You have heard me complain ... many times ... about the lack of books on foreign royals in English. I am talking about books published in languages other in English - and not translated into English.
There is a simple reason for this: the market is not large -- not a massive amount of readers - and good translations are expensive.
Imagine my delight with the news of the publication of the correspondence of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and her governess Miss Saxton Winter: Darling Queen Dear Old Bones.
The book was published by Amsterdam University Press and edited by Emerentia van Heuven-van Nes. Vivien Collingwood did the translation.
Saxton Elizabeth Winter was 30 years old when she was appointed as the governess in January 1886 to Princess Wilhelmina, heiress to the throne.
The correspondence began in 1886 and continued until November 10, 1935, when Wilhelmina, addressing her letter to "My dear old Friend." Saxon Winter was in England living with her sister in Saffron Walden.
The queen offered news of her family, visitors and winter sports, ending her letter "with a hug ever your true old friend." It was the last letter she wrote to her former governess, Saxon Winter died at the age of 78 on January 29, 1936.
Wilhelmina's first letters to her governess where while Saxton was on holiday visiting her family in England, The young princess always wrote in English.
Saxon Winter was a stabilizing influence on Wilhelmina, who succeeded to the throne in 1890 at the age of 10. She remained with Wilhelmina until the latter turned 16 years old. The book includes a lovely letter from Wilhelmina's paternal aunt, Sophie, Princess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
She wrote: "Let me tell you my deep sense of gratitude for all you did in the true interest of my niece."
After Winter's dismissal, Wilhelmina wrote long, loving letters to her former governess with news about her trips to her family in Germany and elsewhere.
[One of Wilhelmina's first cousins was Princess Alice of Albany, as their mothers were sisters.]
Queen Emma served as regent until Wilhelmina's 18th birthday in August 1898. Saxon Winter was preparing to accept a new position as governess to Prince Carol and Princess Elisabetha of Romania. [This new position was not satisfying for Saxon Winter, who did not get along with the children's mother, Crown Princess Marie, who blamed the governess for spreading gossip about her.]
When Wilhelmina became engaged to Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1900, she wrote to Miss Winter: "Oh Darling, you cannot even faintly imagine how franticly (sic) happy I am and how much joy, and sunshine has come upon my path."
With the exception of two letters, there are no copies of correspondence between Wilhelmina between 1903 and 1921, which means we miss Wilhelmina's miscarriages and, finally, in 1909, the birth of Princess Juliana, the queen's only child, and the growing problems in her marriage.
Saxton Winter continued to correspond with Queen Emma, who often filled her about Wilhelmina in with more detailed correspondence.
Wilhelmina's relationship with her governess was based on friendship and love. Miss Winter offered unconditional support even after she left the Netherlands. Her support provided the confidence that the lonely Wilhelmina needed. An only child, a monarch at age 10, raised by a formidable, strict mother, who at times, was overwhelmed by the combination of duties as regent and mother, Wilhelmina learned from her governess the importance of duty in her life, a responsibility and dedication that she passed to her daughter, Queen Juliana, and granddaughter, Queen Beatrix.
Darling Queen Dear old Bones is an important book in the scholarly study of the Dutch monarchy. There are so few books in English about the monarchy ... we need to cherish and applaud the decision to publish this book in an English-language edition as the correspondence was in English. A Dutch language translation was published several years ago.
