William II of the Netherlands: Difference between revisions

William II
William II
	Portrait by Nicolaas Pieneman, c. 1849
King of the Netherlands; Grand Duke of Luxembourg; Duke of Limburg;
Reign	7 October 1840 – 17 March 1849
Inauguration	28 November 1840
Predecessor	William I
Successor	William III
Born	6 December 1792; Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, Dutch Republic
Died	17 March 1849 (aged 56); Tilburg, Netherlands
Spouse	Anna Pavlovna of Russia (m. 1816)
Issue	William III of the Netherlands; Prince Alexander; Prince Henry; Prince Ernest Casimir; Sophie, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach;
House	Orange-Nassau
Father	William I of the Netherlands
Mother	Wilhelmine of Prussia
Religion	Dutch Reformed Church
Signature
Military service
Battles/wars	(incomplete) Napoleonic Wars Peninsular War Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo; 2nd Siege of Badajoz; 3rd Siege of Badajoz; Battle of Salamanca; Battle of San Millan-Osma; Battle of Vitoria; Siege of Pamplona; Siege of San Sebastián; Battle of the Pyrenees; ; War of the Sixth Coalition; Hundred Days Battle of Quatre Bras; Battle of Waterloo; ; ; Belgian Revolution Assault on Brussels; Ten Days Campaign Battle of Ravels; Battle of Turnhout; Battle of Houthalen; Battle of Hasselt; Battle of Leuven; ; ;

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William II (Dutch: Willem Frederik George Lodewijk; English: William Frederick George Louis; 6 December 1792 – 17 March 1849) was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg.

William II was the son of William I and Wilhelmine of Prussia. When his father, who up to that time ruled as sovereign prince, proclaimed himself king in 1815, he became Prince of Orange as heir apparent of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. With the abdication of his father on 7 October 1840, William II became king. During his reign, the Netherlands became a parliamentary democracy with the new constitution of 1848.

William II was married to Anna Pavlovna of Russia. They had four sons and one daughter. William II died on 17 March 1849 and was succeeded by his son William III.

Early life and education

Willem Frederik George Lodewijk was born on 6 December 1792 in The Hague. He was the eldest son of the then Prince William and Wilhelmine of Prussia. His maternal grandparents were King Frederick William II of Prussia and his second wife Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt.

When William was two, he and his family fled to England after allied British-Hanoverian troops left the republic and entering French troops defeated the army of the United Provinces, claiming liberation by joining the anti-Orangist Patriots. William spent his youth in Berlin at the Prussian court, where he followed a military education and served in the Prussian Army. After this, he studied civil law at Christ Church, University of Oxford.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Military service

He entered the British Army, and in 1811, as a 19-year-old aide-de-camp in the headquarters of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was allowed to observe several of Wellington's campaigns of the Peninsular War. Though not yet 20, the young prince, according to the customs of the time, was made lieutenant colonel on 11 June 1811^[4] and colonel on 21 October that year.^[5] On 8 September 1812 he was made an aide-de-camp to the Prince Regent^[6] and on 14 December 1813 promoted to major-general.^[7] His courage and good nature made him very popular with the British, who nicknamed him "Slender Billy". He returned to the Netherlands in 1813 when his father became sovereign prince, and in May 1814 succeeded Sir Thomas Graham as the highest-ranking officer of the British forces stationed there.^[8]

On 8 July 1814, he was promoted to lieutenant-general in the British Army,^[9] and on 25 July to general.^[10] As such, he was senior officer of the Allied army in the Low Countries when Napoleon I of France escaped from Elba in 1815. He relinquished command on the arrival of the Duke of Wellington, and, though this was his first real battle, served as commander of the I Allied Corps, first at the Battle of Quatre Bras (16 June 1815) and then at the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815), where he was wounded^[11] in his left shoulder by a musket ball.^[12] He was aged 22. As a sign of gratitude for what the Dutch throne styled "his" victory at Waterloo, William was offered Soestdijk Palace by the Dutch people.^[13]^[14]

Military historian William Siborne blamed many casualties suffered by Coalition forces during the Waterloo campaign to William's inexperience.^[15] In response, Siborne was accused by Lieutenant-General Willem Jan Knoop of misrepresenting William's actions at Waterloo.^[16] An inspection into the archives of Siborne by Dutch officer Francois de Bas in 1897 claimed to discover the "selective use of sources" and "numerous miscounts and untruths".^[17]

Marriage

In 1814, William was briefly engaged to Princess Charlotte of Wales, only child of the Prince Regent (later George IV of the United Kingdom) and his estranged wife, Caroline of Brunswick. The engagement was arranged by the prince regent, but it was broken off because Charlotte's mother was against the marriage and because Charlotte did not want to move to the Netherlands. On 21 February 1816 at the Chapel of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, William married Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia, youngest sister to Tsar Alexander I of Russia, who arranged the marriage to seal the good relations between Imperial Russia and the Netherlands. On 17 February 1817 in Brussels, his first son, William Alexander, the future King William III, was born.

Already in 1819, he was blackmailed over what Minister of Justice Van Maanen termed in a letter his "shameful and unnatural lusts": presumably bisexuality. Separately, his signing the constitutional reform of 1848, enabling a parliamentary democracy, may have been partly influenced by blackmail.^[18] He may also have had a relationship with a dandy by the name of Pereira.^[19]

Belgian Revolution

William II enjoyed considerable popularity in what is now Belgium (then the Southern Netherlands), as well as in parts of the rest of the Netherlands for his affability and moderation, and in 1830, on the outbreak of the Belgian Revolution, he did his utmost in Brussels as a peace broker, to bring about a settlement based on administrative autonomy for the southern provinces, under the House of Orange-Nassau. His father then rejected the terms of accommodation that the son had proposed without further consultation; afterwards, relations with his father were once again tense.

In April 1831, William II was sent by his father to be the military leader during the Ten Days' Campaign in order to recover what would become Belgium. Although initially successful, the Dutch withdrew after French intervention on the side of the rebels. European mediation established Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (widower of William's former fiancée, Charlotte) on the throne of a new monarchy. Peace was finally established in 1839 when Belgium was recognized by the Netherlands.^{[citation needed]}

Reign

On 7 October 1840, on his father's abdication, he acceded to the throne as William II. Although he shared his father's conservative inclinations, he did not intervene in governmental affairs nearly as much as his father had. There was increased agitation for broad constitutional reform and a wider electoral franchise. Although William was certainly no democrat, he acted with sense and moderation.

