View source for William VI and III of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands

{{Infobox royalty
| name           = William VI and III
| title          =
| image          = TLM.jpg

| image_size     = Medium

| succession   = {{wp|King of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands}} and the {{wp|British Dominions}}
| moretext     = ({{wp|Style of the British sovereign#Styles of British sovereigns|more...}})
| reign        = 7 July 1837 - 30 January 1913
| reign-type   = Reign
| coronation   = 22 December 1853
| cor-type     = Coronation
| predecessor  = {{wp|Queen Victoria|Victoria}}
| pre-type     = Predecessor 
| regent       = {{plainlist|
*{{wp|Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen|Queen Adelaide}} (1837-1849)
*{{wp|Queen Victoria}} (1849-1853)}}
| reg-type     = Regents
| successor    = [[William VII and IV of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|William VII and IV]]
| suc-type     = 
| succession1  = {{wp|Emperor of India}}
| moretext1    = 
| reign1       = 7 July 1876 - 30 January 1913 
| reign-type1  = Reign 
| coronation1  = 2 February 1877
| cor-type1    = {{wp|Imperial Durbar}}
| predecessor1 = 
| pre-type1    = 
| regent1      = 
| reg-type1    = 
| successor1   = [[William VII and IV of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|William VII and IV]]
| suc-type1    = 
| succession2  = {{wp|King of Hanover}}
| moretext2    = 
| reign2       = 7 July 1837 - 30 January 1913
| reign-type2  = Reign
| coronation2  = 22 December 1853
| cor-type2    = 
| predecessor2 = {{wp|Henry, King of the Netherlands and of Hanover|Henry}}
| pre-type2    = Predecessor
| regent2      = 
| reg-type2    = 
| successor2   = [[William VII and IV of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|William VII and IV]]
| suc-type2    = 
| succession3  = {{wp|King of the Netherlands}}<br/>{{wp|Grand Duke of Luxembourg}}<br/>{{wp|Duke of Limburg}}
| moretext3    = 
| reign3       = 7 July 1837 - 30 January 1913
| reign-type3  = Reign
| coronation3  = 1 January 1854
| cor-type3    = Inauguration
| predecessor3 = {{wp|Henry, King of the Netherlands and of Hanover|Henry}}
| pre-type3    = Predecessor
| regent3      = 
| reg-type3    = 
| successor3   = [[William VII and IV of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|William VII and IV]]
| suc-type3    = 

| birth_name     = 
| birth_date     = {{birth date|1837|7|7|df=yes}}
| birth_place    = {{wp|Marlborough House}}, {{wp|London}}
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1913|1|30|1837|7|7|df=yes}}
| death_place  = {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}, {{wp|London}}
| burial_date  = 7 February 1913
| burial_place = [[William And Charlotte Memorial]], {{wp|Edinburgh}}, {{wp|Scotland}}
| spouse       = {{marriage|{{wp|Princess Louise of Prussia}}|26 August 1856}}
| issue        = {{plainlist|* [[William VII and IV of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|William VII and IV]]
* [[Mary, Grand Duchess of Russia]]
* [[Prince Alexander, Duke of Dover|Alexander, Duke of Dover]]
* [[Prince George, Duke of Southampton|George, Duke of Southampton]]}}
| issue-link   = #Issue
| full name      = William Henry Arthur Frederick
| house          = {{wp|House of Hanover|Hanover}} 
| father         = {{wp|John II and I}}
| mother         = {{wp|Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen}}

