William V, Prince of Orange
Encyclopedia
William V , Prince of Orange-Nassau (Willem Batavus; 8 March 1748 – 9 April 1806) 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
. An English historian summed him up uncharitably as " a Prince of the profoundest lethargy and most abysmal stupidity."
, who had the year before been restored as stadtholder of the United Provinces. He was only 3 years old when his father died in 1751, and a long regency began. His regents were:
William was made the 568th Knight
of the Order of the Garter
in 1752.
(chief executive) and Captain-General of the Dutch States Army
in 1766. On 4 October 1767 in Berlin, Prince William married Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia
, the daughter of Augustus William of Prussia
, niece of Frederick the Great and a cousin of George III.
The position of the Dutch during the American War of Independence was one of neutrality
. William V, leading the pro-British faction within the government, blocked attempts by pro-independence, and later pro-French, elements to drag the government to war. However, things came to a head with the Dutch attempt to join the Russian-led League of Armed Neutrality
, leading to the outbreak of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
in 1780. In spite of the fact that Britain was in the midst of fighting several other countries, the ensuing war proved difficult for the Dutch to cope with and the Republic was eventually forced to cede some territory to the British. The United Provinces recognized the United States in February 1782, after much political debate and pressure from American and French diplomats. Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol
and Court Lambertus van Beyma
took the initiative.
After the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1783)
, the impoverished nation grew restless under William's rule. In the meantime, a band of young revolutionaries, called Patriots
, was challenging his authority more and more. In 1785 William left the Hague and removed his court to Guelders
, a province remote from the political centre. In September 1786 he had to send an army to stop Herman Willem Daendels
, organizing an overthrow at the cities' vroedschap
. In June 1787 his energetic wife Wilhelmina tried to travel to the Hague
. Outside Schoonhoven
, she was stopped by militia, taken to a farm near Goejanverwellesluis
and within two days made to return to Nijmegen.
To Wilhelmina and her brother, Frederick William II of Prussia
, this was an insult. Frederick sent in an army to attack the dissidents. Many patriots fled to the North of France, around Saint-Omer
, in an area where Dutch was spoken. Until his overthrow they were supported by King Louis XVI of France
.
against Republican France in 1793. His troops fought in the Flanders Campaign
, but in 1794 the military situation deteriorated and the Dutch Republic was threatened by invading armies. The year 1795 was a disastrous one for the ancien régime of the Netherlands. Supported by the French Army, the revolutionaries returned from Paris to fight in the Netherlands, and in 1795 William V fled to the safety of England. A few days later the Fall of Amsterdam
occurred, and the Dutch Republic
was abolished by the victorious French.
The last of the Dutch stadtholders, he died in exile at Brunswick, now in Germany. His body was moved to the Dutch Royal Family crypt in the Nieuwe Kerk
in Delft
on 29 April 1958.
In 1813, his son, King William I
returned to the Netherlands and became the first Dutch monarch from the House of Orange. (Note that he was not the first King of Holland; that was Louis Bonaparte
(1778–1846), who had reigned from 1806 to 1810.)
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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 Dutch Republic
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...
, and between 1795 and 1806 he led the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile
Government of the Dutch Republic in exile
The Government of the Dutch Republic spent nearly twenty years in exile in London between 1795 and 1814 in opposition successively to the French-backed governments of the Netherlands, initially the Batavian Republic up to 1806 and from then on the Kingdom of Holland. It was led first by the...
in London. He was succeeded by his son William I
William I of the Netherlands
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
. An English historian summed him up uncharitably as " a Prince of the profoundest lethargy and most abysmal stupidity."
Earliest years
He was born in 1748, the only son of William IVWilliam IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
, who had the year before been restored as stadtholder of the United Provinces. He was only 3 years old when his father died in 1751, and a long regency began. His regents were:
- Dowager Princess AnneAnne, Princess Royal and Princess of OrangeAnne, 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...
, his mother, from 1751 to her death in 1759; - Dowager Princess Marie Louise, his grandmother, from 1759 to her death in 1765;
- Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-LüneburgDuke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-LüneburgLouis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Bevern was a field-marshal in the armies of the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch Republic...
, from 1759 to 1766, and kept on as a privy counsellor until October 1784; - Princess CarolinaCarolina of Orange-NassauPrincess Carolina of Orange and Nassau-Dietz, Princess of Nassau-Weilburg was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and Anne, Princess Royal.Her maternal grandparents were King George II of Great Britain and Queen Caroline.-Regent:Princess Carolina was born in...