The Revolutions of 1848 broke out all over Europe. In Paris the July Monarchy that had stolen "his" southern provinces fell. Warned that the revolution might spread to the Netherlands next, William decided to institute a more liberal regime, believing it was better to grant reforms instead of having them imposed on him on less favourable terms later. As he later put it, "I changed from conservative to liberal in one night". He chose a committee headed by the prominent liberal Johan Rudolf Thorbecke to create a new constitution.

The new document provided that the Eerste Kamer (Senate), previously appointed by the king, would be elected indirectly by the provincial states. The Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives), previously elected by the provincial states, would be elected directly via census suffrage in electoral districts, with the franchise limited to those who paid a certain amount in taxes. Ministers were now fully responsible to the Tweede Kamer. For all intents and purposes, the real power passed to the Tweede Kamer, and the king was now a servant of government rather than its master. That constitution of 1848, amended numerous times (most notably by the replacement of census suffrage by universal manhood suffrage and districts with nationwide party-list proportional representation, both in 1917) is still in effect today.

He swore in his first and only cabinet under the terms of the new constitution a few months before his sudden death in Tilburg, North Brabant (1849).

In fiction

He is a recurring character in the historical novels of Georgette Heyer, most notably in An Infamous Army.

William appears as a character in the historical fiction novel Sharpe's Waterloo by Bernard Cornwell, and its television adaptation, in which he is portrayed by Paul Bettany.

Honours

Netherlands: Grand Cross of the Military William Order, 8 July 1815^[20]
Luxembourg: Founder of the Order of the Oak Crown, 29 December 1841^[21]
Baden:^[22]
- Knight of the House Order of Fidelity, 1841
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Zähringer Lion, 1841
Kingdom of Hanover:
- Knight of the Order of St. George, 1840^[23]
- Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order
Kingdom of Prussia: Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, 17 December 1808^[24]
Russian Empire:^[25]
- Knight of the Order of St. Andrew, 22 June 1814
- Knight of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, 22 June 1814
- Knight of the Order of St. George, 2nd Class, 8 July 1815
Austrian Empire: Commander of the Military Order of Maria Theresa^[26]
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Falcon, 24 June 1838^[27]
Spain: Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, 18 September 1814^[28]
Württemberg: Grand Cross of the Military Merit Order, 1819^[29]

Relationships

William II had a string of relationships with both men and women which led him to be blackmailed.^[30]^[31]^[32]^[33] The homosexual relationships that William II had as crown prince and as king were reported by journalist Eillert Meeter [nl].^[34] The king surrounded himself with male servants whom he could not dismiss because of his 'abominable motive' for hiring them in the first place.^[35] One of his closest friends was the Wallonian aristocrat Albéric du Chastel. William II was blackmailed for the first time for his intimacies with men in 1818. After the Dutch secret police captured the blackmailers they were deported to the Dutch overseas colonies.^[36]

Issue

William II and queen Anna Pavlovna had five children:

William Alexander Paul Frederick Louis (1817–1890), William III, King of the Netherlands (1849 to 1890).
William Alexander Frederick Constantine Nicolas Michael (1818–1848). Nicknamed Sascha. Never married.
William Frederick Henry "the Navigator" (1820–1879). Married firstly Princess Amalia of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and secondly Princess Marie of Prussia, but had no issue.
Prince William Alexander Ernst Frederick Casimir (1822), died in infancy
Wilhelmina Marie Sophie Louise (1824–1897). Married Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, and had issue.

Ancestry

Ancestors of William II of the Netherlands

8. William IV, Prince of Orange

4. William V, Prince of Orange

9. Anne, Princess Royal

2. William I of the Netherlands

10. Prince Augustus William of Prussia

5. Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia

11. Duchess Luise of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

1. William II of the Netherlands

12. Prince Augustus William of Prussia (= 10)

6. Frederick William II of Prussia

13. Duchess Luise of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (= 11)

3. Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia

14. Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

7. Princess Frederica Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt

15. Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken

References

^ "Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek. Deel 1". DBNL (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 September 2017.
^ "Z.M. (koning Willem II) koning Willem Frederik George Lodewijk, koning der Nederlanden, groothertog van Luxemburg, hertog van Limburg, prins van Oranje-Nassau". parlement.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 September 2017.
^ "Willem Frederik George Lodewijk (1792–1849)". scheveningen1813-2013.nl. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
^ "No. 16494". The London Gazette. 11 June 1811. p. 1068.
^ "No. 16533". The London Gazette. 22 October 1811. p. 2033.
^ "No. 16642". The London Gazette. 8 September 1812. p. 1812.
^ "No. 16824". The London Gazette. 14 December 1813. p. 2528.
^ Andrew Bamford (2014). "The British Army in the Low Countries, 1813–1814" (PDF). The Napoleon Series. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
^ "No. 16915". The London Gazette. 9 July 1814. p. 1393.
^ "No. 16924". The London Gazette. 9 August 1814. p. 1609.
^ Hofschröer, Peter, 1815, The Waterloo Campaign, The German Victory pp. 137, 200.
^ "William, Prince of Orange, wounded at the Battle of Waterloo, 1815 | Online Collection | National Army Museum, London". collection.nam.ac.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
^ "Willem II, Koning (1792-1849)". Het Koninklijk Huis (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 24 August 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
^ "Geschiedenis van het Paleis Soestdijk". Paleis Soestdijk (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
^ Siborne, William. "History of the War in France and Belgium in 1815", 1844
^ Knoop, Willem Jan. "Beschouwingen over Siborne’s Geschiedenis van den Oorlog van 1815", 1846
^ Historisch Nieuwsblad, June 2015: "Willem II en de Slag bij Waterloo – 1815"
^ Jaeger, Toef (29 November 2013). "Koning Willem II gechanteerd wegens homoseksualiteit". NRC.
^ Hermans, Dorine and Hooghiemstra, Daniela: Voor de troon wordt men niet ongestrafd geboren, ooggetuigen van de koningen van Nederland 1830–1890, ISBN 978-9035131149, 2007.
^ "Militaire Willems-Orde: Oranje-Nassau, Willem Frederik George Lodewijk, Prins van" [Military William Order: Orange-Nassau, William Frederick George Louis, Prince of]. Ministerie van Defensie (in Dutch). 8 July 1815. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
^ Mémorial A n° 1 du 03.01.1842, Arrêté royal grand-ducal du 29 décembre 1841, Litt. A, portant institution, pour le Grand-Duché du Luxembourg d'un Ordre de la Couronne de Chêne. (Foundation of the Order)
^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1845), "Großherzogliche Orden" pp. 32, 48
^ Hof- und Staatshandbuch für das Königreich Hannover: 1846. Berenberg. 1846. p. 36.
^ Liste der Ritter des Königlich Preußischen Hohen Ordens vom Schwarzen Adler (1851), "Von Seiner Majestät dem Könige Friedrich Wilhelm III. ernannte Ritter" p. 16
^ Almanach de la cour: pour l'année ... 1817. l'Académie Imp. des Sciences. 1817. pp. 63, 78, 91.
^ "Ritter-Orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Österreichischen Kaiserthumes, 1847, p. 11, retrieved 28 July 2020
^ Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1843), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 8 Archived 6 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine
^ Guerra, Francisco (1819), "Caballeros Existentes en la Insignie Orden del Toison de Oro", Calendario Manual y Guía de Forasteros en Madrid (in Spanish): 42, retrieved 17 March 2020
^ Staatshandbuch für Württemberg. Guttenberg. 1833. p. 35.
^ "Intense Male Friendships Made King Willem II Liable to Blackmail". gay-news.com. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
^ Jeroen van, Zanten (2013). Koning Willem II: 1792–1849. Vol. dl. 2. Amsterdam: Gay News. ISBN 978-9461051851. OCLC 864666575.
^ "Willem II: intelligent, chantabel en in de knel". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 September 2017.
^ "Boeken: Jeroen van Zanten, Koning Willem II (1792–1849)". Historisch Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 September 2017.
^ Meeter, E. (1857). Holland: its institutions, its press, kings and prisons.
^ Meeter, E. (1857). Holland: its institutions, its press, kings and prisons. pp. 320.
^ Jeroen van Zanten, Koning Willem II: 1792-1849, p. 274.

