He was not only born in a difficult time but the problems for The Netherlands were continually deteriorating. Even though the Dutch Republic's international standing was considerably reduced, its wealth assured that most countries still tried to keep the Dutch on their side. The main antagonists were France and England; and as they kept their struggles with each other outside of Europe, the Dutch fleet was a much needed commodity. Willem (I)'s father, Stadhouder Willem V, was a weak and indolent person. His main strength was his mother, Wilhelmine of Prussia, who, with her brother's army, had restored Willem V to his rightful position in the Dutch republic. Wilhelmine also supervised her children's education, thus removing Willem (I) even further from his father. However, Willem (I) later in life was not only slow in making up his mind but was also as stubborn as his father. His younger brother, Frederik, was open and jolly and therefor much loved, while Willem was stiff and disliked meetings where he had to speak. He relied mainly on people who had earned his trust and would stubbornly stand by them, but this would sometimes damage his position. However, he was also very careful with his money so that some even called him stingy; yet later on this trait enabled him to restore the family's fortunes. In his youth he made two journeys into Germany and visited Berlin where his marriage with his cousin, another Wilhelmine of Prussia, was arranged. As a student in Leiden he was required to record what, according to him, the best form of Government would be for the Austrian Netherlands (Belgium). The last years of the Dutch Republic were difficult and, at the age of eighteen, Willem was appointed Governor of Breda. Breda had not only been one of the oldest possessions of his family, but was also a bulwark against the French expansion. His marriage took place on 1 October 1791. His first child was born on 6 December 1792. Then in 1793 the French crossed the Belgian border. Not only did the allies of the Dutch have different priorities, but as well the Dutch army was in a deplorable state. The cold winter of 1794 froze the rivers to such an extant that the French general, Pichegru, could enter his army across them and into The Netherlands without any difficulty. On 18 January 1795 Stadhouder Willem V and his sons were forced to leave the country, other members of the family having already gone to England before them. This was the end of the Dutch Republic which was not only transformed into a vassal state of France but later regarded as part of the French Empire. While Willem V was patient, his son Willem (I) was eager to take part in action. Either with the French or against them, his main aim was to return and be in charge of The Netherlands. As Willem (I) maintained that the safety of their possessions in Germany depended upon Prussia, he returned to the continent and went to Germany. Willem V, never wavering in his opposition to France, had to make his son promise, not to negotiate with them, which his son did with reluctance. For many years Willem (I) lived in frustration but was prevented by his parents from making major errors. However, as soon as his father died in 1806, he was to create problems from which at times it was almost impossible to extricate himself. Willem (I), being an admirer of Napoleon, was willing to return to The Netherlands as a French consul. However, the French quietly rejected his suggestions. He even went so far as to go to Paris to discuss matters in person with Napoleon, which his parents regarded as offensive. The only settlement achieved was a small territory around Fulda given to Willem (I) as a recompense for his lost territories in Germany. In return he had to denounce his rights to the Stadhoudership in The Netherlands. In addition, he also received an annuity from England given to him in the hope of controlling his actions. In 1804 Napoleon invited the German princes to Mainz. Willem V refused to go because he detested Napoleon, while Willem (I) stayed away as he feared he might endanger his English annuity. As a result, Napoleon was furious with the princes of the House of Orange. Willem was in the allied army at Auerstedt when he was captured by the French. On his word of honour he was released and went to Fulda. During the short period he was there he was an excellent administrator; and when in 1806 the French took Fulda over, they said so. In Fulda he had improved both finances and education, and this was for him a period when he learned a great deal which would assist him as King of The Netherlands. However, he tried to regain Fulda but Napoleon refused in a most humiliating manner. His only support was now the English whom he hated and so he withdrew to some small properties he owned in Poland. His mother, knowing he was disliked in England, offered to go there to plead his case. Instead, he sent his fifteen-year-old son who was to finish his education at Oxford University. For a period there was even a possibility that this son might marry the heir to the British throne, Princess Charlotte of Wales. Willem then joined the Austrian army and at Wagram his horse was twice shot underneath him. After Napoleon's defeat in Russia, Willem went to England with the hope of securing support for his restoration as well as adding Belgium to The Netherlands. However, as he was personally distrusted, he was forced to wait. It was the rivalry between Austria and Prussia which allowed the eventual joining of the Belgian and Dutch territories. Also a new state, Luxemburg, was created and Willem became its Grand Duke. He received this as compensation for Fulda and other territories which had once belonged to his family. On 19 November 1813, Willem returned to The Netherlands and, being proclaimed its sovereign on 2 December, was now Willem I, King of The Netherlands. The wishes of the Belgian people were ignored and they became part of the same kingdom. One of the first things his government did was to proclaim a constitution. However, Willem I preferred to rule without restraints or consultations and his autocratic behaviour was not appreciated. Gradually resentment grew in Belgium as the Protestants seemed to be in charge. Then, in 1830, civil war broke out which lasted until 1839 when Belgium went its own way with Leopold of Saxe-Coburg as its first king. In his early years as monarch he invested his own money in many apparently risky businesses. Yet by his actions he stimulated, encouraged and supported. In due course this earned him a regular and secure income. In 1837 he lost his wife and for a few years lived a lonely life. When he wanted to marry one of his late wife's ladies-in-waiting, he found a great deal of opposition. Henriette d'Oultremont, being both Catholic and of Belgian origin, was opposed not only by politicians but also by Willem I's eldest son who feared she might give Willem I more children. As a result, Willem I abdicated on 7 October 1840 and from then on wanted to be known as King Willem Frederik, Count of Nassau. As such he married Henriette in Berlin on 17 February 1841. Willem's main support came from his daughter, Marianne, who lived in Berlin with her Prussian husband. The new king, Willem II, refused to meet his father and his new wife, only allowing registration of the marriage in The Hague when Willem I threatened to go through another marriage ceremony there. Willem I then returned to his palace in 't Loo and, together with his wife, was received with a festive welcome. Nevertheless, his son, Willem II, expressed his disappointment in his returning with Henriette and declared both unwelcome in The Hague. Having returned to The Netherlands, it was now his second son, Frederik, who made his peace with Henriette, even to reporting touchingly of how Henriette had nursed her husband during an illness in April 1842. After his health was restored, he went to The Hague and was at last graciously received. However, his health then deteriorated further, culminating in a stroke on 12 December 1843 when he died the same day. As king he had steered both The Netherlands and Belgium in the right direction, yet had not at all been appreciated in either country. 

Source: Leo van de Pas