William III. (Netherlands)

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King Wilhelm III.

William Alexander Paul Friedrich Ludwig of Orange-Nassau (Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk) (* 19th February 1817 in Brussels ; † 23. November 1890 in Het Loo ) was from 1849 until his death in the Netherlands Royal and Grand Duke of Luxembourg , as well as 1849 to 1867 Duke of Limburg . From October 7, 1840 to March 17, 1849, as Crown Prince, he carried the title of Prince of Orange .

Life

King Wilhelm III. (Painting by Nicolaas Pieneman , 1856)

Wilhelm was born the son of Prince Wilhelm Friedrich Georg Ludwig von Oranien-Nassau, later King Wilhelm II , and his wife Anna Pawlowna , a daughter of Russian Tsar Paul I. He received military training and married his on June 18, 1839 Cousin Sophie von Württemberg , a daughter of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and Katharina Pawlowna (a sister of Anna). They had a very unhappy marriage and Sophie spent a lot of time with her family in Stuttgart . Sophie's family even tried to obtain a divorce in 1851. Although no divorce could be obtained, the spouses lived separately after this attempt. The queen retired to Huis ten Bosch Castle in Hague .

King Wilhelm's first wife Sophie of Württemberg (painting by Franz Xaver Winterhalter )

The liberal constitutional reform of 1848, which massively restricted the king's power, so angered the Crown Prince that he wanted to renounce the succession in favor of his son. Wilhelm II forbade this, however, and when he died in 1849, the Crown Prince succeeded him as Wilhelm III. to the royal and grand ducal dignity. He was a reactionary-conservative prince, but in 1849 felt compelled to appoint the liberal Johan Rudolf Thorbecke as Minister of the Interior. During his first years as king, he tried to regain his power. Later, however, he lost his interest in politics and hardly interfered in state affairs. The slightest interference with his rights, however, could upset him very much. He knew how to postpone a new liberal constitutional reform until 1887.

King Wilhelm led a morally vulnerable life and was also called King Gorilla . He had many children out of wedlock and was even fined in Switzerland for exhibitionism in 1875 . After the death of Sophie (1877), on January 7, 1879, at the age of almost 62, he married Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont , only 20 years old , daughter of Prince Georg Viktor von Waldeck and Pyrmont . The princess had a daughter in 1880: Wilhelmina .

King Wilhelm III. with Queen Emma

Wilhelm died on November 23, 1890. Wilhelmina succeeded him on the Dutch throne under the reign of her mother. Because of the Nassau house contract in force in Luxembourg, however, the grand ducal dignity was transferred to a different line of the Nassau family : There, the former Nassau Duke Adolf I followed him as Grand Duke.

progeny

From her marriage to Sophie came three sons, all of whom died before their father:

A daughter emerged from his marriage to Emma:

William III. had other children besides:

  • Hendricus Bonnekamp (1836-1883)
  • Matje Wetteraouw (1839–1926)
  • Johannes Doncker (1843–?)
  • Matthijs van Gaalen (1852–1890)
  • Johannes Rampen (1852-1919)
  • Dirk van der Ende (1853–1929)
  • Steven Gerrit van der Kreeft (1855-1924)
  • Paulus Hoynck van Papendrecht (1857–1920)
  • Arnold Hoynck van Papendrecht (1860–?)
  • Wilhelmina Dulfen (1863–?)
  • Ernestine (1874–?)

ancestors

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 William V of Orange (1748–1806)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wilhelm I , King of the Netherlands (1772–1843)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wilhelmine of Prussia (1751-1820)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wilhelm II , King of the Netherlands (1792–1849)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Friedrich Wilhelm II. King of Prussia (1744–1797)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wilhelmine of Prussia (1774–1837)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Friederike Luise of Hessen-Darmstadt (1751–1805)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 William III. King of the Netherlands
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Catherine II , Tsarina of Russia (1729–1796)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Paul I , Tsar of Russia (1754–1801)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Peter III , Tsar of Russia (1728–1762)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Anna Pavlovna , Grand Duchess of Russia (1795–1865)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Friedrich Eugen Duke of Württemberg (1732–1797)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Sophie Dorothee of Württemberg (1776–1828)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Friederike Dorothea Sophia of Brandenburg-Schwedt (1736–1798)
 
 
 
 
 
 

gallery

  • Crown Prince Wilhelm (1840–1879)

  • The princes Moritz and Wilhelm 1849

  • Prince Alexander (1851-1884)

literature

  • Jan G. Kikkert: De drie Oranje Koningen. Willem I, Willem II, Willem III. 2nd pressure. Aspect, Soesterberg 2010, ISBN 978-90-5911-910-9 .
  • Dik van der Meulen: King Willem III. 1817-1890 . Boom, Amsterdam 2013, ISBN 978-90-8953-304-3 .

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Horst Lademacher : History of the Netherlands . Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 1983, ISBN 3-534-07082-8 , p. 277.

Web links

Commons : Wilhelm III. (Netherlands)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
predecessor Office successor
Wilhelm II. King of the Netherlands
1849–1890 		Wilhelmina
Wilhelm II. Grand Duke of Luxembourg
1849–1890 		Adolph
personal data
SURNAME William III.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Alexander Paul Friedrich Ludwig of Orange-Nassau (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dutch king
DATE OF BIRTH February 19, 1817
PLACE OF BIRTH Brussels
DATE OF DEATH November 23, 1890
Place of death Het Loo