She married the Dutch stadtholder William V, Prince of Orange, and moved to The Hague, bringing with her a love of art and culture. Wilhelmina became a prominent patron of artists and artisans. Meanwhile criticism of the position of stadtholder was growing. The population was divided between republican Patriots and Orangist supporters of the stadtholder. Wilhelmina had more control of the situation than her husband, and she used her influence to maintain power for the Oranges. The king of Prussia helped restore the stadtholder’s authority, but it didn’t last long. The family fled to England and spent 20 years in exile there. In 1813, Wilhelmina was closely involved in the appointment of her son as first king of the Netherlands.
Getting started with the collection: