Editing Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (section)

==World War II==
[[File:Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.jpg|thumb|upright|Queen Wilhelmina in 1942]]
On 10 May 1940, [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] [[Battle of the Netherlands|invaded the Netherlands]]. Despite her hostility towards the British, the almost sixty-year-old Queen Wilhelmina and her family fled The Hague and boarded [[HMS Hereward (H93)|HMS ''Hereward'']], a British destroyer sent by King [[George VI]] to take them across the North Sea. There is an ongoing debate about the royal family's departure. Some{{who|date=December 2021}} say that an evacuation to the United Kingdom had been planned some time in advance, since at least the end of 1939.<ref>{{cite book |first=Nanda |last=van der Zee |title=Om erger te voorkomen. De voorgeschiedenis en uitvoering van de vernietiging van het Nederlandse jodendom tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog |trans-title=To avoid worse. The history and implementation of the destruction of Dutch Jewry during the Second World War |location=Amsterdam |publisher=Meulenhoff |date=1997 |language=nl |isbn=978-90-290-7338-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historischnieuwsblad.nl/nl/artikel/5628/een-droevig-boek.html |first=Hans |last=Blom |title=Een droevig boek. RIOD-directeur vindt Om erger te voorkomen totaal mislukt |trans-title=A sad book. RIOD director finds 'To prevent worse' completely unsuccessful |work=Historisch Nieuwsblad |issue=2 |date=1997 |language=nl}}</ref> Others{{who|date=December 2021}} say the queen boarded the destroyer with the intent of going to the Dutch province of [[Zeeland]], which had not yet been conquered. However, along the journey, it became clear that due to advancing German forces, Zeeland was not safe either, forcing the destroyer to sail for the United Kingdom. In any case, she arrived in the United Kingdom on 13 May, planning to return to the Netherlands as soon as possible.<ref>{{cite news |last=Reston |first=James R. |url=https://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F20912FB3A54107A93C6A8178ED85F448485F9 |title=Queen Wilhelmina goes to England |work=The New York Times |date=14 May 1940}}</ref> The [[Armed forces of the Netherlands|Dutch armed forces]] in the Netherlands, apart from those in Zeeland, surrendered on 15 May.

In Britain, Queen Wilhelmina took charge of the [[Dutch government in exile]], setting up a chain of command and immediately communicating a message to her people. Relations between the new Dutch government and the queen were tense, with mutual dislike growing as the war progressed. She went on to be the most prominent figure, owing to her experience and knowledge, which earned her respect and support among the other leaders of the world. On the other hand, the new Dutch government did not have a parliament to back them and had few employees to assist them. The Dutch prime minister, [[Dirk Jan de Geer]], believed the Allies would not win and intended to open negotiations with Germany for a separate peace. Therefore, Wilhelmina sought to remove De Geer from power. With the aid of minister [[Pieter Gerbrandy]], she succeeded.

During the war, Queen Wilhelmina's photograph was a sign of resistance against the Germans. Like [[Winston Churchill]], Wilhelmina broadcast messages to the Dutch people over [[Radio Netherlands#Broadcasting in exile (1940-1945)|Radio Oranje]]. She called [[Adolf Hitler]] "the arch-enemy of mankind". Her late-night broadcasts were eagerly awaited by her people, who had to hide to listen to them illegally. An anecdote published in her ''New York Times'' obituary illustrates how she was valued by her subjects during this period:

{{blockquote|Although celebration of the Queen's birthday was forbidden by the Germans, it was commemorated nevertheless. When churchgoers in the small fishing town of [[Huizen]] rose and sang one verse of the Dutch national anthem, ''[[Wilhelmus van Nassauwe]],'' on the Queen's birthday, the town paid a fine of 60,000 guilders.<ref name="NYT1962"/>}}

