= Adelheid Emma Wilhelmina Theresia, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont, the second wife of King Willem III (1817-1890), married to him in 1879. Writing to her family about the things she has been doing in Prague, like visiting the synagogue, the Jewish cemetery and the Nationalmuseum and a convent "mit wunderschönen Säale und Bibliothek"
ADDED: an anonymous col. lithogr. portrait of the young Queen Emma (24,5x17,5 cm.).
- Vague brown stain in the centre.
= Frederik Hendrik, the "Stedendwinger", son of Willem van Oranje and Louise de Coligny, halfbrother of Maurits van Nassau and his successor as stadtholder in 1625. Friendly letter, thanking the recipient for his wishes and sending his best wishes in return. "(...) Vous souhaittant en contreschange pour la courrante et plusieurs autres années parfaicté santé accompaignée d'une felicité tille que pourroit desirer pour soy mesme celuy (...)".
= The letter by Verstolk van Soelen accompanied "een, op gisteren door mij aan den Koning uitgebragt Rapport, benevens een ontwerp van brief voor de gezanten bij de Hoven Berlijn, Petersburg en Weenen, Uwe Koninklijke Hoogheid verzoekende om, na van deze stukken kennis te hebben genomen, dezelve wel te willen doen toekomen aan den Minister van Justitie en verdere Leden van den Kabinetsraad (...)" [not present]. The note by Frederik complying to the request: "Ter voldoening aan het hieronderstaande (...) met uitnodiging dezelve vervolgens aan de overige leden van den Kabinetsraad te doen toekomen (...)".
ADDED: a printed laudatory poem by J.-J.F. Wap on Frederik, dated "Breda, den 27, van Sprokkelmaand, 1831" (1 fold. leaf, 3p.).
= Prince Hendrik of Mecklenburg-Schwerin married Queen Wilhelmina in 1901.
= On official matters, mentioning i.a. Corporal Wilhelm Langer and the fact that he couldn't refuse his request.
= "(...) What fun you are going to see Beatrix these days. Yes, it's a pity she can't come to your home, it would have been a pilgrimage. I am sure it will be a wonderful trip and that she'll see and hear and experience so much that it will make a treasure of memories (...) Give my love to my dear daughter please! (...)".
- Envelope sl. dam. and w. a few (incorrect) annots.; envelope 2 stains from sellotape.
= With autograph note by Juliana in pen and ink: "Thank you so much for the very charming Baby Book and for all the good wishes it conveys. How extremely kind of you to think of us in this nice way. Here you see all my family".
- Some folds, soiling and a few sm. defects in blank parts (1x sl. affecting address on verso); upper right corner sl. stained; both right corners brittle and sl. frayed.
= Countess Maria of Nassau was the second daughter of Willem van Oranje (William the Silent) by his first wife Anna of Egmond and Buren. She was named after William's first daughter, Maria, who had died in infancy. Letter to Christiaan Huygens (1551-1624), secretary of Willem van Oranje, Frederik Hendrik and the Raad van State, father of Constantijn Huygens, asking for support in "(...) de saecke van Tielman Arahan[?] ende Glandine Bins[?], die ons nu wederom gebeden hebben dese in haer faveur te willen schrijven, als ghij bij de ingeleyde supplicatie breeder sult connen verstaen, ende hebben wij haer tzelve nijet willen weijgeren. Is derhalven ons bidden haer daerinne zulle behulp ende assistencie te willen doene, op dat zij eens tot goede expeditie mogen geraecken (...)".
- Mouldy and somewhat brittle in upper right corner.
= On the birth of Louis Maurice de la Trémoille, son of the Henri III de la Trémoïlle and Marie de La Tour (granddaughter of Willem van Oranje, sending a bill of exchange to the amount of 2.000 guilders with the request to hand over the money to "onsen Neve de Grave van Laval die wij versocht hebben daeruijt eenige vereeringe te doen aen den minne ende andere vrouwen die in de craem Camer van de Hertoginne van Tremoille gedient hebben ende de reste te emploijeren tot incoop van eene bagge off andere properheijt voorden jonggen gebooren soone van den hertoch van La Tremoille ende over wiens doop wij onsen voors. Neve versocht hebben uijt onsen name te staen ende onsen persoon te presenteren (...)". SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LXXVII.
- Several folds; occas. worn along folds; yellowed.
= Thanking the addressee for his gifts. Among which a book that belonged to general Washington, for whom she has "the greatest admiration". In return she sends him a portrait of Columbus because of her "sympathy for the United States, my admiration for the wonderful people of that country (...) in the development of their power and their glory." She also writes: "The fate of a woman -whatever place of Providence may have destined to her- remains always limited by homely duties. Those duties alone prevent me from crossing the ocean and visiting your country. Here in my beloved Netherlands, I try to diffuse light where light is wanted, hope where hope is needed, mutual confidence between all classes, that all may work together towards the great aim of public development and moral elevation."
