William III of the Netherlands

King William III (Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk of Orange-Nassau) (February 17, 1817 – November 23, 1890) was King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1849–1890).

Early life

William was born in Brussels as son of William II of the Netherlands and Queen Anna, sister of Tsar Alexander I of Russia. In his early years, he served in the military.

Related Topics:
Brussels - William II of the Netherlands - Queen Anna - Tsar - Alexander I of Russia

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He married Sophie, daughter of King William I of Württemberg, in 1839. This marriage was unhappy and was characterized by struggles about their children. Sophie was a liberal intellectual, hating everything leaning toward dictatorship, such as the army. William was simpler, more conservative, and loved the military. He prohibited intellectual exercise at home, for which action Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, who corresponded with Sophie, called him an uneducated farmer. (His extramarital enthusiasms, however, led the New York Times to call him "the greatest debauchee of the age".) Another cause of marital tension (and later political tension) was his capriciousness; he could rage against someone one day, and be extremely polite the next.

Related Topics:
William I of Württemberg - 1839 - Liberal - Victoria of the United Kingdom - New York Times

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William loathed the 1848 constitutional changes initiated by his father (William II) and Johan Rudolf Thorbecke. William II and Sophie saw them as key to the monarchy's survival in changing times. William himself saw them as useless limitations of royal power, and wished to govern like his grandfather, William I.

Related Topics:
1848 - William II - Johan Rudolf Thorbecke - William I

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He tried to relinquish his right to the throne to his younger brother. His mother convinced him to cancel this action. One year later (1849) William became King upon the death of his father.

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