United Kingdom of the Netherlands

The unofficial name used to refer to a new unified European state created during the Congress of Vienna in 1815. This state, officially called "Kingdom of the Netherlands", was made up of the former Austrian Netherlands to the south and the former United Provinces (better: Republic of the Seven United Netherlands) to the north. The House of Orange-Nassau came to be the monarchs of this new state.

The intention was to provide a viable state to the north of France to counterbalance potential new French ambitions in this direction. It lasted until the southern provinces seceded to form Belgium in 1830, though Belgian independence was not formally recognised by the north until 1839, after which the name "Kingdom of the Netherlands" remained to refer to just the northern provinces. The Grand Duchy of Luxemburg was to be ruled by the House of Orange-Nassau up to 1890, the year William III died. As females weren't allowed to succeed in Luxemburg due to the Salic law, the Grand Duchy passed to the House of Nassau-Weilburg, a collateral line; this in accordance with the Nassau Family Treaty of 1783.

See also