External links

Edmundson, George (1911). "William II., King of the Netherlands" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). p. 670.
Media related to William II of the Netherlands at Wikimedia Commons

Regnal titles
William II of the Netherlands House of Orange-Nassau Cadet branch of the House of Nassau Born: 6 December 1792 Died: 17 March 1849
Preceded by William I	King of the Netherlands Grand Duke of Luxembourg Duke of Limburg 1840–1849	Succeeded by William III
Dutch royalty
Preceded by William (I)	Prince of Orange 1815–1840	Succeeded by William (III)

[1] "Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek. Deel 1". DBNL (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 September 2017.

[2] "Z.M. (koning Willem II) koning Willem Frederik George Lodewijk, koning der Nederlanden, groothertog van Luxemburg, hertog van Limburg, prins van Oranje-Nassau". parlement.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 September 2017.

[3] "Willem Frederik George Lodewijk (1792–1849)". scheveningen1813-2013.nl. Retrieved 1 September 2017.

[4] "No. 16494". The London Gazette. 11 June 1811. p. 1068.

[5] "No. 16533". The London Gazette. 22 October 1811. p. 2033.

[6] "No. 16642". The London Gazette. 8 September 1812. p. 1812.

[7] "No. 16824". The London Gazette. 14 December 1813. p. 2528.

[8] Andrew Bamford (2014). "The British Army in the Low Countries, 1813–1814" (PDF). The Napoleon Series. Retrieved 16 August 2015.

[9] "No. 16915". The London Gazette. 9 July 1814. p. 1393.

[10] "No. 16924". The London Gazette. 9 August 1814. p. 1609.

[11] Hofschröer, Peter, 1815, The Waterloo Campaign, The German Victory pp. 137, 200.

[12] "William, Prince of Orange, wounded at the Battle of Waterloo, 1815 | Online Collection | National Army Museum, London". collection.nam.ac.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2022.

[13] "Willem II, Koning (1792-1849)". Het Koninklijk Huis (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 24 August 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.

[14] "Geschiedenis van het Paleis Soestdijk". Paleis Soestdijk (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2015.

[15] Siborne, William. "History of the War in France and Belgium in 1815", 1844

[16] Knoop, Willem Jan. "Beschouwingen over Siborne’s Geschiedenis van den Oorlog van 1815", 1846

[17] Historisch Nieuwsblad, June 2015: "Willem II en de Slag bij Waterloo – 1815"

[18] Jaeger, Toef (29 November 2013). "Koning Willem II gechanteerd wegens homoseksualiteit". NRC.

[19] Hermans, Dorine and Hooghiemstra, Daniela: Voor de troon wordt men niet ongestrafd geboren, ooggetuigen van de koningen van Nederland 1830–1890, ISBN 978-9035131149, 2007.

[Military_William_Order01-20] "Militaire Willems-Orde: Oranje-Nassau, Willem Frederik George Lodewijk, Prins van" [Military William Order: Orange-Nassau, William Frederick George Louis, Prince of]. Ministerie van Defensie (in Dutch). 8 July 1815. Retrieved 3 May 2020.

[21] Mémorial A n° 1 du 03.01.1842, Arrêté royal grand-ducal du 29 décembre 1841, Litt. A, portant institution, pour le Grand-Duché du Luxembourg d'un Ordre de la Couronne de Chêne. (Foundation of the Order)

[22] Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1845), "Großherzogliche Orden" pp. 32, 48

[23] Hof- und Staatshandbuch für das Königreich Hannover: 1846. Berenberg. 1846. p. 36.

[24] Liste der Ritter des Königlich Preußischen Hohen Ordens vom Schwarzen Adler (1851), "Von Seiner Majestät dem Könige Friedrich Wilhelm III. ernannte Ritter" p. 16

[25] Almanach de la cour: pour l'année ... 1817. l'Académie Imp. des Sciences. 1817. pp. 63, 78, 91.

[Handbuch1847i-26] "Ritter-Orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Österreichischen Kaiserthumes, 1847, p. 11, retrieved 28 July 2020

[27] Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1843), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 8 Archived 6 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine

[28] Guerra, Francisco (1819), "Caballeros Existentes en la Insignie Orden del Toison de Oro", Calendario Manual y Guía de Forasteros en Madrid (in Spanish): 42, retrieved 17 March 2020

[29] Staatshandbuch für Württemberg. Guttenberg. 1833. p. 35.

[30] "Intense Male Friendships Made King Willem II Liable to Blackmail". gay-news.com. Retrieved 1 September 2017.

[31] Jeroen van, Zanten (2013). Koning Willem II: 1792–1849. Vol. dl. 2. Amsterdam: Gay News. ISBN 978-9461051851. OCLC 864666575.

[32] "Willem II: intelligent, chantabel en in de knel". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 September 2017.

