Queen Wilhelmina of Holland and Princess Juliana in 1917. When World War I erupted in 1914, the Netherlands had one goal—stay out of it. Queen Wilhelmina kept her country neutral while the war raged all around.
She strengthened the Dutch military, kept a sharp eye on foreign affairs, and made sure her borders were secure. The Queen often visited troops, riding on horseback through muddy camps. Soldiers adored her. One Dutch paper said, “Her Majesty stands firm as a lioness, guarding the gates of our nation.” Neutrality, however, wasn’t easy. Germany and Britain pressured the Netherlands. German U-boats lurked in Dutch waters. The British stopped Dutch ships, and food shortages hit hard.
Wilhelmina refused to be bullied. When the Germans tested Dutch resolve, she told her generals, “We will fight to the last man and the last bullet.”
The war ended in 1918, and the Netherlands remained unscathed.
Wilhelmina had pulled off the impossible. She kept her nation neutral, her people safe, and her crown firmly on her head. A Dutch newspaper summed it up: “Through storm and shadow, Queen Wilhelmina has stood, unbowed and unbroken.”