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William III of the Netherlands

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William III
Photograph byMaria Hille,c.1887
King of the Netherlands
Reign17 March 1849 – 23 November 1890
Inauguration12 May 1849
PredecessorWilliam II
SuccessorWilhelmina
Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Reign17 March 1849 – 23 November 1890
PredecessorWilliam II
SuccessorAdolphe
Duke of Limburg
Reign17 March 1849 – 23 August 1866
PredecessorWilliam II
Born(1817-02-19)19 February 1817
Palace of the Nation,Brussels,United Kingdom of the Netherlands
Died23 November 1890(1890-11-23)(aged 73)
Het Loo Palace,Apeldoorn,Netherlands
Burial4 December 1890
Nieuwe Kerk,Delft,Netherlands
Spouse
​
​
(m.1839; died 1877)​
​
​
(m.1879)​
Issue
among others...
Names
Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk
HouseOrange-Nassau
FatherWilliam II of the Netherlands
MotherAnna Pavlovna of Russia
ReligionDutch Reformed Church
SignatureWilliam III's signature

William III(Dutch:Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk;English:William Alexander Paul Frederick Louis;19 February 1817 – 23 November 1890) wasKing of the NetherlandsandGrand Duke of Luxembourgfrom 1849 until his death in 1890. He was also theDuke of Limburgfrom 1849 until the abolition of the duchy in 1866.

William was the son ofKing William IIandAnna Pavlovna of Russia.On the abdication of his grandfather William I in 1840, he became thePrince of Orange.On the death of his father in 1849, he succeeded as king of theNetherlands.

William married his cousinSophie of Württembergin 1839 and they had three sons,William,Maurice,andAlexander,all of whom predeceased him. After Sophie's death in 1877 he marriedEmma of Waldeck and Pyrmontin 1879 and they had one daughterWilhelmina,who succeeded William to the Dutch throne. Meanwhile, being the last agnatic dynastic descendant ofOtto I, Count of Nassau,the throne of theGrand Duchy of Luxembourgpassed to his patrilineal seventeenth cousin once removed (and matrilineal third cousin),Adolphe.As of 2024,he is the last Dutch monarch to die whilst on the throne as all his successors have abdicated in favor of their children.

Early life[edit]

KingWilliam IIand his family(1832) byJan Baptist van der Hulstwith William III on the far left

William was born on 19 February 1817 in thePalace of the Nationin Brussels,[1]which was part of theUnited Kingdom of the Netherlandsat the time. He was the eldest son of the future kingWilliam II of the NetherlandsandAnna Pavlovna of Russia.He had three brothers, one of whom died in infancy, and one sister.[2]

In 1827, at the age of ten, he was made an honorarycolonelin theRoyal Netherlands Army.In the 1830s, he served as lieutenant in theGrenadiers Regiment.In 1834, he was made honorary commander of the Grenadiers Regiment of Kiev nr. 5 in theImperial Russian Army.[3]

He married his first cousin,Sophie,daughter of KingWilliam I of Württembergand Grand DuchessCatherine Pavlovna of Russia,inStuttgarton 18 June 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 actionQueen Victoria of the United Kingdom,who corresponded with Princess Sophie, called him an uneducated farmer.[citation needed]His extramarital enthusiasms, however, led theNew York Timesto call him "the greatest debauchee of the age".[4]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) andJohan Rudolf Thorbecke.His father saw them as key to the monarchy's survival in changing times. Sophie, who was a liberal, also shared this view. William himself saw them as useless limitations of royal power, and would have preferred to govern as anenlightened despotin the mold of his grandfather,William I.

He considered relinquishing his right to the throne to his younger brotherHenryand later to his older son. His mother convinced him to cancel this action. TheDutch constitutionprovided no way to relinquish one's claim to the throne.

On 17 March 1849, his father died and William succeeded to the throne of theNetherlands.He was at that moment a guest of the Duchess of Cleveland inRaby Castle.Representatives of the Dutch government traveled to London to meet their new king. William was reluctant to return, but he was convinced to do so. Upon arrival the new queen welcomed her spouse with the question "did you accept?". The new king nodded, but he remained uncertain about the matter for some time.[5]

Reign[edit]

William III depicted on a 20 gulden proof gold coin (1850)
William III depicted on a 20 gulden proof gold coin (1850)
King William III of the Netherlands

William repeatedly contemplated abdicating as soon as his eldest sonWilliam, 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.[citation needed]