[33] "Boeken: Jeroen van Zanten, Koning Willem II (1792–1849)". Historisch Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 September 2017.

[34] Meeter, E. (1857). Holland: its institutions, its press, kings and prisons.

[35] Meeter, E. (1857). Holland: its institutions, its press, kings and prisons. pp. 320.

[36] Jeroen van Zanten, Koning Willem II: 1792-1849, p. 274.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Short description|King of the Netherlands from 1840 to 1849}}
-{{distinguish|William II of Scotland|William II, Prince of Orange|William II of Holland}}
-{{for multi|other people named William II|William II (disambiguation)|other people named William of Orange|William of Orange (disambiguation)}}
-{{More citations needed|date=April 2010}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
 {{Infobox royalty
 | name         = William II
-| image        = Willem II (1792-1849), Koning der Nederlanden, objectnr SA 1771 (cropped).tif
+| image        = King Willem II.jpg
-| caption      = 1842 portrait by [[Jan Adam Kruseman]]
+| caption      = Portrait by [[Nicolaas Pieneman]], {{circa|1849}}
 | succession   = {{plainlist|
 *[[King of the Netherlands]]
@@ Line 32: / Line 29: @@
 | death_place  = [[Tilburg]], Netherlands
 | religion     = [[Dutch Reformed Church]]
+| signature    = Signature of William II of the Netherlands (1848).svg
+| module       = {{Infobox officeholder
+| embed = yes
+| battles={{tree list}} (incomplete)
+* [[Napoleonic Wars]]
+** [[Peninsular War]]
+*** [[Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1812)|Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo]]
+*** [[Second Siege of Badajoz (1811)|2nd Siege of Badajoz]]
+*** [[Siege of Badajoz (1812)|3rd Siege of Badajoz]]
+*** [[Battle of Salamanca]]
+*** [[Battle of San Millan-Osma]]
+*** [[Battle of Vitoria]]
+*** [[Siege of Pamplona (1813)|Siege of Pamplona]]
+*** [[Siege of San Sebastián]]
+*** [[Battle of the Pyrenees]]
+** [[War of the Sixth Coalition]]
+** [[Hundred Days]]
+*** [[Battle of Quatre Bras]]
+*** [[Battle of Waterloo]]
+* [[Belgian Revolution]]
+** [[Assault on Brussels]]
+** [[Ten Days Campaign]]
+*** [[Battle of Ravels]]
+*** [[Battle of Turnhout (1831)|Battle of Turnhout]]
+*** [[Battle of Houthalen]]
+*** [[Battle of Hasselt]]
+*** [[Battle of Leuven (1831)|Battle of Leuven]]
+{{tree list/end}}
+}}
 }}
-'''William II''' ({{lang-nl|Willem Frederik George Lodewijk}}, [[anglicized]] as '''William Frederick George Louis'''; 6 December 1792 – 17 March 1849) was [[King of the Netherlands]], [[List of monarchs of Luxembourg|Grand Duke of Luxembourg]], and [[Duchy of Limburg (1839-1866)|Duke of Limburg]].
+'''William II''' ({{lang-nl|Willem Frederik George Lodewijk}}; English: William Frederick George Louis; 6 December 1792 – 17 March 1849) was [[King of the Netherlands]], [[List of monarchs of Luxembourg|Grand Duke of Luxembourg]], and [[Duchy of Limburg (1839-1866)|Duke of Limburg]].
-William II was the son of [[William I of the Netherlands|William I]] and [[Wilhelmine of Prussia (1774-1837)|Wilhelmine of Prussia]]. When his father, who up to that time ruled as sovereign prince, proclaimed himself king in 1815, he became [[Prince of Orange]] as heir apparent of the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]]. With the abdication of his father on 7 October 1840, William II became king. During his reign, the Netherlands became a [[parliamentary democracy]] with the new [[Constitution of the Netherlands|constitution]] of 1848.
+William II was the son of [[William I of the Netherlands|William I]] and [[Wilhelmine of Prussia (1774-1837)|Wilhelmine of Prussia]]. When his father, who up to that time ruled as [[Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands|sovereign prince]], proclaimed himself king in 1815, he became [[Prince of Orange]] as heir apparent of the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands]]. With the abdication of his father on 7 October 1840, William II became king. During his reign, the Netherlands became a [[parliamentary democracy]] with the new [[Constitution of the Netherlands|constitution]] of 1848.
 William II was married to [[Anna Pavlovna of Russia]]. They had four sons and one daughter. William II died on 17 March 1849 and was succeeded by his son [[William III of the Netherlands|William III]].
 == Early life and education ==
-Willem Frederik George Lodewijk was born on 6 December 1792 in [[The Hague]]. He was the eldest son of King [[William I of the Netherlands]] and [[Wilhelmine of Prussia (1774-1837)|Wilhelmine of Prussia]]. His maternal grandparents were King [[Frederick William II of Prussia]] and his second wife [[Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt]].
+Willem Frederik George Lodewijk was born on 6 December 1792 in [[The Hague]]. He was the eldest son of the then Prince [[William I of the Netherlands|William]] and [[Wilhelmine of Prussia (1774-1837)|Wilhelmine of Prussia]]. His maternal grandparents were King [[Frederick William II of Prussia]] and his second wife [[Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt]].
-When William was two, he and his family fled to England after allied British-Hanoverian troops left the Republic and entering French troops defeated the army of the United Provinces, claiming liberation by joining the anti-Orangist [[Patriottentijd|Patriots]]. William spent his youth in [[Berlin]] at the [[Prussia]]n court, where he followed a military education and served in the [[Prussian Army]]. After this, he studied civil law at [[Christ Church, Oxford|Christ Church]], [[University of Oxford]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/molh003nieu01_01/molh003nieu01_01_2266.php|title=Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek. Deel 1 |website=DBNL|language=nl|access-date=2017-09-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.parlement.com/id/vg09llxqm0r5/koning_willem_ii_koning_willem_frederik|title=Z.M. (koning Willem II) koning Willem Frederik George Lodewijk, koning der Nederlanden, groothertog van Luxemburg, hertog van Limburg, prins van Oranje-Nassau|website=parlement.com|language=nl|access-date=2017-09-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.scheveningen1813-2013.nl/ballingschaporanjes/7frederik/1-9/4lodewijk/index.html|title=Willem Frederik George Lodewijk (1792–1849)|website=scheveningen1813-2013.nl|access-date=2017-09-01}}</ref>
+When William was two, he and his family fled to England after allied British-Hanoverian troops left the republic and entering French troops defeated the army of the [[Dutch Republic|United Provinces]], claiming liberation by joining the anti-Orangist [[Patriottentijd|Patriots]]. William spent his youth in [[Berlin]] at the [[Prussia]]n court, where he followed a military education and served in the [[Prussian Army]]. After this, he studied civil law at [[Christ Church, Oxford|Christ Church]], [[University of Oxford]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/molh003nieu01_01/molh003nieu01_01_2266.php|title=Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek. Deel 1 |website=DBNL|language=nl|access-date=2017-09-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.parlement.com/id/vg09llxqm0r5/koning_willem_ii_koning_willem_frederik|title=Z.M. (koning Willem II) koning Willem Frederik George Lodewijk, koning der Nederlanden, groothertog van Luxemburg, hertog van Limburg, prins van Oranje-Nassau|website=parlement.com|language=nl|access-date=2017-09-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.scheveningen1813-2013.nl/ballingschaporanjes/7frederik/1-9/4lodewijk/index.html|title=Willem Frederik George Lodewijk (1792–1849)|website=scheveningen1813-2013.nl|access-date=2017-09-01}}</ref>
 == Military service ==
 [[File:Nicaise de Keyser (1813-87) - William II (1792-1849), King of the Netherlands, when Prince of Orange - RCIN 405151 - Royal Collection.jpg|thumb|left|upright|William II at the [[Battle of Waterloo]], by [[Nicaise de Keyser]], 1846.]]
-He entered the [[British Army]], and in 1811, as a 19-year-old [[aide-de-camp]] in the headquarters of [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington]], was allowed to observe several of Wellington's campaigns of the [[Peninsular War]]. Though not yet 20, the young prince, according to the customs of the time, was made [[Lieutenant Colonel (United Kingdom)|lieutenant colonel]] on 11 June 1811<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16494|page=1068|date=11 June 1811}}</ref> and [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|colonel]] on 21 October that year.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16533|page=2033|date=22 October 1811}}</ref> On 8 September 1812 he was made an [[aide-de-camp]] to the [[George IV of the United Kingdom|Prince Regent]]<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16642|page=1812|date=8 September 1812}}</ref> and on 14 December 1813 promoted to [[Major-General (United Kingdom)|major-general]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16824|page=2528|date=14 December 1813}}</ref> His courage and good nature made him very popular with the British, who nicknamed him "Slender Billy". He returned to the [[Netherlands]] in 1813 when his father became sovereign prince, and in May 1814 succeeded [[Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch|Sir Thomas Graham]] as the highest-ranking officer of the British forces stationed there.<ref>{{cite web|author=Andrew Bamford|url=http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/1814/c_lowcountries1814.pdf|title=The British Army in the Low Countries, 1813–1814|date=2014|website=The Napoleon Series|access-date=16 August 2015}}</ref>
