Five Brothers and a War

History—1800 to 1900 AD

The “inauguration” of Willem as Sovereign Prince, on March 30, 1814.

It was only in 1815, when Willem VI was fearful of a return to power by Napoleon, who had escaped from his imprisonment in Elbe, that the Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (“United Kingdom of Netherlands”) was proclaimed and established. Because of the ceding of Nassau, Willem could not be the Prins van Nassau anymore. He remained however, the head of the Huis van Oranje-Nassau (“House of Orange-Nassau”). Willem VI became Koning Willem I. He was essentially an absolute monarch, with ministers reporting only to him. He appointed the members to the Eerste Kamer (“First Chamber”), which is essentially the Senate. The Tweede Kamer (“Second Chamber”) was comprised of 110 members, 55 from the south and 55 from the north. Members were indirectly elected to the Tweede Kamer by provincial councils, who were in turn elected by relatively wealthy males within their respective provinces. Currently, the system for electing members of the Eerste Kamer more closely resembles the historical method for the election of the Tweede Kamer —each provincial parliament elects part-time members to serve in the Eerste Kamer. The Tweede Kamer is the House of Representatives, and its members are directly elected by the populace.

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Five Brothers and a War

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