When theRoman Catholichierarchy of bishops was restored in 1853, he found growing conservative support and a reason to dismiss Thorbecke. In the first two decades of his reign, he dismissed several cabinets and disbanded theStates-Generalseveral times, installing royal cabinets which ruled as long as there was support in the electedsecond chamber of parliament.[citation needed]

In what became known as the "Luxembourg Coup of 1856",William unilaterally instituteda new, reactionary constitutionforLuxembourg,which he ruled personally, separate from the Netherlands crown.[6]

In 1867,Franceoffered to buy Luxembourg, leading to theLuxembourg Crisis,which almost precipitated war betweenPrussiaand France. However, the subsequentSecond Treaty of Londonconfirmed Luxembourg as a fully independent country.[citation needed]

During his reign, the king became more and more unpopular with his bourgeois-liberal subjects, his whims provoking their resistance and mockery, but remained quite popular with the common man.[7][8]

The king was a man of immense stature and with a boisterous voice. He could be gentle and kind, then suddenly he could become intimidating and even violent. He kicked and hit his servants about. He was inclined to terrorize and humiliate his courtiers. The king was cruel to animals as well. His ministers were afraid of him. Most people around him agreed that he was, to some degree, insane.[5]

QueenEmmaand King William III

The king could be erratic, he ordered the dismissal and even the arrest and execution of those that he found in lack of respect, including a Mayor of The Hague. Orders like these were disregarded. The king who thought of himself as a specialist on all matters military frequently tried to take command of manoeuvres, creating chaos wherever he went.[5]

In 1877, Queen Sophie died and years of war in the palace came to an end. In the same year, King William announced his intention to marryÉmilie Ambre,a French opera singer, whom he ennobled as countess d'Ambroise – without government consent. Under pressure from society and the government, he abandoned these marriage plans.[9][10]

William remained eager to remarry. In 1878, he first proposed to his niece,Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.He then considered marriage withPrincess Pauline of Waldeck and Pyrmont,a small Germanprincipality,andPrincess Thyra of Denmark,who had her own private scandalous history.[citation needed]

He finally decided to marry Pauline's younger sisterEmma of Waldeck and Pyrmont.Some politicians were quite angry, as she was 41 years the king's junior. Emma showed herself, however, as a cordial woman. William asked permission fromparliament,this was easily granted. The couple were quickly married inBad Arolsenon 7 January 1879.[citation needed]

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.[citation needed]The king had stopped interfering with most aspects of government. In 1880,Wilhelminawas born. She becameheir presumptivein 1884 after the death of the last remaining son from William's first marriage. Many potential male heirs had died between 1878 and 1884.[citation needed]

King William became seriously ill in 1887. He was suffering from a kidney-ailment. However, in 1888, he personally presented a gold medal of honor to the lifeboat heroDorus Rijkers,for saving the lives of 20 people.[citation needed]

Funeral of William III in 1890

In 1888 and 1889, the ailing king became increasinglydemented.TheCouncil of Stateand then Queen Emma becameregents.[5]William III died atHet Loo Palacein 1890. Because Wilhelmina had not yet reached adulthood, Emma becameregentfor her daughter. She would remain regent until Wilhelmina's eighteenth birthday in 1898.[citation needed]

Family and issue[edit]

Of William III's four legitimate children, three reached adulthood, two sons from his marriage to Queen Sophie and one daughter from his marriage to Queen Emma:

Standing at 6'5 "(196 cm) he was an exceptionally large and strong man.[11]William III was known to be a philanderer and had several dozen illegitimate children from various mistresses.[12][13]

Honours and arms[edit]

Royal Monogram
National orders and decorations
Foreign orders and decorations

Ancestry[edit]

See also:Dutch monarchs family tree

References[edit]

