birdienl | 100 things challenge - 42: Dutch monarchy I

As you might have heard, last week, our current queen, Queen Beatrix, has announced she will abdicate the throne after 33 years and her son Willem-Alexander will become our King. So, I thought to devote the next two 100 things posts to the Dutch monarchy! Hope you all think them interesting!

The Netherlands has been a monarchy for a relatively short time, compared to other European countries. The country became a kingdom in 1813, as part of the rearrangements of Europe after the Congress of Vienna (a conference of state leaders to discuss the many issues arising from the Napoleontic Wars). The kingdom of The Netherlands was then larger than we know it now and also included the current countries of Belgium and Luxemburg.

The first Dutch monarch, William I, had lived 18 years in exile in England because of the invasion of the French Revolutionary Army in The Netherlands. After Napoleon's defeat, William returned to The Netherlands, and was gladly welcomed by the Dutch provisional government, who offered him the title of King. Now, even before that, William was not just somebody. He was the son of the last Dutch 'stadtholder', a hereditary office of high influence in the pre-French state of The Netherlands. William also already was a Prince, as his family, the House of Orange-Nassau, owned a principality in France.

Also, the new issue of Femnista is out! The theme this time is 'Memorable love stories' and you can read the issue online here. You can read articles about for example Lancelot and Guinevere, Luke and Leia or my article about Bathseba Everdene and Gabriel Oak from Thomas Hardy's novel Far from the Madding Crowd!