William IV, Prince of Orange
Encyclopedia
William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau (1 September 1711 – 22 October 1751), born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary
stadtholder
of the Netherlands.
, head of the Frisia
n branch of the House of Orange-Nassau
, and of his wife Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel
(or Hesse-Cassel). He was born six weeks after the death of his father.
William succeeded his father as Stadtholder
of Friesland
and also, under the regency of his mother until 1731, as Stadtholder of Groningen
. In 1722 he was elected Stadtholder of Guelders
.
of the Order of the Garter
. On 25 March 1734 he married at St. James' Palace Anne, Princess Royal
, eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain
and Caroline of Ansbach
. William and Anne had five children:
In April 1747 the French army entered Flanders
. In an effort to quell internal strife amongst the various factions, the States-General of the Netherlands
appointed William to the hereditary position of General Stadtholder of all seven of the United Provinces
. William and his family moved from Leeuwarden to The Hague
. William first met Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg
in 1747, and 2 years later appointed him field marshal of the Dutch States Army
, which later led to his being one of the regents to William's heir. On 4 May 1747 he was confirmed as Hereditary Stattholder of the United Provinces (the Netherlands).
Although he had little experience in state affairs, William was at first popular with the people. He stopped the practice of indirect taxation by which independent contractors managed to make large sums for themselves. Nevertheless, he was also a Director-General of the Dutch East India Company
, and his alliance with the business class deepened while the disparity between rich and poor grew.
William served as General Stadtholder of all the Netherlands until his death in 1751 at The Hague
.
The city of Orangeburg, SC is named after him.
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
Inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
of the Netherlands.
Early life
William was born in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, the son of Johan Willem Friso, Prince of OrangeJohan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange
John William Friso became the titular Prince of Orange in 1702...
, head of the Frisia
Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
n branch of the House of Orange-Nassau
House of Orange-Nassau
The House of Orange-Nassau , a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — since William I of Orange organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years' War...
, and of his wife Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel
Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel
Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel was a daughter of Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Maria Amalia of Courland....
(or Hesse-Cassel). He was born six weeks after the death of his father.
William succeeded his father as Stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
of Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
and also, under the regency of his mother until 1731, as Stadtholder of Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
. In 1722 he was elected Stadtholder of Guelders
Guelders
Guelders or Gueldres is the name of a historical county, later duchy of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries.-Geography:...
.
Marriage and children
In 1733 William was named the 549th KnightKnight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
of the Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
. On 25 March 1734 he married at St. James' Palace Anne, Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange was the second child and eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and his consort, Caroline of Ansbach. She was the spouse of William IV, Prince of Orange, the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands...
, eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
and Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach was the queen consort of King George II of Great Britain.Her father, John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, was the ruler of a small German state...
. William and Anne had five children:
- a stillborn daughter (born 19 December 1736)
- a stillborn daughter (born 22 December 1739)
- Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau (28 February 1743 - 6 May 1787), married Karl Christian of Nassau-Weilburg
- Princess Anna of Orange-Nassau (15 November 1746 - 29 December 1746)
- William V, Prince of OrangeWilliam V, Prince of OrangeWilliam V , Prince of Orange-Nassau was the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and between 1795 and 1806 he led the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile in London. He was succeeded by his son William I...
(1748–1806)
Later life
In 1739 William inherited the estates formerly owned by the Nassau-Dillenburg branch of his family, and in 1743 he inherited those formerly owned by the Nassau-Siegen branch of his family.In April 1747 the French army entered Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. In an effort to quell internal strife amongst the various factions, the States-General of the Netherlands
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
appointed William to the hereditary position of General Stadtholder of all seven of the United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
. William and his family moved from Leeuwarden to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. William first met Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Bevern was a field-marshal in the armies of the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch Republic...
in 1747, and 2 years later appointed him field marshal of the Dutch States Army
Dutch States Army
The Dutch States Army was the army of the Dutch Republic. It was usually called this, because it was formally the army of the States-General of the Netherlands, the sovereign power of that federal republic...
, which later led to his being one of the regents to William's heir. On 4 May 1747 he was confirmed as Hereditary Stattholder of the United Provinces (the Netherlands).
Although he had little experience in state affairs, William was at first popular with the people. He stopped the practice of indirect taxation by which independent contractors managed to make large sums for themselves. Nevertheless, he was also a Director-General of the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
, and his alliance with the business class deepened while the disparity between rich and poor grew.
William served as General Stadtholder of all the Netherlands until his death in 1751 at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
.
The city of Orangeburg, SC is named after him.
Ancestry
External links
- Princely House of Nassau-Dietz and Princely House of Orange
- Royal House of Great-Britain and Royal House of Ireland
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-