+He entered the [[British Army]], and in 1811, as a 19-year-old [[aide-de-camp]] in the headquarters of [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington]], was allowed to observe several of Wellington's campaigns of the [[Peninsular War]]. Though not yet 20, the young prince, according to the customs of the time, was made [[Lieutenant Colonel (United Kingdom)|lieutenant colonel]] on 11 June 1811<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16494|page=1068|date=11 June 1811}}</ref> and [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|colonel]] on 21 October that year.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16533|page=2033|date=22 October 1811}}</ref> On 8 September 1812 he was made an [[aide-de-camp]] to the [[George IV of the United Kingdom|Prince Regent]]<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16642|page=1812|date=8 September 1812}}</ref> and on 14 December 1813 promoted to [[Major-General (United Kingdom)|major-general]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16824|page=2528|date=14 December 1813}}</ref> His courage and good nature made him very popular with the British, who nicknamed him "Slender Billy". He returned to the [[Netherlands]] in 1813 when his father became sovereign prince, and in May 1814 succeeded Sir [[Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch|Thomas Graham]] as the highest-ranking officer of the British forces stationed there.<ref>{{cite web|author=Andrew Bamford|url=http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/1814/c_lowcountries1814.pdf|title=The British Army in the Low Countries, 1813–1814|date=2014|website=The Napoleon Series|access-date=16 August 2015}}</ref>
-On 8 July 1814, he was promoted to [[lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|lieutenant-general]] in the British Army,<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=16915|page=1393|date=9 July 1814}}</ref> and on 25 July to [[general (United Kingdom)|general]].<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=16924|page=1609|date=9 August 1814}}</ref> As such, he was senior officer of the Allied army in the [[Low Countries]] when [[Napoleon I of France]] escaped from [[Elba]] in 1815. He relinquished command on the arrival of the Duke of Wellington, and, though this was his first real battle, served as commander of the [[Order of battle of the Waterloo Campaign#I Corps 2|I Allied Corps]], first at the [[Battle of Quatre Bras]] (16 June 1815) and then at the [[Battle of Waterloo]] (18 June 1815), where he was wounded<ref>Hofschröer, Peter, ''1815, The Waterloo Campaign, The German Victory'' pp. 137, 200.</ref> in his left shoulder by a musket ball.<ref>{{Cite web|title=William, Prince of Orange, wounded at the Battle of Waterloo, 1815 {{!}} Online Collection {{!}} National Army Museum, London|url=https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?q=searchType=simple&simpleText=peninsular&themeID=&resultsDisplay=grid&page=10&pos=184&total=505&acc=1971-02-33-430-1|access-date=2022-02-14|website=collection.nam.ac.uk}}</ref> He was aged 22. As a sign of gratitude for what the Dutch throne styled "his" victory at Waterloo, William was offered [[Soestdijk Palace]] by the Dutch people.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/encyclopedie/geschiedenis/koningen-en-koninginnen/willem-ii-koning-(1792-1849)/ |title=Willem II, Koning (1792-1849) |website=Het Koninklijk Huis |language=nl |access-date=15 December 2014 |archive-date=24 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824102128/https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/encyclopedie/geschiedenis/koningen-en-koninginnen/willem-ii-koning-(1792-1849)/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.paleissoestdijk.nl/het-paleis/geschiedenis-van-paleis-soestdijk.html|title=Geschiedenis van het Paleis Soestdijk|website=Paleis Soestdijk|language=nl|access-date=16 June 2015|archive-date=10 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210123327/https://www.paleissoestdijk.nl/het-paleis/geschiedenis-van-paleis-soestdijk.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
+On 8 July 1814, he was promoted to [[lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|lieutenant-general]] in the British Army,<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=16915|page=1393|date=9 July 1814}}</ref> and on 25 July to [[general (United Kingdom)|general]].<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=16924|page=1609|date=9 August 1814}}</ref> As such, he was senior officer of the Allied army in the [[Low Countries]] when [[Napoleon]] I of France escaped from [[Elba]] in 1815. He relinquished command on the arrival of the Duke of Wellington, and, though this was his first real battle, served as commander of the [[Order of battle of the Waterloo Campaign#I Corps 2|I Allied Corps]], first at the [[Battle of Quatre Bras]] (16 June 1815) and then at the [[Battle of Waterloo]] (18 June 1815), where he was wounded<ref>Hofschröer, Peter, ''1815, The Waterloo Campaign, The German Victory'' pp. 137, 200.</ref> in his left shoulder by a musket ball.<ref>{{Cite web|title=William, Prince of Orange, wounded at the Battle of Waterloo, 1815 {{!}} Online Collection {{!}} National Army Museum, London|url=https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?q=searchType=simple&simpleText=peninsular&themeID=&resultsDisplay=grid&page=10&pos=184&total=505&acc=1971-02-33-430-1|access-date=2022-02-14|website=collection.nam.ac.uk}}</ref> He was aged 22. As a sign of gratitude for what the Dutch throne styled "his" victory at Waterloo, William was offered [[Soestdijk Palace]] by the Dutch people.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/encyclopedie/geschiedenis/koningen-en-koninginnen/willem-ii-koning-(1792-1849)/ |title=Willem II, Koning (1792-1849) |website=Het Koninklijk Huis |language=nl |access-date=15 December 2014 |archive-date=24 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824102128/https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/encyclopedie/geschiedenis/koningen-en-koninginnen/willem-ii-koning-(1792-1849)/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.paleissoestdijk.nl/het-paleis/geschiedenis-van-paleis-soestdijk.html|title=Geschiedenis van het Paleis Soestdijk|website=Paleis Soestdijk|language=nl|access-date=16 June 2015|archive-date=10 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210123327/https://www.paleissoestdijk.nl/het-paleis/geschiedenis-van-paleis-soestdijk.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
-Military historian [[William Siborne]] blamed many casualties suffered by Coalition forces during the Waterloo Campaign to William's inexperience.<ref>Siborne, William. "History of the War in France and Belgium in 1815", 1844</ref> In response, Siborne was accused by Lieutenant-General [[Willem Jan Knoop]] of misrepresenting William's actions at Waterloo.<ref>Knoop, Willem Jan. "Beschouwingen over Siborne’s Geschiedenis van den Oorlog van 1815", 1846</ref> An inspection into the archives of Siborne by Dutch officer [[Francois de Bas]] in 1897 claimed to discover the "selective use of sources" and "numerous miscounts and untruths".<ref>Historisch Nieuwsblad, June 2015:  ''"[https://www.historischnieuwsblad.nl/nl/artikel/43323/willem-ii-en-de-slag-bij-waterloo-1815.html Willem II en de Slag bij Waterloo – 1815]''"</ref>
+Military historian [[William Siborne]] blamed many casualties suffered by Coalition forces during the [[Waterloo campaign]] to William's inexperience.<ref>Siborne, William. "History of the War in France and Belgium in 1815", 1844</ref> In response, Siborne was accused by Lieutenant-General [[Willem Jan Knoop]] of misrepresenting William's actions at Waterloo.<ref>Knoop, Willem Jan. "Beschouwingen over Siborne’s Geschiedenis van den Oorlog van 1815", 1846</ref> An inspection into the archives of Siborne by Dutch officer [[Francois de Bas]] in 1897 claimed to discover the "selective use of sources" and "numerous miscounts and untruths".<ref>Historisch Nieuwsblad, June 2015:  ''"[https://www.historischnieuwsblad.nl/nl/artikel/43323/willem-ii-en-de-slag-bij-waterloo-1815.html Willem II en de Slag bij Waterloo – 1815]''"</ref>
 == Marriage ==
-[[File:Willem II anna paulowna.jpg|thumb|upright|''Portrait of William II and [[Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia|Anna Pavlovna]]'' (1816) by [[Jan Willem Pieneman]]]]
+[[File:Willem II anna paulowna.jpg|thumb|left|upright|''Portrait of William II and [[Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia|Anna Pavlovna]]'' (1816) by [[Jan Willem Pieneman]]]]
-In 1814, William was briefly engaged to [[Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796–1817)|Princess Charlotte of Wales]], only child of the Prince Regent (later [[George IV of the United Kingdom]]) and his estranged wife, [[Caroline of Brunswick]]. The engagement was arranged by the Prince Regent, but it was broken off because Charlotte's mother was against the marriage and because Charlotte did not want to move to the Netherlands. On 21 February 1816 at the Chapel of the [[Winter Palace]] in [[St. Petersburg]], William married [[Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia]], youngest sister to Czar [[Alexander I of Russia]], who arranged the marriage to seal the good relations between [[Russian history, 1796-1855|Imperial Russia]] and the Netherlands. On 17 February 1817 in [[Brussels]], his first son, Willem Alexander, the future [[William III of the Netherlands|King William III]], was born.
+In 1814, William was briefly engaged to Princess [[Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796–1817)|Charlotte of Wales]], only child of the Prince Regent (later [[George IV]] of the United Kingdom) and his estranged wife, [[Caroline of Brunswick]]. The engagement was arranged by the prince regent, but it was broken off because Charlotte's mother was against the marriage and because Charlotte did not want to move to the Netherlands. On 21 February 1816 at the Chapel of the [[Winter Palace]] in [[St. Petersburg]], William married [[Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia]], youngest sister to Tsar [[Alexander I of Russia]], who arranged the marriage to seal the good relations between [[Russian history, 1796-1855|Imperial Russia]] and the Netherlands. On 17 February 1817 in [[Brussels]], his first son, William Alexander, the future King [[William III of the Netherlands|William III]], was born.
 Already in 1819, he was [[blackmail]]ed over what [[Minister of Justice]] [[Cornelis Felix van Maanen|Van Maanen]] termed in a letter his "shameful and unnatural lusts": presumably [[bisexuality]]. Separately, his signing the [[Constitutional Reform of 1848|constitutional reform of 1848]], enabling a parliamentary democracy, may have been partly influenced by blackmail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2013/11/29/koning-willem-ii-werd-gechanteerd-vanwege-homoseksualiteit|title=Koning Willem II gechanteerd wegens homoseksualiteit|newspaper=NRC |date=29 November 2013 |last1=Jaeger |first1=Toef }}</ref> He may also have had a relationship with a [[dandy]] by the name of Pereira.<ref>Hermans, Dorine and Hooghiemstra, Daniela: ''Voor de troon wordt men niet ongestrafd geboren, ooggetuigen van de koningen van Nederland 1830–1890'',  {{ISBN|978-9035131149}}, 2007.</ref>
