When the Second World War broke out, Queen Wilhelmina and the Dutch government evacuated to the United Kingdom. From there she broadcast dozens of inspirational speeches to the Dutch people on Radio Oranje. Despite some criticism of her departure she was popular among the Dutch population. Her great resolve made her the symbol of the resistance and of liberation. When the war ended, Wilhelmina believed it was time for renewal of the political system. When her attempts at change failed she decided to pass the baton to her daughter Juliana. On 4 September 1948, Wilhelmina, the longest reigning monarch of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, abdicated.
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