William II of Orange-Nassau
| William II | |
|---|---|
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 |
27 May 1626 The Hague, Dutch Republic |
| Died | 6 November 1650 (aged 24) The Hague, Dutch Republic |
| Burial | 8 March 1651 Nieuwe Kerk, Delft |
| 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, who the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England, in the Chapel Royal of Whitehall Palace in London. William was fifteen, while Mary was just nine at that time.
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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