Wilhelmina of the Netherlands Biography

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was the longest reigning Dutch monarch who ruled for 58 years from 1890 to 1948. She inherited the throne at the age of 10 following the death of her father, King William III, as the only surviving child. She had a strong personality and was hands-on about her rule. She cared greatly for the welfare of her subjects, especially her soldiers, and often made surprise visits to survey their condition. She also had great business sense, and with careful investments of her inherited wealth, she had become the world's richest woman and first female billionaire (in US dollars). She is credited with retaining Dutch neutrality during the First World War, and ruled the country from exile in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. Even though Netherland's colonial powers decreased during her reign, she remained popular with the masses. Before her death, she wrote the autobiography, 'Eenzaam, maar niet alleen' ('Lonely but Not Alone'), which revealed her strong religious motivations.