Alexander, Prince of Orange
Encyclopedia
Willem Alexander Charles Henry Frederick, Prince of Orange , (25 August 1851 – 21 June 1884), was heir apparent
to his father King William III of the Netherlands
from 11 June 1879 until his death.
on 25 August 1851. He was the third child of King William III
and Queen Sophie
. Unlike his brother William, the crown prince, he was disciplined, intellectual and well-read. After the death of his brother Prince William on 11 June 1879, he became heir apparent
to the Dutch throne and as such the Prince of Orange.
Alexander held the position of heir apparent
until his own death, age 32, on 21 June 1884 in The Hague from typhus
. Although he never married, negotiations were being held for him to marry Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal, a daughter of the former king Miguel I of Portugal. He was buried in the new royal burial vault in the Nieuwe Kerk
in Delft
on 17 July 1884. After his death his half-sister, the future Queen Wilhelmina
, became heiress presumptive
to the Dutch throne. Alexander's death meant that the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg became independent on death of William III, as Wilhelmina could not inherit that title.
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Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to his father King William III of the Netherlands
William III of the Netherlands
William III was from 1849 King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg until his death and the Duke of Limburg until the abolition of the Duchy in 1866.-Early life:William was born in Brussels as son of William II of the Netherlands and...
from 11 June 1879 until his death.
Life
Prince Alexander of the Netherlands was born in The HagueThe Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
on 25 August 1851. He was the third child of King William III
William III of the Netherlands
William III was from 1849 King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg until his death and the Duke of Limburg until the abolition of the Duchy in 1866.-Early life:William was born in Brussels as son of William II of the Netherlands and...
and Queen Sophie
Sophie of Württemberg
Princess Sophia Frederika Mathilde of Württemberg was Queen of the Netherlands as the first wife of King William III of the Netherlands.-Biography:...
. Unlike his brother William, the crown prince, he was disciplined, intellectual and well-read. After the death of his brother Prince William on 11 June 1879, he became heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the Dutch throne and as such the Prince of Orange.
Alexander held the position of heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
until his own death, age 32, on 21 June 1884 in The Hague from typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
. Although he never married, negotiations were being held for him to marry Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal, a daughter of the former king Miguel I of Portugal. He was buried in the new royal burial vault in the Nieuwe Kerk
Nieuwe Kerk (Delft)
Nieuwe Kerk is a landmark Protestant church in Delft, Netherlands. The building is located on Delft Market Square , opposite to the City Hall . In 1584, William the Silent was entombed here in a mausoleum designed by Hendrick and Pieter de Keyser. Since then members of the House of Orange-Nassau...
in Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
on 17 July 1884. After his death his half-sister, the future Queen Wilhelmina
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
, became heiress presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
to the Dutch throne. Alexander's death meant that the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg became independent on death of William III, as Wilhelmina could not inherit that title.
Other notability
For a span of 116 years, from the birth of Alexander (1851) to the birth of Willem Alexander, the present heir-apparent to the Dutch throne (1967), no male heirs were born into the ruling House of Orange.Titles and styles
- His Royal Highness Prince Alexander of the NetherlandsKingdom of the NetherlandsThe Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
, Prince of Orange-NassauHouse of Orange-NassauThe House of Orange-Nassau , a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — since William I of Orange organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years' War...
(1851–1879) - His Royal Highness The Prince of OrangePrince of OrangePrince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France. In French it is la Principauté d'Orange....
(1879–1884)
Ancestry
External links
- Biography of Alexander of the Netherlands (1851-1884)
- Royal House of the Netherlands and Grand-Ducal House of Luxembourg
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