Difference between revisions of "William III of the Netherlands" - New World Encyclopedia
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{{Infobox_Monarch | {{Infobox_Monarch | ||
| name = William III | | name = William III | ||
| − | | title = King of the Netherlands<br>Grand Duke of Luxembourg<br>Duke of Limburg | + | | title = King of the Netherlands<br/>Grand Duke of Luxembourg<br/>Duke of Limburg |
| image = [[Image:William III of the Netherlands.jpg|200px]] | | image = [[Image:William III of the Netherlands.jpg|200px]] | ||
| − | | reign = | + | | reign = 1849-1890 |
| coronation = | | coronation = | ||
| predecessor = [[William II of the Netherlands]] | | predecessor = [[William II of the Netherlands]] | ||
| − | | successor = [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina]] in the Netherlands<br>[[Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Adolphe]] in Luxembourg | + | | successor = [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina]] in the Netherlands<br/>[[Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Adolphe]] in Luxembourg |
| − | | consort = i) | + | | consort = i) Sophie of Württemberg<br/>ii) Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont |
| − | | issue = [[Prince William of the Netherlands|William]]<br> | + | | issue = [[Prince William of the Netherlands|William]]<br/>Prince Maurice of the Netherlands<br/>[[Alexander, Prince of Orange<br/>Wilhelmina of the Netherlands |
| − | | royal house = | + | | royal house = House of Orange-Nassau |
| − | | royal anthem = | + | | royal anthem = Wilhelmus |
| father = [[William II of the Netherlands]] | | father = [[William II of the Netherlands]] | ||
| − | | mother = | + | | mother = Anna Pavlovna of Russia |
| − | | date of birth = | + | | date of birth = February 2 1817 |
| place of birth = [[Brussels]] | | place of birth = [[Brussels]] | ||
| − | | date of death = | + | | date of death = November 23 1890 |
| − | | place of death = | + | | place of death = Het Loo, near Apeldoorn |
| − | | place of burial= | + | | place of burial= Nieuwe Kerk (Delft) |
|}} | |}} | ||
| − | '''William III''' (''Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk van Oranje-Nassau'', | + | '''William III''' (''Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk van Oranje-Nassau'', anglicized: ''William Alexander Paul Frederick Louis of [[Orange-Nassau]]'') (February 19, 1817 – November 23, 1890) was from 1849 King of the [[Netherlands]] and Grand Duke of [[Luxembourg]] until his death and the Duke of Limburg until the abolition of the Duchy in 1866. |
==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
| − | William was born in [[Brussels]] as son of [[William II of the Netherlands]] and | + | William was born in [[Brussels]] as son of [[William II of the Netherlands]] and Queen Anna Paulowna, daughter of Tsar [[Paul I of Russia|Paul I of all the Russians]] and Empress Maria Fyodorovna. In his early years, he served in the military. |
| − | He married his first cousin, [[Sophie von Württemberg|Sophie]], daughter of | + | He married his first cousin, [[Sophie von Württemberg|Sophie]], daughter of King William I of Württemberg and Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia, in 1839. This marriage was unhappy and was characterized by struggles about their children. Sophie was a liberal intellectual, hating everything leaning toward dictatorship, such as the army. William was simpler, more conservative, and loved the military. He prohibited intellectual exercise at home, for which action [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom]], who corresponded with Sophie, called him an uneducated farmer. (His extramarital enthusiasms, however, led the [[New York Times]] to call him "the greatest debauchee of the age".) Another cause of marital tension (and later political tension) was his capriciousness; he could rage against someone one day, and be extremely polite the next. |
| − | William loathed the | + | William loathed the 1848 constitutional changes initiated by his father ([[William II of the Netherlands|William II]]) and [[Johan Rudolf Thorbecke]] which "gave more power to the middel classes and made the government's ministers responsible to the Estates General and not to the King".<ref>Hooker, page 123.</ref> William II and Sophie saw them as key to the monarchy's survival in changing times. William himself saw them as useless limitations of royal power, and wished to govern like his grandfather, [[William I of the Netherlands|William I]]. |
| − | He tried to relinquish his right to the throne to his younger brother | + | He tried to relinquish his right to the throne to his younger brother Prince Henry of the Netherlands, asking that "news of his abdication be made public."<ref>Hooker, page 123</ref> His mother convinced him to cancel this action. The constitutional changes transformed Holland intio a democratic constitutional monarchy "[[peace|peacefully" at a time when "more violent revolution was sweeping through many European countries."<ref>Hooker, page 123.</ref> One year later (1849) William became King upon the death of his father. Constitutional changes included "direct elections to the Second Chamber and Municipal Councils by those who paid a certain amount of [[tax|taxes" and "introduction of the right of the Estates General to question ministers."<ref>Hooker, page 124.</ref> |
==Reign== | ==Reign== | ||
| − | King William III repeatedly contemplated abdicating as soon as his eldest son | + | King William III repeatedly contemplated abdicating as soon as his eldest son William, Prince of Orange turned eighteen. This occurred in 1858, but as William was uncomfortable making a decision he remained King. His first act was the inauguration of the parliamentary cabinet of Thorbecke, the liberal designer of the 1848 constitution, whom William loathed. |