  1. ^(in Dutch)Z.M. (koning Willem III) Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk, koning der Nederlanden, groothertog van Luxemburg, prins van Oranje-Nassau,Parlement & Politiek.Retrieved on 21 February 2015.
  2. ^(in Dutch)Z.M. (koning Willem II) koning Willem Frederik George Lodewijk, koning der Nederlanden, groothertog van Luxemburg, hertog van Limburg, prins van Oranje-Nassau,Parlement & Politiek.Retrieved on 21 February 2015.
  3. ^(in Dutch)Koninklijke ere-commando's en militaire erefunctiesArchived16 March 2012 at theWayback Machine,Nationaal Militair Museum.Retrieved on 21 February 2015.
  4. ^"Holland's Queen"-New York Times26 September 1897
  5. ^abcdDik van der Meulen, William III Biography 2013
  6. ^"Proposition de revision portant modification et nouvel ordonnancement de la constitution du Luxembourg"(PDF)(in French).Council of Europe.26 August 2009.Retrieved6 December2009.
  7. ^Elzinga, D. J., ed. (2007).The Dutch constitutional monarchy in a changing Europe.Kluwer. pp. 125 & 129.ISBN978-90-13-04866-7.
  8. ^Janssens, A. L. J. (2008).Uitingsdelicten(in Dutch). Kluwer. p. 177.ISBN978-90-13-04880-3.
  9. ^G.A.M. Beekelaar (1989)."Heeckeren tot Kell, Willem baron van (1815–1914)"(in Dutch). Instituut voor Nederlandse Geschiedenis.Retrieved31 August2009.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
  10. ^van den Bergh, H.; Vinken, P.J. (2002).Klein republikeins handboek: honderd misverstanden over de monarchie(in Dutch). Uitgeverij Boom. pp. 58–59.ISBN90-5352-734-6.
  11. ^William III of the Netherlands "a very tall and strong man, he was initially seen as a father figure to most of his subjects, unaware of his tantrums and philandering ways"
  12. ^"Willem I en III hadden bastaarden".NOS.29 November 2013.Retrieved21 July2016.
  13. ^William III and his mistresses (Dutch)
  14. ^Staats- und Adreß-Handbuch des Herzogthums Nassau: 1859.Schellenberg. 1859. p.7.
  15. ^"Königlich Preussische Ordensliste",Preussische Ordens-Liste(in German),1,Berlin:4,935,1886
  16. ^Hof- und Staatshandbuch für das Königreich Hannover: 1846.Berenberg. 1846. p.58.
  17. ^Staat Hannover (1865).Hof- und Staatshandbuch für das Königreich Hannover: 1865.Berenberg. p.37.
  18. ^Württemberg (Kingdom). Statistisches Landesamt (1877).Staatshandbuch für Württemberg.Druck von W. Kohlhammer. p.21.
  19. ^"Caballeros de la insigne orden del toisón de oro".Guía Oficial de España(in Spanish). 1887. p. 146.Retrieved21 March2019.
  20. ^Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach(1846), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p.13
  21. ^"Liste des Membres de l'Ordre de Léopold",Almanach Royal Officiel(in French), 1850, p. 33 – via Archives de Bruxelles
  22. ^Sveriges och Norges statskalender.Liberförlag. 1874. p. 468.
  23. ^Sveriges och Norges statskalender.Liberförlag. 1874. p. 703.
  24. ^Jørgen Pedersen (2009).Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009(in Danish). Syddansk Universitetsforlag. p. 467.ISBN978-87-7674-434-2.
  25. ^"A Szent István Rend tagjai"Archived22 December 2010 at theWayback Machine
  26. ^Hessen-Kassel (1859).Kurfürstlich Hessisches Hof- und Staatshandbuch: 1859.Waisenhaus. p.16.
  27. ^Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Hessen(1879), "Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen" p.11
  28. ^Staats- und Adreß-Handbuch des Herzogthums Nassau(1866), "Herzogliche Orden" p. 12
  29. ^Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden(1862), "Großherzogliche Orden"pp. 33,45
  30. ^Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Bayern: 1877.Landesamt. 1877. p. 8.
  31. ^Sachsen (1866).Staatshandbuch für den Freistaat Sachsen: 1865/66.Heinrich. p.4.
  32. ^"Seccion IV: Ordenes del Imperio",Almanaque imperial para el año 1866(in Spanish), 1866, p. 243,retrieved29 April2020
  33. ^Sovereign Ordonnance of 13 April 1875
  34. ^Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha(1884), "Herzogliche Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden" p.32
  35. ^Hình Bộ phương tắc (2017).Minh trị thời đại の huân chương ngoại giao nghi lễ(PDF)(in Japanese). Minh trị thánh đức kỷ niệm học được kỷ yếu. p. 143.
  36. ^Shaw, Wm. A. (1906)The Knights of England,I,London,p. 66
  37. ^Italia: Ministero dell'interno (1889).Calendario generale del Regno d'Italia.Unione tipografico-editrice. p.52.
  38. ^"Grand Crosses of the Order of the Tower and Sword".geneall.net.Retrieved 21 September 2018.

External links[edit]

William III of the Netherlands
Cadet branch of theHouse of Nassau
Born:19 February 1817Died:23 November 1890
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of the Netherlands
1849–1890 		Succeeded by
Grand Duke of Luxembourg
1849–1890 		Succeeded by
Duke of Limburg
1849–1866 		Abolition
Dutch royalty
Preceded by
William
later became King William II
 Prince of Orange
1840–1849 		Succeeded by
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