The journey’s endpoint was the Rose Palace. Wilhelmina returned for the first time to the place she truly belonged, but it was to attend her father’s funeral.
The once-stretching wheat fields and woods were replaced by neatly arranged royal gardens, wildflowers on the grass became roses in flower beds, and rural houses transformed into magnificent palaces. The village girl now received salutes from court attendants and was addressed as “Your Highness.”
Host (walking through the palace corridor): “We can imagine Wilhelmina’s feelings then. The world she had known since childhood underwent drastic changes, from free and easy to rigid and constrained, with passionate friends replaced by distant attendants. She faced an unfamiliar imperial grandfather and relatives, living a life she was not accustomed to. At this moment, the only link connecting her to her past life was Hans Borg.”
In the court attendants’ memories, a historic moment occurred when Alexander paid respects to Prince Adam’s body with Wilhelmina, who made her first request after arriving at the palace. This request would change Hans Borg’s life forever.
Royal Museum Advisor: “She pointed him out from the crowd and clearly said: ‘I want Owen!'”
Host: “She said it like that?”
Advisor: “Yes, both the Queen’s personal diary and Hans Borg’s memoirs confirm this scene. This was a crucial event for both. Alexander complied with his granddaughter’s request and entrusted her to a strong protector.”
Host: “That was also a combination of power.”
Advisor: “Yes. A little princess who lost her parents living alone in the court, with her elderly grandfather, needed a protector. Hans Borg seized this opportunity to rise to the upper echelons.”
Host: “I think this is one reason for his unwavering loyalty to Wilhelmina. She is, as we usually say, his golden girl.”
Advisor: “Indeed, she was.”
Host: “And this is also the scene most loved by later films and novels.”
Advisor (laughing): “Exactly. A young, handsome secretary and an innocent, charming little girl. A loyal knight and the lonely princess under his protection. Every man has such a complex.”
The Little White Palace was once Prince Adam’s residence. After his death, it became Wilhelmina’s bedroom, where she lived for eight years until her coronation and move to the Paris Palace.
