I have always noticed this bronze statue whenever I walk past the Binnenhof complex. Some noble guy sitting on a high horse on the Buitenhof, overlooking the Hofvijver lake, in the centre of The Hague. I never give it much thought.
A week later when I was visiting Luxembourg, I could not believe my eyes when I saw the same statue! It got me curious. I had to Google.
So, this is King William II (1792-1849) Prince of Orange-Nassau! He was the King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Duke of Limburg.
In 1815, he fought under the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. In 1816, he married Anna Pavlovna (1795-1865), daughter of Tsar Paul of Russia.
When the revolutions broke out in 1840, he agreed to a constitution that drastically restricted royal power in favour of the representative assembly responsible for decision-making, rather than the King. It marks the start of the Dutch state as we know it today.
Equestrian statue of King William II (1924)
📍Buitenhof 37, 2513 AH Den Haag.
Actually a replica placed here in 1924, with a different sculpture base.
The monument on Place Guillaume II, in Luxembourg, was designed by the French sculptors Antonin Mercié (1845-1916) together with Victor Peter (1840-1918) completing the horse sculpture. The base features the coats of arms of the House of Orange-Nassau and the City of Luxembourg and the twelve cantons of the Grand Duchy. This Equestrian statue of King William II was unveiled on 5 November 1884.
📍Place Guillaume II. L-1648 Luxembourg.
King William II ruled from 1840 to 1849.