On July 5, 1911, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands welcomed the French president for a state visit. The above photo captured their ride together through Amsterdam, but of course to a precocious child like Bernadette, the picture is capital “B” boring.
Zzz Zzz Zzzzzzz.
You may remember from her introduction that she quite prefers taking her news from Le Petit Journal, which recounted the festivities for their July 6, 1911 issue as follows:
The President of the Republic’s trip to Amsterdam and The Hague gave the Dutch people the opportunity to warmly express their sympathy for our country.
The Venice of the North had put on its festive appearance. The quaint gabled houses, all painted in bright, bright colors, gleamed in the sun. In the streets, on the bridges, along the canals, the crowd pressed, impatient and enthusiastic, on the passage of the presidential cortege.From all parts of the country the subjects of Queen Wilhelmine had flocked to the capital to attend the fetes. And as he strolled through the city, the President of the Republic was able to contemplate all the types of Holland’s most beautiful costumes, and the multicolored corsages, and the lace headdresses, and the gold and silver helmets with their corkscrew ornaments and butterfly-shaped wings.
So there are no poor people in this country? Said one of our colleagues in amazement to a farmer wearing one of these golden helmets of inestimable value.
Yes, answered the peasant woman; but the poor wear the national hairstyle like the others, only they wear it in silver…
Bernadette hopes she looks even half as elegant as the Queen when she attends convention in her new “Frisian” disguisement. And since she’s so excited about her costume’s inspiration being featured in her favorite newspaper, she wanted to share a copy with all her Bleuette sisters. Enjoy!
