Wilhelmina of Prussia

Wilhelmina of Prussia was the daughter of King Frederick William II of Prussia, and was therefore also a niece of her mother-in-law Wilhelmina of Prussia, who was married to Willem V. This meant that the younger Wilhelmina and her husband were cousins. Wilhelmina (who was known as ‘Mimi’) married Prince Willem when she was sixteen. Unlike her mother-in-law, she did not concern herself with affairs of state.

Willem and Wilhelmina were forced to leave the Netherlands a few years after they married, along with Willem V and the rest of his family. They eventually went to live in Berlin, with Wilhelmina’s family. When Berlin was besieged by Napoleon’s troops, the family had to flee again. Their young daughter Pauline fell ill and died en route. In 1813 the family moved back to the Netherlands, dividing their time between The Hague and Brussels.