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William III of the Netherlands

Palace of the Nation, 19 Feb 1817 – Het Loo Palace, 23 Nov 1890

13 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born19 Feb 1817, Palace of the Nationor 17 Feb 1817Records disagree1 source
  • MarriedEmma of Waldeck and Pyrmontnot verified1 source
  • MarriedSophie of Württembergnot verified1 source
  • TitleGrand Duke of Luxembourg, 1849–1890or King of the Netherlands, 1849–1890not verified1 source
  • TitleKing of the Netherlands, 1849–1890or Grand Duke of Luxembourg, 1849–1890not verified1 source
  • Died23 Nov 1890, Het Loo Palacenot verified1 source
  • MotherAnna Pavlovna of Russianot verified1 source
  • FatherWilliam II of the Netherlandsnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 19 Feb 1817

    Born in Palace of the Nation

  2. 1840–1880

    4 children are born

  3. 1849–1890

    Grand Duke of Luxembourg

  4. 1849–1890

    King of the Netherlands

  5. 23 Nov 1890

    Dies in Het Loo Palace, aged 73

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 4

During his lifetime

He lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Palace of the Nation.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1810s · William III is born in Palace of the Nation

In the news1818

Society of Benevolence founded for poor

The Society of Benevolence was established in Drenthe in 1818 to combat widespread poverty by relocating poor families from cities to agricultural colonies.

What people wore

Hidden pockets for personal items

Women stored belongings like money, knives, or scissors in large pockets worn under their skirts, tied to the waist with ribbons.

Getting around

Slow but steady horse-drawn barges

Before railways, tow barges drawn by horses were a common way to travel between towns, moving at a steady but slow pace of 3 to 4 km per hour.

The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s armies redrew the map of Europe from Spain to Moscow; his invasion of Portugal sent its court to Rio de Janeiro.In Europe · 1803–1815

The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s armies redrew the map of Europe from Spain to Moscow; his invasion of Portugal sent its court to Rio de Janeiro.

Ruedi33a · CC BY-SA 4.0

In the news1816

Year without a summer causes famine

The 1815 Tambora volcano eruption caused global climate shifts, leading to 1816 being the year without a summer, resulting in widespread crop failures and hunger in the Netherlands.

Music

Musical instruments in homes and villages

The piano became a standard piece of furniture in the homes of the wealthy bourgeoisie, while the development of village wind bands increased the demand for instruments like clarinets, cornets, and trombones. Meanwhile, traditional drone instruments like the bagpipe were declining in popularity during this era.

Daily life

Small home layouts and sleeping arrangements

Ordinary homes in the Waremme region featured two ground-floor rooms and two upstairs bedrooms, with parents sleeping in an alcove to watch the fire. Beds lacked springs and were made of rye straw mattresses with oat-chaff pillows.