“He didn’t often mention Her Majesty, but their relationship was very good. They walked and dined together, with princes and princesses calling him by name. The only person who could make him bow was Queen Wilhelmina. The way he looked at her was like gazing at the most beautiful treasure, even when she was an elderly white-haired woman.
According to later accounts, their first meeting was nothing special, but Hans Borg treated Wilhelmina with gentlemanly grace and tenderness, and she almost immediately accepted him.”
Host (walking in the house’s garden): “He was 12 years older than her, an awkward age, but just right to provide her with strong protection and care. He took this little girl from her grandparents’ protection and brought her back to the perilous Odin Palace.”
Although Hans Borg was officially appointed as Wilhelmina’s secretary after they returned to Odin, his protection of her likely began when he first held her hand.
(Odin Rose Palace, aerial shot, panoramic view)
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.
Host (walking inside the Little White Palace): “Emperor Alexander was an art enthusiast who detested photography but loved hiring painters. Wilhelmina shared this passion and enjoyed recording her life through oil paintings. Many of her life moments were captured in these paintings. One shows her having afternoon tea with other princesses, with Annabel appearing as a loving cousin. Another commemorates her first day of school in a school uniform, a significant event for a child. My favorite is ‘Before Bedtime’, which reveals that the one telling her bedtime stories was not her nanny, but Hans Borg.”
Hans filled the void in Wilhelmina’s life regarding male elders—serving as an elder, brother, and friend. Initially her secretary tasked with external affairs, he also took care of her personal matters.
Mrs. Gillett: “My grandmother, one of Wilhelmina’s nannies, later shared how meticulously he cared for her, which is remarkable, considering he was also a young man just out of school.”
My grandmother said that putting shoes on the princess was Hans Borg’s first task every day, and only he could do it. She would sit barefoot on the bed’s edge waiting for him. He always knelt on one knee, placing her foot on his knee.
Host: “Very gentlemanly.”
Mrs. Gillett (laughing): “Yes. She only trusted him and would tell him everything. They were the closest of friends.”
Host: “I thought Lord Noreheim was also her good friend.”
Mrs. Gillett: “That was much later.”
Kerns was Wilhelmina’s cousin and had the best relationship with her among all her relatives. Karns, the Count of Norheim, was the son of Princess Catherine, Emperor Alexander’s second and most beloved daughter. Growing up under the influence of his maternal grandfather and mother, Karns became a mischievous but not spoiled young master, quickly becoming good friends with Wilhelmina.
Shortly after her father’s funeral, Wilhelmina entered Odin Academy, a famous boarding school for nobility. There, she met Angela Garcia, an intelligent middle-class girl who won Wilhelmina’s affection with her cheerful nature. They shared a dormitory, attended classes, went to the library, and participated in club activities. Karns soon joined them, forming a solid trio.
The relationship breakups often seen among friends did not occur between these three. They had arguments but quickly reconciled. Although they pursued different career paths, their friendship remained strong.
The story ended beautifully. After years of courtship, Angela accepted Karns’ proposal, and they married in 7394, with the royal family attending their wedding. The couple served as godparents to Princess Claudia.
(Odin Royal Academy)
Host: “The dormitory where Wilhelmina and Angela Garcia lived is still used as a student residence. A golden copper plaque reads ‘Wilhelmina I, 7375-7377’, marking the years the Queen lived here.”
Wilhelmina’s campus life provided a bright contrast to court life. Her diary reveals she always looked forward to leaving the palace to return to school, even accepting the heavy coursework and strict exams. The cold relationships in the court were exhausting for her.
She also eagerly anticipated weekends to see Hans Boge, which troubled her psychologically but highlighted her dependence on the secretary.
Odin Academy Principal: “Her academic performance was always excellent.”
When she entered the school, she was placed in Class B but smoothly advanced to Class A the following term, consistently performing at the top. She joined the tennis, model, and astronomy clubs, showing no interest in socially-oriented clubs like sororities.
Host: “Was Annabel the sorority president at that time?”
Principal: “Yes, Annabel was in the senior division, while Wilhelmina was in the junior division.”
Host: “Does this suggest they had conflicts at the time?”
Principal: “It’s not very apparent. On the surface, there are no records of discord, but their lives had little overlap.”
Host: “One was the heir to the throne, the other a distant princess far from the line of succession.”
Principal: “Yes.”
Superficial harmony has always been the norm in high society. Now that Wilhelmina had returned to the court, she needed to quickly learn this approach. Hans Boge undoubtedly helped her in this regard.
Wilhelmina and Annabel’s relationship was likely not harmonious, mainly due to Wilhelmina’s mother’s background. Queen Rebecca was a democratic activist before marriage and, after her divorce, advocated for a constitutional monarchy.
