On May 12, 1874, King William celebrated his 25th anniversary on the throne.
Naturally, this milestone was celebrated in grand style in the cities, villages, and overseas in the colonies.
The King, along with his separated wife Sophie, was to celebrate in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam had done its best: there was an illumination on the canals, gates were decorated, and arches were adorned with flowers, etc.
Yet, until just before the festivities began, it was unclear whether the King and Queen would actually attend and Amsterdam had not yet secured the funds to cover the costs of the celebration.
The latter was arranged at the last minute.
The King had indicated that he considered a large celebration inappropriate, but the real reason was that he wanted an increase in his annual allowance. This, however, was not possible because his allowance was constitutionally established.
The celebration ultimately went ahead. The king felt he couldn’t disappoint the people who had put so much effort into organising it, and so the royal couple came to the capital on a rainy day for the celebration. A surprise was that Czar Alexander II of Russia, who was traveling to England, also stopped in Amsterdam to congratulate his nephew. The king personally met him at the train station.
The celebration also received a great deal of positive attention in the press, and naturally, numerous commemorative souvenirs were released to commemorate the royal occasion.
Ultimately, the celebration was a great success.
Here are some souvenirs from our collection.
Opaline vase Bust of Willem III Silk Bookmark
Silk Sash Terra cotta figurine
Bust made by Bloch
Porcelain pipe
Bowl
