Queen Wilhelmina and her Minister: An Anecdote

 

Among the strings of anecdotes which are running through the Continental press apropos of the childhood of the young Queen of Holland, the following is worth repeating:

"When the little queen was ten years old she had a serious tussle with her French governess, the result being that her majesty dismissed the lady on the spot, sending immediately afterwards for her first Minister.

"I have been obliged to dismiss' my French governess,' Queen Wilhelmina announced.

“She was dismissed in disgrace. You had better publish this among the court news.”

The Minister gravely promised the publication of the important piece of State news.

“And when is it your majesty's pleasure that the culprit should be beheaded?” he said quietly. The queen looked startled.

“Beheaded?” she gasped. “It is the custom of the country that anyone who is officially disgraced should be beheaded. First of all he or she is put on the rack.”

“On the rack?”

“Yes, and then he is roasted, but not too much so that he should not escape the full punishment. It will be necessary for your majesty to be present at the ceremony  for . . .”

 But Queen Wilhelmina had rushed off to complain to her mother that "that awful Minister' meant to kill her governess."

Who says after this that a Dutchman has no humour?