Prince William V (1748-1806)
After William IV’s death, Princess Anna of Hanover acted as regent for her son. After her death, the Duke of Brunswick-Wolffenbüttel, who was then acting commander of the army, took over as the young stadholder’s guardian.
In 1792 war broke out between the French revolutionary republic and a coalition consisting of Austria, Prussia, Britain and the Netherlands. The war went badly for the Dutch Republic, and hence for William V.
Following the French invasion in 1795, the stadholder and his family fled to England. William V spent the last five years of his life in Germany, partly on the Nassau estates.