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William II of Orange

William II
Workshop of Gerard van Honthorst 001.jpg
William II, Prince of Orange (1651)
by Gerard van Honthorst
Prince of Orange
Reign 14 March 1647 – 6 November 1650
Predecessor Frederick Henry
Successor William III
Born (1626-05-27)27 May 1626
The Hague, Dutch Republic
Died 6 November 1650(1650-11-06) (aged 24)
The Hague, Dutch Republic
Spouse Mary, Princess Royal
(m. 1641–50; his death)
Issue William III of England
House Orange-Nassau
Father Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Mother Amalia of Solms-Braunfels
Religion Calvinism

William II (27 May 1626 – 6 November 1650) was sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands from 14 March 1647 until his death three years later. His only child, also named William, would go on to reign as William III of England and Ireland, as well as William II in Scotland.

William II, Prince of Orange, was the son of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, and Amalia of Solms-Braunfels. Frederick Henry was the youngest son of William the Silent (stadtholder 1559-1584); his older half brother Maurits of Nassau was stadtholder (1585-1625); he was stadtholder from 1625 to 1647. The stadtholders governed in conjunction with the States-General, an assembly of representatives from each of the seven provinces, but usually dominated by the largest and wealthiest province, Holland.

On 2 May 1641, William married Mary, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King Charles I of England, in the Chapel Royal of Whitehall Palace in London.

In 1647, his father Frederick Henry died, and William II succeeded to both his hereditary titles and his elective offices as stadtholder of five of the seven provinces: Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders and Overijssel.

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.


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