| − | [[Image:Wilhelm III Coin.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Silver 2½ Guilder Coin of William III, struck in 1857. | + | [[Image:Wilhelm III Coin.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Silver 2½ Guilder Coin of William III, struck in 1857. The obverse Dutch inscription is ''WILLEM III KONING DER NED[ERLANDEN] G[ROOT] H[ERTOG] V[AN] LUXEMBURG'' or in English, "William III, King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg." The reverse Dutch inscription is ''MUNT VAN HET KONINGRYK DER NEDERLANDEN,'' or in English, "Currency of the Kingdom of the Netherlands."]] In 1849, William announced his intention, in honor of his father's memory, to "look after the army's needs and interests." However, parliament now controlled the purse strings and that very year a cost-cutting exercise led to a reduction in the number of soldiers. Hooker comments that the Dutch people have a history of "aversion to the military" and that "reductions in the military are popular with the public."<ref>Hooker, page 180.</ref> |
| − | When the [[Roman Catholic]] hierarchy of | + | When the [[Roman Catholic]] hierarchy of bishops was restored in 1853 a popular petition signed by 250,000 people opposed to restoration of the hierarchy was submitted to William, who expressed his sympathy with their opposition. Thorbecke resigned in protest. He then led the opposition until 1862, when William asked him to form a new government.<ref<Hooker, page 124.</ref> This term of Thorbecke premiership saw the abolition of [[slavery]] in the [[Dutch Empire|Dutch East Indies]] but when he tried to the system of "forced labour" used in Java members of his own party joined with the opposition and the bill failed to attract enough support.In 1957, William signed an Education bill that made it a duty for schools to instill "pupils with [[Christianity|Christian and social virtues." The Act also denied any state aid to church-related schools.<ref>Hooker, page 127.</ref> |
| − | |||
| − | He | ||
| − | + | In the first two decades of William's reign, he dismissed several cabinets and disbanded the States-General several times, installing royal cabinets which ruled briefly as there was no support in elected parliament. | |
| − | + | He tried to sell the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 1867. The attempt nearly caused a war between [[Prussia]] and [[France]], and helped make Luxembourg a fully-independent country. | |
| − | + | The King was popular with the ordinary people, presenting himself as a cordial man. This was a prosperous time for the nations as maritime [[trade]] was "rejuvenated" and government spending was reduced.<ref>Hookeer, 124.</ref> | |
| − | King William became seriously ill in | + | In 1877, Queen Sophie died and years of war in the palace came to an end. In 1879, King William decided to marry [[Emma of the Netherlands|Princess Emma]] of Waldeck and Pyrmont, a small German principality. Some politicians were quite angry, as she was 41 years the king's junior. Emma showed herself, however, as a cordial woman; and when William asked permission from parliament, this was easily granted and the couple were quickly married. She was not his first choice. He had previously been rejected by her sister, Princess Pauline of Waldeck and Pyrmont, as well as Princess Thyra of Denmark, a sister of England's Princess of Wales (later Queen Alexandra) and of Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia. |
| + | |||
| + | Emma had a relieving influence on William's capricious personality and the marriage was extremely happy. The last decade was without any doubt the best of his reign. In 1880, Wilhelmina was born. She became heiress in 1884 after the death of the last remaining son from William's first marriage. Many potential heirs had died between 1878 and 1884. | ||
| + | |||
| + | King William became seriously ill in 1887. He died in 1890. Because Wilhelmina had not yet reached adulthood, Emma became Queen-Regent for her daughter. She would remain Queen-Regent until Wilhelmina's eighteenth birthday in 1898. Because the Luxembourg Grand Duchy could only be inherited through the male line at the time, under Salic law, it went to [[Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Adolphe]], the former Duke of Nassau. His daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter would reign successively so that Holland had a female Head of State throughout the next century and into the twenty-first century. | ||
==Ancestry== | ==Ancestry== | ||
| Line 90: | Line 92: | ||
|31= 31. [[Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia]] | |31= 31. [[Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia]] | ||
}}</center> | }}</center> | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | ==Legacy== | ||
| + | |||
| + | William III was never happy with his role as a constitutional monarch and endangered the monarchy itself with his constant | ||
| + | |||
==Children== | ==Children== | ||
| Line 103: | Line 111: | ||
===References=== | ===References=== | ||
| − | + | * Boulay de La Meurthe, Laure, and Françoise Jaudel. 1984. ''There are still kings: the ten royal families of Europe.'' New York: C.N. Potter.ISBN 9780517548387 | |
| + | * Hindley, Geoffrey. 2000. ''The royal families of Europe.'' New York: Carroll & Graf.ISBN 9780786708284 | ||
| + | * Hooker, Mark T. 1999. ''The history of Holland.'' The Greenwood histories of the modern nations. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.ISBN 9780313306587 | ||