= Informing the addressee on the birth of Princess Juliana: "(...) Je M'empresse de Lui annoncer la naissance d'une Princesse, qui a reçu les noms de Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina, Princesse d'Orange-Nassau, Duchesse de Mecklembeurg (...)".
ADDED: Idem. Typescript letter with signature stamp "Wilhelmina" to "Mevrouw de Wed. H. Formanoy van Aken", dated "'s Gravenhage Paleis Noordeinde 18 October 1946", 1 leaf w. printed letterhead (crowned "W"), w. the orig. envelope.
- Folded; pinholes in corners.
= Sending her condolances for the loss of the husband of Mrs. Formanoy, who was killed by the Germans on 8 March 1945.
AND a cyclostyled document w. manuscript entries concerning the release of Mrs Formanoy from prisoner camp Westerbork (browned, torn on folds).
- With modern annotations on verso.
= Important letter on the events leading up to the battle of Waterloo on June 18th, reading "Les prussiens ayant été attaqués, je vous prié de ressembler sans perte de temps votre division, au point de ressemblement, sur les hauteurs en arrière de Haine St. Pierre, ou vous attendez nos ordres." When the Dutch learned that their Prussian neighbors were being attacked by Napoleons army, General Chassé's infantry division and General Collaert's cavalry division were alerted to take defensive positions behind the River Haine and wait for orders by the Duke of Wellington. SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LXXVIII.
= All ordinances of military nature, i.a. ordering the General Major to assemble "drie mortieren van het zwaarste caliber, 3 à 4 Hauwitzers en 3 à 4 canons (...) met de nodige bediening en oorlogsbehoeftens" and make them available as soon as possible. Also ordering the General Major: "eene compagnie van het 4e bataillon artillerie landmilitie van Dordrecht naar Geertruidenberg te doen marcheeren, terwijl twee andere compagnien van hetzelfde bataillon den 26e dezer, mede van daar naar Geertruidenberg zullen marcheeren."
- Foxed.
= "The Prince of Orange (...) will be very thankfull if he [Benjamin West] will be so kind to give his directions that the Princess of Orange may see tomorrow between two and three o clock in the afternoon the Exhibition of Pictures at the Royal Academy, London (...)".
- Fine.
= Certificate of majority (Venia Aetatis) for "Cornelia Henrietta", the daughter of "Jonkheer Willem van Loon Janszoon te Amsterdam".
= Congratulating King Ferdinand II of Sicily (1810-1859) with the birth of his son, the later King Franz II of Sicily (1836-1859)
- Yellowed and w. old folds from sending.
= Offering the addressee his services and expressing his regrets that he hadn't been able to realise another project: "(...) je tâcherai donc arriver à la Haye d'arranger l'affaire en question selon vos désirs; - je saisis en même temps cette occasion de vous témoigner mes regrets de n'avoir pu réaliser le projet de lecture que nous avions formé (...)".
- Trifle frayed/ age-toned.
= Indicating which lands near Roosendaal were rented by whom to prevent possible misunderstandings from occuring. This seems to be the consequence of such an accident, in which some of these lands were wrongly awarded under the responsibility of land steward mister Noirot, while the monastery of St. Bernaerts near Antwerp has declared to own several of these lands.
- Folded; some sl. vague foxing.
= On the appointment of the schepen for the city of Den Bosch. "(...) Wij hebben goedtgevonden, uyt de persoonen den verloopenenen Jaere hebbende bekleet den Schepen-Stoel der Stadt s'Hertogenbosch, voor den aenstaenden jaere tot bekleedinge van den selven Schepen-Stoel, verders aan te stellen, soodanige persoonen als inde nevensgaende Lijste met namen staan geexpresseert (...)". At the foot of the leaf "Jo r. alexander Schimmelpenninck van der Oye Hr van Engelenburg hooghschout der stadt 's hertogenbosch" (the addressee?) is mentioned. SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LXXVIII.
- Both documents laid down onto mount along top margin.
= Both on the commissioning of "Egbert Ernst" as ensign in the "Compagnie van den Capitein de Valke, onder het Regiment van den Prince van Baden Dourlach" (first document) and as ensign "bij remplacement in de Compagnie van den Lieutenant Collonel van Burmania, onder het tweede Battaillon van het Regiment van (...) Generael Major Prince van Baden Dourlach". The first document also signed by J. de Back and the second also by T.I. de Larrey. Provenance: Collectie Dr. J.G. de Lint.