@@ Line 63: / Line 89: @@
 [[File:De Slag bij Bautersem, gedurende de Tiendaagse Veldtocht De slag bij Bautersem, SK-A-3913.jpg|thumb|The Prince of Orange at the [[Ten Days' Campaign]], by [[Nicolaas Pieneman]]]]
-William II enjoyed considerable popularity in what is now [[Belgium]] (then the Southern Netherlands), as well as in parts of the rest of the Netherlands for his affability and moderation, and in 1830, on the outbreak of the [[Belgian revolution]], he did his utmost in Brussels as a peace broker, to bring about a settlement based on administrative autonomy for the southern provinces, under the [[House of Orange-Nassau]]. His father then rejected the terms of accommodation that the son had proposed without further consultation; afterwards, relations with his father were once again tense.
+William II enjoyed considerable popularity in what is now [[Belgium]] (then the Southern Netherlands), as well as in parts of the rest of the Netherlands for his affability and moderation, and in 1830, on the outbreak of the [[Belgian Revolution]], he did his utmost in Brussels as a peace broker, to bring about a settlement based on administrative autonomy for the southern provinces, under the [[House of Orange-Nassau]]. His father then rejected the terms of accommodation that the son had proposed without further consultation; afterwards, relations with his father were once again tense.
-In April 1831, William II was sent by his father to be the military leader during the [[Ten Days' Campaign]] in order to recover what would become Belgium. Although initially successful, the Dutch withdrew after French intervention on the side of the rebels. European mediation established [[Leopold I of Belgium|Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]] (widower of William's former fiancée, Charlotte) on the throne of a new monarchy. Peace was finally established in 1839 when Belgium was recognized by the Netherlands.
+In April 1831, William II was sent by his father to be the military leader during the [[Ten Days' Campaign]] in order to recover what would become Belgium. Although initially successful, the Dutch withdrew after French intervention on the side of the rebels. European mediation established [[Leopold I of Belgium|Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]] (widower of William's former fiancée, Charlotte) on the throne of a new monarchy. Peace was finally established in 1839 when Belgium was recognized by the Netherlands.{{cn|date=November 2023}}
 == Reign ==
-[[File:De inhuldiging van koning Willem II in de Nieuwe Kerk te Amsterdam, 28 november 1840 Rijksmuseum SK-A-3852.jpeg|thumb|The [[inauguration]] of William II on 28 November 1840, by Nicolaas Pieneman]]
+[[File:De inhuldiging van koning Willem II in de Nieuwe Kerk te Amsterdam, 28 november 1840 Rijksmuseum SK-A-3852.jpeg|thumb|The [[Inauguration of the Dutch monarch|inauguration]] of William II on 28 November 1840, by Nicolaas Pieneman]]
 On 7 October 1840, on his father's abdication, he acceded to the throne as William II. Although he shared his father's conservative inclinations, he did not intervene in governmental affairs nearly as much as his father had. There was increased agitation for broad constitutional reform and a wider electoral franchise. Although William was certainly no democrat, he acted with sense and moderation.
-The [[Revolutions of 1848]] broke out all over [[Europe]]. In [[Paris]] the Bourbon-Orléans monarchy that had stolen "his" southern provinces fell. Warned that the revolution might spread to the Netherlands next, William decided to institute a more liberal regime, believing it was better to grant reforms instead of having them imposed on him on less favourable terms later. As he later put it, "I changed from conservative to liberal in one night". He chose a committee headed by the prominent liberal [[Johan Rudolf Thorbecke]] to create a [[Constitution of the Netherlands|new constitution]].
+The [[Revolutions of 1848]] broke out all over [[Europe]]. In [[Paris]] the [[July Monarchy]] that had stolen "his" southern provinces fell. Warned that the revolution might spread to the Netherlands next, William decided to institute a more liberal regime, believing it was better to grant reforms instead of having them imposed on him on less favourable terms later. As he later put it, "I changed from conservative to liberal in one night". He chose a committee headed by the prominent liberal [[Johan Rudolf Thorbecke]] to create a [[Constitution of the Netherlands|new constitution]].
-The new document provided that the ''Eerste Kamer'' (Senate), previously appointed by the King, would be elected indirectly by the Provincial States.  The ''Tweede Kamer'' (House of Representatives), previously elected by the Provincial States, would be elected directly via [[census suffrage]] in electoral districts, with the franchise limited to those who paid a certain amount in taxes. Ministers were now fully responsible to the Tweede Kamer. For all intents and purposes, the real power passed to the Tweede Kamer, and the king was now a servant of government rather than its master. That constitution of 1848, amended numerous times (most notably by the replacement of census suffrage by [[universal suffrage|universal manhood suffrage]] and districts with nationwide party-list [[proportional representation]], both in 1917) is still in effect today.
+The new document provided that the ''[[Senate (Netherlands)|Eerste Kamer]]'' (Senate), previously appointed by the king, would be elected indirectly by the provincial states.  The ''[[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|Tweede Kamer]]'' (House of Representatives), previously elected by the provincial states, would be elected directly via [[census suffrage]] in electoral districts, with the franchise limited to those who paid a certain amount in taxes. Ministers were now fully responsible to the Tweede Kamer. For all intents and purposes, the real power passed to the Tweede Kamer, and the king was now a servant of government rather than its master. That constitution of 1848, amended numerous times (most notably by the replacement of census suffrage by [[universal suffrage|universal manhood suffrage]] and districts with nationwide party-list [[proportional representation]], both in 1917) is still in effect today.
 He swore in his first and only cabinet under the terms of the new constitution a few months before his sudden death in [[Tilburg]], [[North Brabant]] (1849).
 == In fiction ==
-He is a recurring character in the historical novels of [[Georgette Heyer]], most notably in ''An Infamous Army''.
+He is a recurring character in the historical novels of [[Georgette Heyer]], most notably in ''[[An Infamous Army]]''.
 William appears as a character in the [[historical fiction]] novel ''[[Sharpe's Waterloo (novel)|Sharpe's Waterloo]]'' by [[Bernard Cornwell]], and its [[Sharpe's Waterloo (TV programme)|television adaptation]], in which he is portrayed by [[Paul Bettany]].
@@ Line 100: / Line 126: @@
 ** Knight of the [[Order of St. George]], 2nd Class, ''8 July 1815''
 * {{flag|Austrian Empire}}: Commander of the [[Military Order of Maria Theresa]]<ref name="Handbuch1847i">{{citation|chapter-url=http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1847&size=45&page=141|chapter=Ritter-Orden|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Österreichischen Kaiserthumes|date=1847|access-date=28 July 2020|page=[http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1847&page=145&size=45 11]}}</ref>
-* {{flag|Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}: Grand Cross of the [[Order of the White Falcon]], ''24 June 1838''<ref>''Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach'' (1843), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" [https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00183829/Staatshandbuch_Film_Nr_12_0017.tif p. 8]</ref>
+* {{flag|Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}: Grand Cross of the [[Order of the White Falcon]], ''24 June 1838''<ref>''Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach'' (1843), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" [https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00183829/Staatshandbuch_Film_Nr_12_0017.tif p. 8] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706122254/https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00183829/Staatshandbuch_Film_Nr_12_0017.tif |date=6 July 2020 }}</ref>
 * {{flag|Spain|1785}}: [[Knight]] of the [[Order of the Golden Fleece]], ''18 September 1814''<ref>{{citation |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=ucm.5325545189&view=1up&seq=44|title=Caballeros Existentes en la Insignie Orden del Toison de Oro|date=1819|journal=Calendario Manual y Guía de Forasteros en Madrid|access-date=17 March 2020|page=42|language=es|last1=Guerra|first1=Francisco}}</ref>
 * {{flag|Württemberg}}: Grand Cross of the [[Military Merit Order (Württemberg)|Military Merit Order]], ''1819''<ref>{{cite book|title=Staatshandbuch für Württemberg|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_blsAAAAAcAAJ/page/n51/mode/2up|year=1833|page=35|publisher=Guttenberg}}</ref>
@@ Line 142: / Line 168: @@
 == See also ==
-{{portal|Netherlands|Monarchy}}
+{{portal bar|Netherlands|Monarchy|Biography}}
 * [[Orange, New South Wales]], Australian city named for William II by [[Thomas Mitchell (explorer)|Thomas Mitchell]]
 * [[Place Guillaume II]], a square in Luxembourg City
@@ Line 177: / Line 203: @@
 [[Category:1792 births]]
 [[Category:1849 deaths]]
-[[Category:Bisexual men]]
+[[Category:19th-century Dutch LGBT people]]
 [[Category:British Army commanders of the Napoleonic Wars]]
 [[Category:British field marshals]]
 [[Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford]]
-[[Category:19th-century monarchs in Europe]]
+[[Category:19th-century Dutch monarchs]]
 [[Category:Burials in the Royal Crypt at Nieuwe Kerk, Delft]]
 [[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in the Netherlands]]
 [[Category:Dukes of Limburg]]
-[[Category:Dutch bisexual people]]
+[[Category:Dutch bisexual men]]
 [[Category:Dutch military commanders of the Napoleonic Wars]]
-[[Category:Dutch monarchs]]
 [[Category:Dutch members of the Dutch Reformed Church]]
 [[Category:Grand Dukes of Luxembourg]]
@@ Line 195: / Line 220: @@
 [[Category:LGBT heads of state]]
 [[Category:LGBT heads of government]]
+[[Category:LGBT Protestants]]
 [[Category:LGBT royalty]]
 [[Category:Vice-presidents of the Council of State (Netherlands)]]

