King Gorilla or William the Good? The first nickname of Willem III (1817-1890) is more famous. Willem's life was ruled by scandals and ruled a long time, from 1849-1890. In 1839 Willem married his niece Sophie van Wurtemberg. From this very unhappy marriage, three sons were born: Willem, Maurits and Alexander. They did not outlive their father. When his wife Sophie died he married Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont, she was 41 years younger than him. They had one daughter who later became Queen Wilhelmina. Willem became king after some some international affairs. The Belgian Revolution of 1830 divided the kingdom. Then, the European Revolutionary Year 1848,brought the Netherlands a new constitution. King Willem's reign was plagued by one serious international affair: the Luxembourg issue (1866/67), which brought the Netherlands in a bad position between Prussia and France. Domestic difficulties were often due to Willem's character. In his anger, he threatened to bomb Schiedam or ministers to be headed. People said it was because of his Russian Romanov blood, this quirky character. On the other hand, he loved music and the arts, a broad interest in technological developments, agricultural science and infrastructure. Willem could also be very engaging and charming, and was very concerned and helpful with the Dutch floodings of 1855 and 1861. Hardback edition, 160 pages, 23.8 x 28.6 cm, many illustrations. In Dutch language only.