, his sister (who at the time was an adult aged 22, while he was still a minor at 17), from 1765 to William's majority in 1766.
William was made the 568th Knight
Knight
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...
in 1752.
Stadtholder
William V assumed the position of stadtholderStadtholder
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...
(chief executive) and Captain-General 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...
in 1766. On 4 October 1767 in Berlin, Prince William married Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia
Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange
Wilhelmina of Prussia, born Frederika Sophia Wilhelmina, , was the consort of William V of Orange and also the de facto leader of the dynastic party and contra revolution in the Netherlands...
, the daughter of Augustus William of Prussia
Prince Augustus William of Prussia
Augustus William of Prussia was Prince of Prussia and a brother of Frederick the Great...
, niece of Frederick the Great and a cousin of George III.
The position of the Dutch during the American War of Independence was one of neutrality
Neutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
. William V, leading the pro-British faction within the government, blocked attempts by pro-independence, and later pro-French, elements to drag the government to war. However, things came to a head with the Dutch attempt to join the Russian-led League of Armed Neutrality
First League of Armed Neutrality
The first League of Armed Neutrality was an alliance of European naval powers between 1780 and 1783 which was intended to protect neutral shipping against the British Royal Navy's wartime policy of unlimited search of neutral shipping for French contraband...
, leading to the outbreak of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
The Fourth Anglo–Dutch War was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. The war, tangentially related to the American Revolutionary War, broke out over British and Dutch disagreements on the legality and conduct of Dutch trade with Britain's enemies in that...
in 1780. In spite of the fact that Britain was in the midst of fighting several other countries, the ensuing war proved difficult for the Dutch to cope with and the Republic was eventually forced to cede some territory to the British. The United Provinces recognized the United States in February 1782, after much political debate and pressure from American and French diplomats. Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol
Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol
Joan Derk, Baron van der Capellen tot den Pol was a Dutch nobleman who played a prominent role in the formation of the Batavian Republic and the revolutionary events that preceded its formation...
and Court Lambertus van Beyma
Court Lambertus van Beyma
Coert or Court Lambertus van Beyma was a notary and auctioneer, delegate and representative of the Frisian States, leader of the Frisian patriots, coup leader and in exile in northern France...
took the initiative.
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
, the impoverished nation grew restless under William's rule. In the meantime, a band of young revolutionaries, called Patriots
Patriots (faction)
The Patriots were a political faction in the Dutch Republic in the second half of the 18th century. They were led by Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol, gaining power from November 1782....
, was challenging his authority more and more. In 1785 William left the Hague and removed his court to 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:...
, a province remote from the political centre. In September 1786 he had to send an army to stop Herman Willem Daendels
Herman Willem Daendels
Herman Willem Daendels was a Dutch politician who served as the 36th Governor General of the Dutch East Indies between 1808 and 1811....
, organizing an overthrow at the cities' vroedschap
Vroedschap
The vroedschap was the name for the city council in the early modern Netherlands; the member of such a council was called a vroedman, literally a "wise man"...
. In June 1787 his energetic wife Wilhelmina tried to travel 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...
. Outside Schoonhoven
Schoonhoven
Schoonhoven is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality has a population of 12,195 , and covers an area of 6.96 km²...
, she was stopped by militia, taken to a farm near Goejanverwellesluis
Goejanverwellesluis
The Goejanverwellesluis is a lock in Hekendorp, Netherlands. The 'Goejannen' - the men from the surrounding polders who went to sea - said their last farewells by this channel....
and within two days made to return to Nijmegen.
To Wilhelmina and her brother, Frederick William II of Prussia
Frederick William II of Prussia
Frederick William II was the King of Prussia, reigning from 1786 until his death. He was in personal union the Prince-Elector of Brandenburg and the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel.-Early life:...
, this was an insult. Frederick sent in an army to attack the dissidents. Many patriots fled to the North of France, around Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area....
, in an area where Dutch was spoken. Until his overthrow they were supported by King Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
.
Flight to Britain
With the coming of the French Revolution William V joined the First CoalitionFirst Coalition
The War of the First Coalition was the first major effort of multiple European monarchies to contain Revolutionary France. France declared war on the Habsburg monarchy of Austria on 20 April 1792, and the Kingdom of Prussia joined the Austrian side a few weeks later.These powers initiated a series...
against Republican France in 1793. His troops fought in the Flanders Campaign
Flanders Campaign
This feature refers to the conflict that took place during the Wars of the French Revolution 1792–1801.For the Low Countries campaigns of the War of the Grand Alliance 1688–97 see Nine Years' War...