v t e Monarchs of the Netherlands
Kingdom of Holland (1806–1810)	Louis I Louis II
Kingdom of the Netherlands¹ (1815–present)	William I William II William III Wilhelmina Juliana Beatrix Willem-Alexander
1. See also the Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands (1813-1815) and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1839).

v t e Dutch princes
Generations indicate descent from William I, the first king of the Netherlands.
1st generation	King William II Prince Frederick
2nd generation	King William III Prince Alexander Prince Hendrik Prince Ernest Casimir Prince Willem Prince Frederik
3rd generation	William, Prince of Orange Prince Maurice Alexander, Prince of Orange Hendrik, Prince Consort ¹
4th generation	Bernhard, Prince Consort ¹
5th generation	Claus, Prince Consort ¹
6th generation	King Willem-Alexander Prince Friso ² Prince Constantijn Prince Carlos³ Prince Jaime³ Prince Maurits ⁴ Prince Bernhard ⁴ Prince Pieter-Christiaan ⁴ Prince Floris ⁴
7th generation	Prince Hugo³
¹ title granted by Royal Decree to consort of the Queen, without the title "Prince of Orange-Nassau" ² gave up the title "Prince of the Netherlands, but still held the title "Prince of Orange-Nassau" ³ title granted by Royal Decree to descendants of Princess Irene ⁴ only held the title "Prince of Orange-Nassau"

