Two weeks ago, I shared a story on this site’s Facebook page. Here’s what I wrote:
My grandfather lived in one of the wings of this castle when he served on the staff of Prince Bernhard during the last months of World War II. Apeldoorn was liberated at the end of 1944 and became the headquarters while the resistance and allied forces were planning to reconquer the west of the country, which took until May 1945. My grandfather told us a story how the Queen was upset one day that the soldiers were eating off her best china.
My mom read this and let me know that I had mixed up a detail, and shared the full story:
Grandfather told me that the troops, after having slept in the fields for weeks and washing themselves in their helmets, finally arrived in Apeldoorn. Prince Bernard said: “Let’s sleep at my mother-in-law’s.” How wonderful, to finally sleep in a bed again. The next day, Queen Wilhelmina dropped by to welcome them. She saw a wash mark with a crown on the sheets and asked “Bernard, are those soldiers sleeping under my sheets??” So it was the sheets, not the china that she was upset about.
This example shows you the value of sharing information with your family. If there’s an error, they will notice, and they might tell you parts of the story you’re unfamiliar with.
Palace “Het Loo” in Apeldoorn, about 1930. Credits: Rijksdienst voor Cultureel Erfgoed (CC-BY-SA)
About Yvette Hoitink
