Born 8 March 1748, he was three years old when his father died.
His mother became his Regent but she died in 1759. In Friesland his grandmother became Regent, while that position for the Province of Holland was taken by the Duke of Brunswick. When his mother died she had given orders to establish a committee of eight to look after Willem V's education. However, the Duke of Brunswick also took control of his this and, as a result, he grew up happy but very much locked away from the outside world. He was fortunate to have an incredible memory and wanted to learn. He spoke several languages, including Latin; knew how the army worked and had a detailed knowledge of history. However, he was not a strong character; his health was weak and he was awkward in dealing with problems.
In 1765 his grandmother died and it was his sister, Carolina, who for a year was Regent in Friesland. In 1766 he was declared to be of age and, on 4 October 1767 in Berlin, he married Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia. A son was born on 23 March 1769 but died the next day; on
28 November 1770 a daughter, Louise, was born who survived; on 24 August 1772 the future King Willem I was born and on 15 February 1774 their last child, Prince Frederik.
Princess Wilhelmine was goodlooking, intelligent and had tact. The latter she needed with her stubborn husband and as a result they had a happy marriage. Even though the court language remained French, they gave their household a more Dutch character as no more foreigners were
appointed.
Willem V collected art and obtained a large collection of paintings, manuscripts, coins and even animals. The zoo was kept in Apeldoorn. In 1768 Wilhelmine's uncle, King Frederick the Great of
Prussia, visited them in Apeldoorn and it was his opinion that Wilhelmine should be informed on matters of state but it took a while before Willem V agreed.
In 1789 Princess Wilhelmine and their three children went to visit Berlin, and during this journey the first steps for two marriages were taken. The Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuettel asked for Louise's hand for his eldest son, Hereditary Prince Karl Georg August, while the marriage of their eldest son was arranged with another Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia, a first cousin.
The marriage of their son took place in 1791 in Berlin and in 1792 they became grandparents for the first time. It was also the first time in six generations that a prince of their house had lived long
enough to become a grandfather.
For premany years the Dutch had seen the Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium) as a natural barrier against the French and had relaxed their paredness for war. Life was to be indulged, in opposition to their forebears who had been industrious and adventurous. The position of The Netherlands began to deteriorate, as was recognised by Emperor Josef II who visited The Netherlands incognito. People began to stir against the House of Orange and in 1781 the Prince was described as a tyrant. In 1785 an uprising took place in The Hague and the Regents of Holland used this to remove the Prince from his command of the garrison of The Hague.
In retalliation the Prince left The Hague and went to Breda, while his family moved to Leeuwarden where later on he joined them. From there they moved to Het Loo, in Apeldoorn. The Netherlands came on the brink of civil war and the Prince was considering to retire to his German estates but his wife saw matters differently. Against her husband's advice she decided to return to The Hague.
At Goejanverwellesluis, on 28 June 1787, the Princess was stopped and refused entry into Holland. Her brother, the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II was furious and sent a Prussian army so that the Prince and his family were able to return to The Hague. However, The Netherlands remained divided between the Prince's party and the Patriots who found support in France.
In 1792 the Austrian Netherlands were taken by the French and in 1793 the French Republic declared war on George III of Great Britain and Willem V in The Netherlands. The first attacks were repulsed but in 1794 France was more successful. The Prince and his family were forced to leave and take refuge in England, where George III gave them part of Hampton Court as residence.
However, in July 1795 their younger son, Prince Frederik, returned to the continent only to return to England and leave again in April 1796. He became a general in the Austrian army and, while at Padua on 6 January 1799, the most intelligent of their children died. In September 1795 their eldest son also had left for the continent and, in November 1801 Prince Willem V went to Brunswick to visit his daughter Louise. In 1802 they were joined by his wife.
In the meantime Napol‚on had appeared on the scene and a return to The Netherlands seemed impossible. From 1801 onward the Prince lived at Dietz. On 23 May 1802, by a treaty between France and Prussia, and as compensation for his lost properties, the Prince was given Fulda.
This was only a quarter of what would have been a proper compensation, but all he received were 113,000 inhabitants with an annual income of only 500,000 guilders.
His politicaly more astute son immediately accepted but Willem V was at first reluctant and even angry. However, his son used Fulda as a training ground for which its inhabitants were grateful and, in 1813, expressed their wish that he would return to them. However, in 1806 Napoleon was not pleased with either father or son and sent an army to occupy Fulda. Shortly before this event, while visiting his daughter in Brunswick, Willem V died there on 9 April 1806 and at first was buried there. However, on 29 April 1958 his remains were returned to The Netherlands to be buried in Delft.
 

Source: Leo van de Pas