William II of the Netherlands

William II (Dutch: Willem II, French: Guillaume II; 6 December 1792 – 17 March 1849) was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg from 1840 until his death.

William II was the son of William I and Wilhelmine of Prussia. During the Napoleonic Wars, he fought in the Peninsular War on the British side. He was wounded in action as a commander in the Battle of Waterloo. When his father, who up to that time ruled as sovereign prince, proclaimed himself king in 1815, he became Prince of Orange as heir apparent of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. During the Belgian Revolution, William tried to broker peace with the rebels and served as commander during the Ten Days Campaign. With the abdication of his father on 7 October 1840, William II became king. During his reign, the Netherlands became a parliamentary democracy with the new constitution of 1848. He reigned for just under nine years, making him the shortest-reigning monarch in Dutch history. William II was married to Anna Pavlovna of Russia, with whom he had five children. William II was succeeded by his son William III.