v t e Belgian Revolution and the independence of Belgium (1830–1839)
Belgian Revolution	Belgian Revolution Rattachism Orangism La muette de Portici (August 1830) La Brabançonne (August 1830) Provisional Government of Belgium (September 1830 – February 1831) National Congress of Belgium (November 1830) Constitution of Belgium (February 1831)
First Belgian monarchs	Érasme, Baron Surlet de Chokier (Regent; February 1831 – July 1831) Leopold I (King of the Belgians; July 1831 – December 1865)
Important figures	Charles Niellon Alexandre Dechet (Jenneval) Frédéric de Mérode Juan Van Halen (see also List of members of the National Congress)
Provisional Government	Alexandre Gendebien André Jolly Charles Rogier Louis de Potter Sylvain Van de Weyer Feuillien de Coppin Félix de Mérode Joseph Vanderlinden Emmanuel Van der Linden d'Hooghvorst
de Gerlache Government	Étienne Constantin de Gerlache Charles de Brouckère Alexandre Gendebien Albert Goblet d'Alviella Sylvain Van de Weyer
Lebeau I Government	Joseph Lebeau Étienne de Sauvage Charles de Brouckère Paul Devaux
United Kingdom of the Netherlands	King William I Prince William Ten Days' Campaign (August 1831) Siege of Antwerp (1832)
Treaties	London Conference of 1830 Treaty of the Eighteen Articles (1831) Treaty of London (1839) Treaty of Maastricht (1843) Iron Rhine Treaty (1873)
Monuments and honours	Monument to the Martyrs of the 1830 Revolution Congress Column Civic Guard Merit Medal 1830 Star of Honour Iron Cross 1830 Volunteers' Commemorative Cross

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