William II of Holland
| William II | |
|---|---|
| Count of Holland | |
Count Willem II of Holland Granting Privileges by Caesar van Everdingen and Pieter Post, 1654
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| Spouse(s) | Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
| Issue | |
| Noble family | House of Holland |
| Father | Floris IV, Count of Holland |
| Mother | Matilda of Brabant |
| Born | February 1227 |
| Died | 28 January 1256 (aged 28) |
William II of Holland (February 1227 – 28 January 1256) was a Count of Holland and Zeeland (1234–56). He was elected as German anti-king in 1247 and remained king until his death.
He was the son of Floris IV and Matilda of Brabant. When his father was killed at a tournament at Corbie, William was only seven years old. His uncles, William and Otto (Bishop of Utrecht), were his guardians until 1239.
With the help of Henry II, Duke of Brabant and the archbishop of Cologne, he was elected as king of Germany after Emperor Frederick II was excommunicated. The next year, he decided to extend his father's hunting residence to a palace which met his new status. This would later be called the Binnenhof (Inner Court) and was the beginning of the city of The Hague. Meanwhile, after a siege of five months, William took Aachen from Frederick's followers. Only then could he be crowned as king. He gained a certain amount of theoretical support from some of the German princes after his marriage to Elizabeth, daughter of Otto the Child, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, in 1252; but, although "William lacked neither courage nor chivalrous qualities... his power never extended beyond the Rhineland."
In his home county, William fought with Flanders for control of Zeeland. He made himself (being king of Germany) count of Zeeland. In July 1253, he defeated the Flemish army at Westkapelle (in modern-day Belgium) and a year later a cease-fire followed. His anti-Flemish policy worsened his relationship with France.
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