| religion       = {{wp|Protestantism|Protestant}}
}}

'''William VI and III''' ({{wp|English}}: ''William Henry Arthur Frederick''; {{wp|German}}: ''Wilhelm Heinrich Artur Friedrich''; {{wp|Dutch}}: ''Willem Hendrik Arthur Frederik''; 7 July 1837 - 30 January 1913), better known as the '''Soldier King''', and sometimes as the '''Sun King''' as he most frequently styled himself in his later years, was {{wp|King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}} and {{wp|King of Hanover}} as '''William VI''', and {{wp|King of the Netherlands}}, {{wp|Grand Duke of Luxembourg}}, and {{wp|Duke of Limburg}} as '''William III''' from 7 July 1837 until 30 January 1913. His birth, which came about eighteen days following the dissolution of the tripartite {{wp|Anglo}}-{{wp|Hanover}}-{{wp|Dutch}} union effectively restored the union, with the briefly reigning {{wp|Queen Victoria}} of the {{wp|United Kingdom}} and {{wp|Henry, King of the Netherlands and of Hanover|King Henry}} of the {{wp|Netherlands}} and {{wp|Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover}} abdicating their respective thrones to William. He was also the first {{wp|Emperor of India}} from 1876 until his death when he was then succeeded by his son, [[William VII and IV of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|William VII and IV]]. Throughout his reign and lifetime, William participated in various battles as the {{wp|British Army}}'s {{wp|Head of the British Armed Forces|Commander-in-Chief}}, often with great success. Furthermore, he was also instrumental in the founding of the elite [[The King's Abyssinian Regiment|Abyssinian Regiment]], established after the {{wp|British}} {{wp|British Expedition to Abyssinia|campaign}} in {{wp|Ethiopian Empire|Ethiopia}}. 

His reign of 75 years and 6 months, which surpassed that of his grandfather, {{wp|William IV and I|King William IV and I}}, and that of the previously longest reigning monarch in history, {{wp|Louis XIV|King Louis XIV}} of {{wp|Kingdom of France|France}}, is the longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country and was known as the Williamite Era during which the {{wp|British}} and the {{wp|Dutch}} empires respectively grew dramatically in terms of influence and territorial gains, alongside domestic-based innovations ranging from political to military issues, the latter in which he actively promoted and supported. {{wp|English}} historian, {{wp|Richard Stone}} described him as "a king with the military prowess of {{wp|Henry V of England|Henry V}} and the able statesmanship of {{wp|Henry VII of England|Henry VII}}", while {{wp|Dutch}} historian, {{wp|Piet Eldering}} likened him to the popular {{wp|William III of England|King William III of England}}, with both monarchs being well-known for their respective military prowess.

Throughout the course of his long reign, he has successively celebrated his {{wp|silver jubilee|silver}}, {{wp|ruby jubilee|ruby}}, {{wp|golden jubilee|golden}}, {{wp|diamond jubilee|diamond}}, {{wp|sapphire jubilee|sapphire}}, and {{wp|platinum jubilee|platinum}} jubilees, all of which respectively marked his 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 65th, and 70th year on the throne.

==Early Life==      

==Death==
By the time he was in his sixties, William's health began to steadily decline due to his constant military campaigns which thoroughly exposed him to harsh conditions. Regardless, though he had by then agreed to retire from his usual military expeditions, he continued performing his official duties as usual, and reportedly showed much "admirable" and "redeeming" strength as noted by {{wp|Arthur Balfour|Balfour}}, his Prime Minister at that time. However, his health began to take a serious decline in 1910 when he suddenly fainted in the palace hallways, before being rescued by one of the palace staff. Yet, the aged king took no effort in discontinuing himself from his works, with his last major appearance being at the wedding of his grandson, the future [[Frederick of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Frederick]] to {{wp|Victoria Louise of Prussia|Princess Victoria Louise}}, the only daughter of the {{wp|German Emperor}} {{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Wilhelm II}}.

In the midst of the occasion which was held at the {{wp|Berlin Palace}}, the seventy-six-year-old king reminded the attendees there of the need to prepare against the new spirits of nationalism, recently inflated by the {{wp|Balkan Wars}}. The fluency of his speech at such an old age was universally praised but the message itself proved ultimately futile with the onset of the {{wp|First World War}} around a year later. William would later succumb to old age just twenty-five days later, on the exact date of January 30th, 1913. His funeral, which saw the largest amount of attendance by both local and foreign guests garnered much worldwide publicity and was often symbolically referenced in the {{wp|United Kingdom}} during the beginning of the {{wp|First World War}}.

