Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont

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

Early life

Emma was born a princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont on 2 August 1858 in Arolsen Castle 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-Weilburg. Her brother, Prince Friedrich I, was the last reigning prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Her sister, Princess Helena, was the wife of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, the youngest son of Queen Victoria.

Her maternal grandfather was 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. Her upbringing has been described as fairly informal, though with a focus on a sense of duty. Emma was described as tactful, sensible, and engaging. 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.

Honours and arms

National orders and decorations 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 Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (civil division), August 1898 Grand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, December 1896 German Imperial and Royal Family: Dame of the Order of Louise, 1st Division, 30 May 1892 Mecklenburg Grand Ducal Family: Grand Cross of the House Order of the Wendish Crown Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown, 18 June 1898 Persian Imperial Family: Order of the Sun, 1st Class Portuguese Royal Family: Dame of the Order of Queen Saint Isabel Russian Imperial Family: Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Saint Catherine 812th Dame of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa, 29 March 1880 Siam: Dame of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri, 7 September 1897 Turkish Imperial Family: Grand Cordon of the Order of Charity

Ancestry