[[File:Koningin Wilhelmina spreekt het Amerikaans congres toe (cropped).jpg|thumb|Queen Wilhelmina speaking to the US Congress, 1942]]
Queen Wilhelmina visited the United States from 24 June to 11 August 1942 as a guest of the U.S. government. She vacationed in [[Lee, Massachusetts]], and visited New York City, Boston, and Albany, New York. In the latter city, she attended the 300th anniversary celebration of the [[First Church in Albany (Reformed)|First Church in Albany]], established by [[Dutch colonization of the Americas|Dutch settlers]] in the 17th century. She addressed the U.S. Congress on 5 August 1942 and was the first queen to do so. Shortly afterwards, Wilhelmina went to Canada in 1943 to attend the christening of her new granddaughter [[Princess Margriet of the Netherlands|Margriet]] on 29 June 1943 in [[Ottawa]] and stayed a while with her family before returning to the United Kingdom.

During [[Operation Steinbock]], Queen Wilhelmina was almost killed by a [[bomb]] that took the lives of several of her guards and severely damaged her residence near [[South Mimms]] in England. In 1944, Wilhelmina became the first woman since the 15th century, other than queens of the United Kingdom, to be inducted into the [[Order of the Garter]]. Churchill described her as "the only real man among the governments-in-exile" in London.<ref name=Hicks>{{cite book |last=Hicks |first=Pamela |title=Daughter of Empire: My Life as a Mountbatten |publisher=Simon & Schuster |date=2012 |location=Toronto |isbn=978-1-4767-3382-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DNGKBAAAQBAJ&q=wilhelmina+only+real+man&pg=PA146}}</ref>{{rp|146}}<ref name=State>{{cite book |last=State |first=Paul F. |title=A Brief History of the Netherlands |publisher=Infobase |date=2008 |location=New York |isbn=978-1-4381-0832-2 |url={{GBurl|5CTlTZlWU0IC|page=193}}}}</ref>{{rp|193}}

In England, Queen Wilhelmina developed ideas about a new political and social life for the Dutch after the liberation, wanting to create a strong cabinet formed by people active in the resistance. She dismissed De Geer and installed a new prime minister with the approval of other Dutch politicians. When the Netherlands was liberated in 1945, the queen was disappointed to see the same political factions taking power as before the war. In mid-March 1945, she travelled to the liberated areas of the southern Netherlands, visiting the region of [[Walcheren]] and the city of [[Eindhoven]] where she received a rapturous welcome from the local population.<ref>{{cite book |first=Henri A. |last=van der Zee |title=The Hunger Winter: Occupied Holland 1944–1945 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |date=1998 |isbn=978-0-8032-9618-3 |pages=200–203}}</ref> On 2 May 1945, she went to stay in a small country estate called [[Anneville (Ulvenhout)|Anneville]] located just south of [[Breda]] with Juliana and adjuncts [[Peter Tazelaar]], [[Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema]] and fellow [[Engelandvaarder]] Rie Stokvis.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hazelhoff |first=Erik |author-link=Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema |title=In Pursuit of Life |location=Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire |publisher=Sutton |year=2003 |page=188 |isbn=978-0-7509-3281-3}}</ref> Anneville was the scene of a number of processions where the residents of Breda and the surrounding communities came to greet their Queen. She remained there for a little over six weeks.

Shortly after the war, Queen Wilhelmina wanted to give an award to the [[Polish Parachute Brigade]] for their actions during [[Operation Market Garden]] and wrote the government a request. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, [[Eelco van Kleffens]], opposed the idea because he thought an award for the Poles would upset relations with the [[Allies of World War II|'Big Three']] and harm national interests.<ref>{{cite book |title=Belevenissen II 1940–1958 |trans-title=Experiences II 1940–1958 |last=Van Kleffens |first=Eelco |author-link=Eelco van Kleffens |year=1983 |location=Alphen aan de Rijn |pages=115–117 |isbn=978-90-218-3095-7 |language=nl}}</ref> Eventually the Polish Parachute Brigade were awarded the [[Military Order of William]] on 31 May 2006, 61 years after Operation Market Garden.