Willem Jerve Koetjie (1850-67), Princess Louis of Hesse's Servant

Photograph of a young boy in a full length portrait, facing the viewer, standing next to a window. His right foot is raised to rest on the window ledge. He is dressed in baggy trousers with spats and a tunic with a waist band. On the right, vines cover the wall.

The portrait shows Willem Jerve Koetjie who was employed as a servant to Princess Louis of Hesse who was the second daughter of Queen Victoria. Born to an African father and Indonesian mother, Willem Jerve Koetjie started work in the household of Princess Alice in June 1863 and was often referred to as 'Little Willem' by Queen Victoria. He died of consumption in August of 1867 and Princess Alice frequently expressed her sadness of the death of the 'dear good boy'. The day after Willem was buried, Princess Alice wrote to her mother, Queen Victoria, 'All our servants went to the burial. It quite upset me here not to find him, for I was really attached to him, and he learnt so well, and was in many ways so nice, though of course troublesome too at times.'