Exhibit in German castle honours Queen-Mother Emma

BAD AROLSEN, Germany – The number of people in the Netherlands and beyond with first hand knowledge of Queen-Mother Emma is declining through attrition. The Queen who married King Willem III at the age of 20 when he already was 61, died on March 20, 1934, aged 71. Twice a descendent of Prince Willem I, the German princess – her mother was a Nassau - married the elderly Dutch Royal widower after her older eligible siblings excused themselves from marriage with him. In effect, Emma was the first female monarch to govern the Netherlands with her ministers. She endeared herself to the public with her conscientious approach to her task as caretaker on behalf of her young daughter Wilhelmina, who took on her royal duties when she turned 18. The Queen Mother had a keen eye for the social conditions of her day. The Castle Bad Pyrmont at Bad Arolsen organized an exhibit on Emma, who was born on August 2, 150 years ago this year. The exhibit runs through August 24. Daughter Wilhelmina was the only surviving royal offspring of King Willem III. In the picture, Emma is shown with Queen Wilhelmina and her granddaughter Princess Juliana.