King-Grand Duke William II: A Monarch Between Liberal Aspirations and Geopolitical Realities

The Prince of Orange-Nassau, Prince of Orange and Prince of the Netherlands, becomes the king of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg after the abdication of his father, William I, on October 7, 1840. Luxembourg and Limburg are members of the German Confederation. At the beginning of his reign, William II seemingly flirts with liberal freedoms. However, the estates constitution he grants to Luxembourg in 1841 contrasts with this; it emphasizes the monarchical principle. Between 1841 and 1846, William II visits Luxembourg five times. By the mid-1840s, he realizes that both Limburg and Luxembourg are moving into the center of geopolitical tensions in Europe due to the rise of Prussia. As a result, the monarch implements the provisions of the German Confederation in Luxembourg with increasing diligence.