, but in 1794 the military situation deteriorated and the Dutch Republic was threatened by invading armies. The year 1795 was a disastrous one for the ancien régime of the Netherlands. Supported by the French Army, the revolutionaries returned from Paris to fight in the Netherlands, and in 1795 William V fled to the safety of England. A few days later the Fall of Amsterdam
Fall of Amsterdam
The Batavian Revolution in Amsterdam refers to the transfer of power in the city of Amsterdam on 18 January 1795 to a Revolutionary Committee of the new Batavian Republic. The same day the stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, William V, Prince of Orange fled the country...
occurred, and the Dutch Republic
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...
was abolished by the victorious French.
The last of the Dutch stadtholders, he died in exile at Brunswick, now in Germany. His body was moved to the Dutch Royal Family crypt in the Nieuwe Kerk
Nieuwe Kerk (Delft)
Nieuwe Kerk is a landmark Protestant church in Delft, Netherlands. The building is located on Delft Market Square , opposite to the City Hall . In 1584, William the Silent was entombed here in a mausoleum designed by Hendrick and Pieter de Keyser. Since then members of the House of Orange-Nassau...
in Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
on 29 April 1958.
In 1813, his son, King William I
William I of the Netherlands
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
returned to the Netherlands and became the first Dutch monarch from the House of Orange. (Note that he was not the first King of Holland; that was Louis Bonaparte
Louis Bonaparte
Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, Prince Français, Comte de Saint-Leu , King of Holland , was the fifth surviving child and the fourth surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino...
(1778–1846), who had reigned from 1806 to 1810.)
Children
William V and Wilhelmina of Prussia were parents to five children:- An unnamed son (23–24 March 1769).
- Frederika Luise WilhelminaFrederica Louise Wilhelmina of OrangePrincess Frederica Louise Wilhelmina of Orange-Nassau was a hereditary princess of Brunswick; married 14 October 1790 to Hereditary Prince Charles George August of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel...
(The HagueThe HagueThe 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...
, 28 November 1770 – The HagueThe HagueThe 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...
, 15 October 1819), married in The HagueThe HagueThe 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...
on 14 October 1790 Karl, Hereditary Prince of Braunschweig (London, 8 February 1766 – Antoinettenruh, 20 September 1806), a son of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg and Princess Augusta of Great Britain, without issue. - An unnamed son (born and deceased on 6 August 1771).
- William I, King of the NetherlandsWilliam I of the NetherlandsWilliam I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
(25 August 1772 – 12 December 1843). - Willem Georg Frederik, Prince of Orange-Nassau (The HagueThe HagueThe 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...
, 15 February 1774 – PaduaPaduaPadua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, 6 January 1799), unmarried and without legitimate issue.
Ancestors
| William V, Prince of Orange | Father: William IV, Prince of Orange William IV, Prince of Orange William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:... |
Paternal Grandfather: John William Friso, Prince of Orange |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Henry Casimir II, Count of Nassau-Dietz |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Henriëtte Amalia van Anhalt-Dessau Henriëtte Amalia van Anhalt-Dessau Henriëtte Amalia Maria van Anhalt-Dessau was the daughter of John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau and Henriëtte Catharina of Nassau and the granddaughter of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange.... |
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| Paternal Grandmother: Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel Karl I was Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1670 till his death.Born at Kassel, he was the son of Wilhelm VI of Hesse-Kassel and Hedwig Sophia of Brandenburg, daughter of Georg Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg. After the early death of his father, his mother ruled as regent until 1675... (or Hesse-Cassel) |
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| Paternal Great-grandmother: Maria Amalia of Courland Maria Amalia of Courland Maria Anna Amalia of Courland was a German noblewoman. A princess of Courland from the Ketteler family, she was also Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel via her marriage on 21 May 1673 to her first cousin Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel... |
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| Mother: Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange 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... |
Maternal Grandfather: 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... |
Maternal Great-grandfather: George I of Great Britain George I of Great Britain George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698.... |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Sophia Dorothea of Celle Sophia Dorothea of Celle Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick and Lunenburg was the wife and cousin of George Louis, Elector of Hanover, later George I of Great Britain, and mother of George II through an arranged marriage of state, instigated by the machinations of Duchess Sophia of Hanover... |
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| Maternal Grandmother: 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... |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach succeeded his father Albrecht V as margrave in 1667. He married his second wife Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach on 4 November 1681. Their daughter Wilhelmine Charlotte Caroline, Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach married George II of Great... |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe Louise of Saxe-Eisenach was the mother of Caroline of Ansbach, queen consort of King George II of Great Britain... |
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