n.
Dutch Willem Frederik George Lodewijk
born Dec. 6, 1792, The Hague, United Provinces of the Netherlands
died March 17, 1849, Tilburg, Neth.
King of The Netherlands and grand duke of Luxembourg (184049).
Son of William I , he lived in exile with his family in England from 1795. He commanded Dutch troops in the Battle of Waterloo (1815). Sent by his father to Belgium in 1830 to appease the rebels, he failed to stop the independence movement. In 1840 he became king of The Netherlands on his father's abdication. As king, he helped stabilize the economy. In 1848 he oversaw passage of a new liberal constitution that expanded the authority of the ministers and assembly, established direct elections, and secured basic civil liberties.