William I, the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg, was a prominent ruler who played a significant role in the history of his country. Despite losing his German titles, he seized the opportunity to proclaim himself as the King of the Netherlands after the French withdrew. During his reign, he implemented various measures to revive the economy, including the establishment of the Netherlands Trading Society and a bank. However, his autocratic methods faced opposition, leading to the Belgian Revolution and the creation of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. Eventually, William abdicated the throne and assumed the title of King William Frederick, Count of Nassau, passing the reign to his son, William II.
Quick Facts
- Nick Name: William I
- Also Known As: Willem Frederik, Prince of Orange-Nassau
- Died At Age: 71
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Henrietta d’Oultremont (m. 1841), Queen of the Netherlands (m. 1791–1837), Wilhelmine of Prussia
- Father: William V, Prince of Orange
- Mother: Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia
- Siblings: Frederick
- Children: Charlotte Luise von Nassau; Princess of the Netherlands, child1 von Nassau, Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, Princess Marianne of the Netherlands, Princess Pauline of Orange-Nassau, William II of the Netherlands
- Born Country: Netherlands
- Died on: December 12, 1843
- Place of Death: Berlin, Germany
- City: The Hague, Netherlands
- Founder/Co-Founder: Netherlands Trading Society, Royal Conservatory of The Hague
- More Facts:
- Awards: Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Order of St. George 4th class
Childhood & Early Life
William I was born on August 24, 1772, in Huis ten Bosch, The Hague, Dutch Republic. He was the eldest son of Prince of Orange and the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, William V, and Wilhelmina of Prussia, daughter of Prince Augustus William of Prussia. William had a younger brother, Frederick. Both brothers received education from Dutch historian Herman Tollius and Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler. They also received military training from General Prince Frederick Stamford. William briefly attended the University of Leiden.
Early Military Career, Activities & Exile
In 1790, William joined the States Army as a general of infantry and became a member of the Council of State of the Netherlands. He was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the veldleger (mobile army) during the war declared by the National Convention of the French First Republic against the stadtholder of the Dutch Republic in 1793. William served as a commander in the Coalition of states during the Flanders Campaign from November 6, 1792, to June 7, 1795. Despite their efforts, the campaign resulted in a French victory. William fought in several battles during this time, including the battles of Menin, Veurne, Wervik, and Landrecies. He also participated in the Battle of Fleurus in 1794, which was a significant French victory.
In 1795, the Batavian Revolution took place in Amsterdam, and William’s father decided to flee to Britain with the family. The Batavian Republic was proclaimed the following day. William’s family settled at the palace of Hampton Court in England. William was involved in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland in 1799, but it resulted in a Franco-Batavian victory. After the Convention of Alkmaar in October 1799, William had to leave the Dutch Republic again. He organized the King’s Dutch Brigade, a brigade of the British army, which was disbanded in 1802 following the peace agreement between France and Britain.
In 1803, William started ruling as Prince of Nassau-Orange-Fulda and inherited the title of Prince of Orange following his father’s death in 1806. He became a nominal French vassal but supported his Prussian relatives during Napoleon’s invasion of Germany in 1806. William commanded a Prussian division during the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt but was taken as a prisoner of war. He was later paroled but lost all his German titles. His rule in the Principality of Nassau-Orange-Fulda and the Principality of Orange-Nassau ended in 1806. In 1809, William joined the Austrian army as a Feldmarschalleutnant but once again lost to the French forces during the Battle of Wagram.
Ruling the Netherlands, Belgian Independence & Abdication
In 1813, William met Alexander I of Russia, who promised to help him restore an independent Netherlands and make him its king. Russian and Prussian troops successfully liberated the Netherlands from France, and William ruled as Prince of Orange-Nassau from November 20, 1813, to March 16, 1815. After the French troops left the Netherlands, a provisional government was formed, and William was invited to become the king. However, he refused and proclaimed himself “Sovereign Prince of the Netherlands.” A constitution was drafted, and William was offered significant power as the centralised monarchy was introduced. He was inaugurated as sovereign prince on March 30, 1814.
In 1815, William proclaimed the Netherlands a kingdom and assumed its throne. His kingdom consisted of Dutch-speaking Flemings and French-speaking Walloons in the South and largely Protestant followers in the north. He implemented economic recovery programs and established trade institutions. However, his rule was marked by economic inequality and tensions between the Reformed Church and Catholicism. The Belgian Revolution erupted in 1830, leading to the secession of the southern provinces and the formation of the independent Kingdom of Belgium. William conducted a failed military expedition to re-conquer Belgium in 1831. The Dutch eventually accepted Belgian independence in 1839.
Unable to accept the secession of Belgium and facing resistance against his decision to marry a Belgian native, William abdicated on October 7, 1840, in favor of his son, William II.
Family & Personal Life
William married his first cousin Wilhelmina of Prussia in 1791, and they had six children together. After Wilhelmina’s death in 1837, William married Henrietta d’Oultremont in 1841. They had no children. William died on December 12, 1843, in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia.