A white peppermint, a distinctive portrait and a name passed down through generations. Wilhelmina peppermint may look like a simple sweet, but behind its refreshing taste lies a story of Frisian enterprise, a royal tribute and tins worth keeping long after the last mint has gone.
For readers in Britain, where royal anniversaries and commemorative keepsakes are familiar, this Dutch classic offers an appealing story to discover: a peppermint named after a young queen, with a connection to the Royal House of the Netherlands.
The story begins in Friesland
The origins go back to Willem Hendrik Fortuin, who opened a bakery in Lemmer, in the Dutch province of Friesland, in 1842. He later moved to Dokkum, where the business grew into a confectionery factory. Dokkum remains the home of Fortuin, the maker of Wilhelmina peppermint.
1892: a jubilee and a royal tribute
In 1892, Fortuin celebrated its fiftieth anniversary by creating Wilhelmina peppermint. The sweet also paid tribute to twelve-year-old Wilhelmina. The first presentation box was offered to the Dutch Royal House. Four years later, in 1896, Fortuin received the Dutch designation of Purveyor to the Royal Household.
There is a small but fascinating historical detail here. Although peppermint stories often refer to “Princess Wilhelmina”, she had already become Queen of the Netherlands in 1890. As she was still a child, her mother, Queen Emma, served as regent until 1898.
That royal connection gives the little peppermint a story of its own. Its name recalls a young Dutch monarch and a milestone in the history of a confectionery business in Friesland.
A royal keepsake you can enjoy
The packaging has its own history, too. In 1977, Fortuin introduced its first luxury Wilhelmina peppermint tin to mark the company’s 135th anniversary. Many designs followed, featuring royal portraits, historic occasions and recognisably Dutch motifs.
From royal weddings and anniversaries to Delft blue designs, these tins show how an everyday sweet can become a small keepsake. If you enjoy royal memorabilia, they offer a distinctly Dutch addition to that interest.
Perhaps you know the feeling: the mints are finished, but the tin stays. It finds a place on a shelf or becomes a home for little treasures. That is part of the charm of a peppermint tin as a gift: something to enjoy now and something to keep afterwards.
Discover Wilhelmina peppermint at CandyMixMatch
Would you like to try this Dutch classic or give someone a gift with a story? Explore these options at CandyMixMatch:
From a jubilee in 1892 to a gift today, Wilhelmina peppermint brings together a refreshing taste and a little piece of Dutch royal history. Which would you choose?
