King Willem II (1792-1849)
Willem II acceded to the throne in 1840, following his father’s abdication. Willem II married Anna Paulowna (1795-1865), the daughter of the Russian czar. Their marriage gave rise to close relations with Russia.
In the revolutionary year of 1848, Willem gave in to the wishes of the liberal opposition movement and agreed to a constitution that drastically restricted royal power in favour of the representative assembly. The Netherlands’ second king reigned until his death in 1849.