William II, Prince of Orange

Reign

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In 1647, his father, Frederick Henry died,[2] and William II succeeded to both his hereditary titles and his elective offices as stadtholder of six of the seven provinces: Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Overijssel and Groningen.^[1]

The Netherlands at this time was engaged in the Eighty Years' War against Spain for its independence. Under Frederick Henry, the Netherlands had largely won the war, and since 1646 had been negotiating with Spain on the terms for ending it.

The negotiators agreed to the Peace of Münster in 1648, but William opposed acceptance of the treaty, even though it recognized the independence of the (northern) Netherlands, because it left the southern Netherlands in the hands of the Spanish monarchy. A separate peace furthermore violated the alliance with France formed in 1635. However, the States of six provinces voted to accept it.

Secretly, William opened his own negotiations with France with the goal of extending his own territory under a more centralized government. In addition, he worked for the restoration of his exiled brother-in-law, Charles II, to the throne of England.

In 1650 William II became involved in a bitter quarrel with the province of Holland and the powerful

William served as stadtholder for only three years, until he died of smallpox in 1650. His only son William was born one week after his death. This was the beginning of the First Stadtholderless Period. His son succeeded him in 1672 as stadtholder and later, in 1689, also became King of England.^[6]

Arms

William II used the following arms during his time as prince of Orange, Stadholder or Holland, etc., and Captain-General:

• 
  The coat of arms used by Frederick Henry, his son William II, and his grandson William III before becoming King of England^[7]

Depictions

• 
  Double portrait to commemorate the betrothal of William and Mary Henrietta Stuart, by Anthony van Dyck.
• 
  William II of Orange and

  Mary Stuart, Princess Royal

  .

Ancestors

Notes

References

Bibliography

• Herbert H. Rowen, The princes of Orange: the stadholders in the Dutch Republic. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988.
• Herbert H. Rowen, The princes of Orange: the stadholders in the Dutch Republic. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
• Herbert H. Rowen, "John de Witt, Grand Pensionary of Holland, 1625–1672". Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1978.
• Herbert H. Rowen, "John de Witt: Statesman of the "True Freedom"". Cambridge University Press, 2003.
• Edmundson, George (1911). "William II., Prince of Orange" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). pp. 674–675.
• Petrus Johannes Blok, "History of the people of the Netherlands". New York: G. P. Putnam's sons, 1898.
• Pieter Geyl, "Orange and Stuart, 1641–1672". Scribner, 1970.
• ISBN 0-19-820734-4

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to William II, Prince of Orange.

• Portraits of William II of Orange-Nassau at the National Portrait Gallery, London

William II, Prince of Orange House of Orange-Nassau Cadet branch of the House of Nassau Born: 27 May 1626 Died: 6 November 1650
Regnal titles
Preceded by Frederick Henry	Prince of Orange Baron of Breda 1647–1650	Succeeded by William III
Political offices
Preceded by Frederick Henry	Guelders and Overijssel 1647–1650	Succeeded by William III