Stadholder William V (1748-1806)Prince William V was the son of William IV. In 1766 he was invested as stadholder. The following year he married Wilhelmina of Prussia. During his period of office, domestic tensions were pushed to breaking point. The Dutch defeat in the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (1781-1784) prompted heated and ultimately violent clashes with his 'Patriot' opponents. As commander-in-chief, William V was held responsible for the defeat. His power was temporarily restored when a Prussian army came to his rescue. However, eight years later in 1795 he was forced to leave his palace, the Binnenhof in The Hague, before the advance of the revolutionary French armies. It was the end of the RepublicDutch RepublicThe Dutch Revolt against Spain led in 1588 to the foundation of the Dutch Republic of the United Provinces. These seven provinces were: Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht and Zeeland. In 1795 the invading French Revolutionary Army brought an end to the old Republic and in its place came the new Batavian Republic.. |
