King William III - Character Study, First Notes



Guy Clemens as King William III - younger version

 The Dutch TV-series “De Troon” (“the Throne”) tries really hard to give King William III some traits of humanity and empathy. The result is them completely ignoring certain, fairly important, stories, like the story about the “Comtesse d’Ambroise”, an opera singer the King had fallen in love with. Without even notifying his ministers he made her a “Comtesse” (Countess) and planned to marry her. This happened about one month after Sophie’s death. This King was more dramatic than the drama actually makes you believe. Unbelievable, isn’t it?

Rumour had it he planned to travel to Paris to marry the Comtesse on the 25th of August, Alexander’s birthday. It’s easy to imagine Alexander’s reaction. As a matter of fact, I was offended in Alexander’s name. The fact it happened only two/three months after Sophie’s death (3 June 1877) makes it only worse. No empathy, no humanity. He really deserved his title of King Gorilla.

Then there were the rumours of the King being a drunk. Minister Weitzel remarks he never noticed the King drinking too much; Weitzel paid extra attention to the King’s drinking habits at events. I could not see how that was positive. It only told me the King was from nature an unpleasant, yes even evil person. Alcohol was not necessary for the King to misbehave sometimes hilariously, but most of the time dreadfully.

Marcel Musters as King William III - older version

What I certainly don’t understand is how the King completely retreated willfully from the upbringing of one of his sons. I think it was even fair to say he was glad to leave Alexander’s upbringing to Sophie. From start to end the King belittled and humiliated Alexander. When Alexander’s body was put in the family grave tomb, the King didn’t even go down into the tomb for the last goodbye, which would have been normal procedure. He left the church early so the rest of his day wasn’t ruined.

I do want to hear something positive. I do search for something positive. But even his performance during a flood, he apparently saved some people, wasn’t entirely genuine. He did it for a great part to become the hero he always wanted to be. Nothing in his actions shows humanity or empathy. There isn’t anything, or not much, good he’s done. His biographer even has trouble naming something of good he’d done. Eventually this biographer decided we should be thankful of this King for failing to renounce the constitution. Couldn’t say that got me excited about King William III.