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William IV, Prince of Orange

William IV (Willem Karel Hendrik Friso; 1 September 1711 – 22 October 1751) was Prince of Orange from birth and the first hereditary stadtholder of all the United Provinces of the Netherlands from 1747 until his death in 1751.[1] During his whole life he was furthermore ruler of the Principality of Orange-Nassau within the Holy Roman Empire.

William IV

1 September 1711 –
22 October 1751

4 May 1747 – 22 October 1751

1 September 1711
Leeuwarden, Dutch Republic

22 October 1751(1751-10-22) (aged 40)
Huis ten Bosch, The Hague, Dutch Republic

4 February 1752

(m. 1734)

William IV's signature

Early life[edit]

William was born in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, the son of John William Friso, Prince of Orange, head of the Frisian branch of the House of Orange-Nassau, and of his wife Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel). He was born six weeks after the death of his father.


William succeeded his father as Stadtholder of Friesland and also, under the regency of his mother until 1731, as Stadtholder of Groningen. In 1722 he was elected Stadtholder of Guelders. The four other provinces of the Dutch RepublicHolland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Overijssel—had in 1702 decided not to appoint a stadtholder after the death of stadtholder William III, ushering the Republic into a period that is known as the Second Stadtholderless Period. In 1747 those four provinces also accepted William as their stadtholder.

(28 February 1743 – 6 May 1787), married Karl Christian of Nassau-Weilburg

Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau

Princess Anna of Orange-Nassau (15 November 1746 – 29 December 1746)

(8 March 1748 – 9 April 1806)

William V, Prince of Orange

In 1733 William was made a Knight of the Order of the Garter. On 25 March 1734 he married at St James's Palace Anne, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach. William and Anne had three children:

Media related to William IV, Prince of Orange at Wikimedia Commons

at the National Portrait Gallery, London

Portraits of William Charles Henry Friso, Prince of Orange