Five Brothers and a War

History—1800 to 1900 AD

holland

The Coronation of Willem II, 1840.

Willem II reigned from the abdication of his father in 1840 until his death in 1849. His reign was scandalous at the time, and since, because of his widespread bisexual relationships, including with his all-male household staff. The big change of Willem II’s reign occurred when, in 1848, Holland adopted a constitution that established its parliamentary democracy, with a constitutional monarchy. This limited the power of the monarchy while increasing the power of the legislature. It is almost identical to the current governance structure.

Five Brothers and a War

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