On December 1st 1918, upon the behest of his {{wp|Carlota of Mexico|wife}}, a horseback statue of the king on horseback was constructed in front of the {{wp|Marlborough House}}, the king's birthplace. However, on the month of June 2020, it has since been removed from its original spot and subsequently relocated to a museum instead following the {{wp|Black Lives Matter}} protests in {{wp|England}}, which had prior seen topplings of statues associated with the {{wp|British}} colonial past.

===Modern Reassessment===
For decades after his death, the late King has generally accrued a much overwhelmingly positive image among the {{wp|British}} public, with William himself often being portrayed or depicted by many as a national {{wp|British}} hero, due largely to his noted military prowess throughout his lifetime. However, by the early 21st century, the late sovereign's legacy has since been subjected to reassessments which have since also depicted him as a "symbol of {{wp|British}} imperialism and extreme {{wp|British}} militarism". In particular, Anthony Harrison, a history expert from the {{wp|University of Oxford}}, wrote in his assessment of the late king's legacy, ''"As the modern generation began to see past leaders in a much different light, the late King himself is of no exception. For some, he was the male and historical version of {{wp|Britannia}}, a proud and mighty personification of {{wp|Britain}}'s military triumph, while to the other, he was an old and outdated symbol of past {{wp|British}} imperialism, in which the late king himself actively contributed to, particularly at the various battlefields of the time"''.

==Personal Information==

==Titles & Honours==
*'''7 July 1837 - 30 January 1913''' ''His Majesty'' The King of the United Kingdom, King of Hanover, King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Duke of Limburg

==Honours==
====National====
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign and Founder of the Royal Family Order of King William VI
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Royal Guelphic Order
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Order of St. George
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign and Founder of the Order of the British Empire
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign and Founder of the Distinguished Service Order
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign and Founder of the Williamite Cross

====Foreign====
*{{flag|Belgium}} - Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold 
*{{flagicon|Germany|1866}} {{wp|German Empire}} - Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle
*{{flagicon|Germany|1866}} {{wp|German Empire}} - Knight of the Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown
*{{flagicon|Germany|1866}} {{wp|German Empire}} - Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle
*{{flagicon|Germany|1866}} {{wp|German Empire}} - Grand Commander of the House Order of Hohenzollern 
*{{flagicon|France|1830}} {{wp|Second French Empire}} - Grand Master of the Legion of Honour
*{{flag|Portugal|1830}} - Grand Cross of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
*{{flagicon|Turkey}} {{wp|Ottoman Empire}} - Knight of the Order of the Crescent
*{{flagicon|Turkey}} {{wp|Ottoman Empire}} - Knight of the Order of Glory
*{{flagicon|Turkey}} {{wp|Ottoman Empire}} - Knight of the Order of Osmanieh
*{{flagicon|Turkey}} {{wp|Ottoman Empire}} - Knight of the Order of the Medjidie
*{{flag|Austria-Hungary}} - Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
*{{flagicon|Russia|1858}} {{wp|Russian Empire}} - Knight of the Order of the White Eagle
*{{flagicon|Russia|1858}} {{wp|Russian Empire}} - Knight of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky


== Ancestry ==
{{ahnentafel
|width=100%|align=center|collapsed=yes
| boxstyle_1 = background-color: #fcc;
| boxstyle_2 = background-color: #fb9;
| boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc;
| boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc;
| 1 = 1. '''William VI and III of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands'''
| 2 = 2. {{wp|John II and I of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands}}
| 3 = 3. {{wp|Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen}}
| 4 = 4. {{wp|William IV and I of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands}}
| 5 = 5. {{wp|Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz}}
| 6 = 6. {{wp|George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen}}
| 7 = 7. {{wp|Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg}}
| 8 = 8. {{wp|Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales}}
| 9 = 9. {{wp|Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha}}
| 10 = 10. {{wp|Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg}}
| 11 = 11. {{wp|Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen}}
| 12 = 12. {{wp|Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen}}
| 13 = 13. {{wp|Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal}}
| 14 = 14. {{wp|Christian Albert, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg}}
| 15 = 15. {{wp|Caroline of Stolberg-Gedern}}
}}