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
.
Titles
- Her Serene Highness Princess Emma of Waldeck and PyrmontWaldeck (state)Waldeck was a sovereign principality in the German Empire and German Confederation and, until 1929, a constituent state of the Weimar Republic. It comprised territories in present-day Hesse and Lower Saxony, ....
(1858–1879) - Her Majesty Queen Emma of the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1879–1890) - Her Majesty (Dowager) Queen Emma of the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Queen Regent (1890–1898) - Her Majesty (Dowager) Queen Emma of the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Queen Mother (1898–1934)
Ancestry
External links
Koningin Emma (1858-1934) at the Dutch Royal House website- Princely House of Waldeck and Pyrmont
- Royal House of the Netherlands and Grand-Ducal House of Luxembourg
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