Born: 27 May 1626
House: Nassau-Orange
Spouse(s): Mary Henrietta, daughter of Charles I, king of England & Scotland, and Henrietta Maria of France
Predecessor: Frederick Henry
Reign: 1647 – 1650
Brief: The shortest-lived of the Dutch princes of Orange, William II served as the fourth stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in hereditary succession from his father. Although the position of stadtholder, issued by the various States-Generals of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, was formally a military title, it had been granted increasing royal prerogatives since William the Silent began the Dutch revolt in the 1580s. William II oversaw the signing of the Treaty of Münster, which recognized an end to the Eighty Years' War and Spanish recognition of the Dutch Republic. Working against his government, William conspired with the French to expand Dutch territory at the expense of democracy in the nascent republic. He actively campaigned for a restoration of his brother-in-law, Charles II, to the throne of England and Scotland. William also fought against any move by the States-General that would reduce the size of his standing army, fearing a loss of power. In 1649, he arrested eight members of a local assembly and sent his cousin with an army to conquer Amsterdam, but weather defeated him. He died soon after of smallpox in 1650. His son, William III, was born a week after his death and the States-General elected not to operate with a stadtholder for two decades until William III came of age.
Brief: The shortest-lived of the Dutch princes of Orange, William II served as the fourth stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in hereditary succession from his father. Although the position of stadtholder, issued by the various States-Generals of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, was formally a military title, it had been granted increasing royal prerogatives since William the Silent began the Dutch revolt in the 1580s. William II oversaw the signing of the Treaty of Münster, which recognized an end to the Eighty Years' War and Spanish recognition of the Dutch Republic. Working against his government, William conspired with the French to expand Dutch territory at the expense of democracy in the nascent republic. He actively campaigned for a restoration of his brother-in-law, Charles II, to the throne of England and Scotland. William also fought against any move by the States-General that would reduce the size of his standing army, fearing a loss of power. In 1649, he arrested eight members of a local assembly and sent his cousin with an army to conquer Amsterdam, but weather defeated him. He died soon after of smallpox in 1650. His son, William III, was born a week after his death and the States-General elected not to operate with a stadtholder for two decades until William III came of age.
Date of Death: 6 November 1650
Successor: William III
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
Successor: William III
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
- Tsuchimikado, emperor of Japan (1231)
- Innocent VII, pope of Rome (1406)
- Ulrich, duke of Württemberg (1550)
- Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden (1632)
- João IV, king of Portugal (1656)
- Catherine II, empress of Russia (1796)
- Charles X, king of France (1836)
- Khai Dinh, emperor of Vietnam (1925)
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