* Mijers, Esther, and David Onnekink. 2007.'' Redefining William III: the impact of the king-stadholder in international context.'' Aldershot, England: Ashgate. | * Mijers, Esther, and David Onnekink. 2007.'' Redefining William III: the impact of the king-stadholder in international context.'' Aldershot, England: Ashgate. | ||
Revision as of 22:32, 17 September 2008
{{Infobox_Monarch
| name = William III
| title = King of the Netherlands
Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Duke of Limburg
| image = 
| reign = 1849-1890
| coronation =
| predecessor = William II of the Netherlands
| successor = Wilhelmina in the Netherlands
Adolphe in Luxembourg
| consort = i) Sophie of Württemberg
ii) Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont
| issue = William
Prince Maurice of the Netherlands
[[Alexander, Prince of Orange
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
| royal house = House of Orange-Nassau
| royal anthem = Wilhelmus
| father = William II of the Netherlands
| mother = Anna Pavlovna of Russia
| date of birth = February 2 1817
| place of birth = Brussels
| date of death = November 23 1890
| place of death = Het Loo, near Apeldoorn
| place of burial= Nieuwe Kerk (Delft)
|}}
William III (Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk van Oranje-Nassau, anglicized: William Alexander Paul Frederick Louis of Orange-Nassau) (February 19, 1817 – November 23, 1890) was from 1849 King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg until his death and the Duke of Limburg until the abolition of the Duchy in 1866.
Early life
William was born in Brussels as son of William II of the Netherlands and Queen Anna Paulowna, daughter of Tsar Paul I of all the Russians and Empress Maria Fyodorovna. In his early years, he served in the military.
He married his first cousin, Sophie, daughter of King William I of Württemberg and Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia, in 1839. This marriage was unhappy and was characterized by struggles about their children. Sophie was a liberal intellectual, hating everything leaning toward dictatorship, such as the army. William was simpler, more conservative, and loved the military. He prohibited intellectual exercise at home, for which action Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, who corresponded with Sophie, called him an uneducated farmer. (His extramarital enthusiasms, however, led the New York Times to call him "the greatest debauchee of the age".) Another cause of marital tension (and later political tension) was his capriciousness; he could rage against someone one day, and be extremely polite the next.
William loathed the 1848 constitutional changes initiated by his father (William II) and Johan Rudolf Thorbecke which "gave more power to the middel classes and made the government's ministers responsible to the Estates General and not to the King".[1] William II and Sophie saw them as key to the monarchy's survival in changing times. William himself saw them as useless limitations of royal power, and wished to govern like his grandfather, William I.
He tried to relinquish his right to the throne to his younger brother Prince Henry of the Netherlands, asking that "news of his abdication be made public."[2] His mother convinced him to cancel this action. The constitutional changes transformed Holland intio a democratic constitutional monarchy "[[peace|peacefully" at a time when "more violent revolution was sweeping through many European countries."[3] One year later (1849) William became King upon the death of his father. Constitutional changes included "direct elections to the Second Chamber and Municipal Councils by those who paid a certain amount of [[tax|taxes" and "introduction of the right of the Estates General to question ministers."[4]
Reign
King William III repeatedly contemplated abdicating as soon as his eldest son William, Prince of Orange turned eighteen. This occurred in 1858, but as William was uncomfortable making a decision he remained King. His first act was the inauguration of the parliamentary cabinet of Thorbecke, the liberal designer of the 1848 constitution, whom William loathed.
In 1849, William announced his intention, in honor of his father's memory, to "look after the army's needs and interests." However, parliament now controlled the purse strings and that very year a cost-cutting exercise led to a reduction in the number of soldiers. Hooker comments that the Dutch people have a history of "aversion to the military" and that "reductions in the military are popular with the public."[5]
When the Roman Catholic hierarchy of bishops was restored in 1853 a popular petition signed by 250,000 people opposed to restoration of the hierarchy was submitted to William, who expressed his sympathy with their opposition. Thorbecke resigned in protest. He then led the opposition until 1862, when William asked him to form a new government.<ref<Hooker, page 124.</ref> This term of Thorbecke premiership saw the abolition of slavery in the Dutch East Indies but when he tried to the system of "forced labour" used in Java members of his own party joined with the opposition and the bill failed to attract enough support.In 1957, William signed an Education bill that made it a duty for schools to instill "pupils with [[Christianity|Christian and social virtues." The Act also denied any state aid to church-related schools.[6]
In the first two decades of William's reign, he dismissed several cabinets and disbanded the States-General several times, installing royal cabinets which ruled briefly as there was no support in elected parliament.
He tried to sell the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 1867. The attempt nearly caused a war between Prussia and France, and helped make Luxembourg a fully-independent country.
The King was popular with the ordinary people, presenting himself as a cordial man. This was a prosperous time for the nations as maritime trade was "rejuvenated" and government spending was reduced.[7]
In 1877, Queen Sophie died and years of war in the palace came to an end. In 1879, King William decided to marry Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, a small German principality. Some politicians were quite angry, as she was 41 years the king's junior. Emma showed herself, however, as a cordial woman; and when William asked permission from parliament, this was easily granted and the couple were quickly married. She was not his first choice. He had previously been rejected by her sister, Princess Pauline of Waldeck and Pyrmont, as well as Princess Thyra of Denmark, a sister of England's Princess of Wales (later Queen Alexandra) and of Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia.
Emma had a relieving influence on William's capricious personality and the marriage was extremely happy. The last decade was without any doubt the best of his reign. In 1880, Wilhelmina was born. She became heiress in 1884 after the death of the last remaining son from William's first marriage. Many potential heirs had died between 1878 and 1884.
King William became seriously ill in 1887. He died in 1890. Because Wilhelmina had not yet reached adulthood, Emma became Queen-Regent for her daughter. She would remain Queen-Regent until Wilhelmina's eighteenth birthday in 1898. Because the Luxembourg Grand Duchy could only be inherited through the male line at the time, under Salic law, it went to Adolphe, the former Duke of Nassau. His daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter would reign successively so that Holland had a female Head of State throughout the next century and into the twenty-first century.
Ancestry
| 16. William IV, Prince of Orange | ||||||||||||||||
| 8. William V, Prince of Orange | ||||||||||||||||
| 17. Anne, Princess Royal | ||||||||||||||||
| 4. William I of the Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||
| 18. Prince Augustus William of Prussia | ||||||||||||||||
| 9. Wilhelmina of Prussia | ||||||||||||||||
| 19. Louise Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg | ||||||||||||||||
| 2. William II of the Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||
| 20. Prince Augustus William of Prussia (= 18) | ||||||||||||||||
| 10. Frederick William II of Prussia | ||||||||||||||||
| 21. Louise Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg (= 19) | ||||||||||||||||
| 5. Wilhelmine of Prussia | ||||||||||||||||
| 22. Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt | ||||||||||||||||
| 11. Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt | ||||||||||||||||
| 23. Caroline of Zweibrücken | ||||||||||||||||
| 1. William III of the Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||
| 24. Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp | ||||||||||||||||
| 12. Peter III of Russia | ||||||||||||||||
| 25. Anna Petrovna of Russia | ||||||||||||||||
| 6. Paul I of Russia | ||||||||||||||||
| 26. Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst | ||||||||||||||||
| 13. Catherine II of Russia | ||||||||||||||||
| 27. Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp | ||||||||||||||||
| 3. Anna Pavlovna of Russia | ||||||||||||||||
| 28. Karl Alexander, Duke of Württemberg | ||||||||||||||||
| 14. Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg | ||||||||||||||||
| 29. Maria Augusta Anna of Thurn and Taxis | ||||||||||||||||
| 7. Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg | ||||||||||||||||
| 30. Friedrich Wilhelm, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt | ||||||||||||||||
| 15. Friederike Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt | ||||||||||||||||
| 31. Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia | ||||||||||||||||
Legacy
William III was never happy with his role as a constitutional monarch and endangered the monarchy itself with his constant
Children
Template:Infobox Monarch styles
Of William III's children, only three reached adulthood, two sons from his marriage to Queen Sophie and one daughter from his marriage to Queen Emma:
- Willem Nicolaas Alexander Frederik Karel Hendrik (1840-1879). Heir to the Throne from 1849 till his death.
- Willem Frederik Maurits Alexander Hendrik Karel (1843-1850).
- Willem Alexander Karel Hendrik Frederik (1851-1884). Heir to the Throne from 1879 till his death.
- Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria (1880 - 1962). Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 - 1948.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Boulay de La Meurthe, Laure, and Françoise Jaudel. 1984. There are still kings: the ten royal families of Europe. New York: C.N. Potter.ISBN 9780517548387
- Hindley, Geoffrey. 2000. The royal families of Europe. New York: Carroll & Graf.ISBN 9780786708284
- Hooker, Mark T. 1999. The history of Holland. The Greenwood histories of the modern nations. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.ISBN 9780313306587
- Mijers, Esther, and David Onnekink. 2007. Redefining William III: the impact of the king-stadholder in international context. Aldershot, England: Ashgate.
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