Voting Station

King William III

Please vote to return to collections.

Monarch

The Resume

    (November 14, 1650-March 8, 1702)
    Dutch Prince Willem of Orange
    King of England (1688-1702)
    Won the Battle of the Boyne (1690)

Why he might be annoying:

    He married his cousin, Mary, when she was 15 years old and he was 27 (1683).
    The British King James II, who he overthrew, was his father-in-law.
    He is described as 'short, asthmatic, stooped, bad teeth and beaked nose.'
    He died at 51 years old, when he fell off his horse (1702).

Why he might not be annoying:

    French King Louis XIV attacked and occupied large areas of the Netherlands (1667-72).
    William successfully fought Louis XIV and drove him out, preserving the Netherlands' independence (1673).
    He kept Belgium and Luxembourg from being annexed to France.
    His hatred for France grew strong when they invaded Orange Province of the Netherlands.
    The French looted and persecuted the Protestants (1683).
    He became obsessed with the destruction of his enemy, Imperial France.
    The British protestant majority invited Dutch Prince William of Orange into their country to defeat converted Roman Catholic King James II (1688).
    One of the last British Monarchs to lead his forces into battle (George II was the last in 1743).
    He was the first British monarch to keep a standing army.
    Despite ailments and living in pain, he took very good care of himself by abstaining from drink and getting plenty of sleep.
    He was a great strategic general and was not ruthless.
    He fought for countries to keep their independence and not for annexation.
    In Britain, he reformed the government to a stronger parliamentary rule over that of the monarchy.
    He established the Bank of England.
    He firmed up the constitutional rights of the British people.
    Towards the end of his reign, he had problems with parliament, and felt they weren't tolerant or different points of view.
    He was born a week after his father died.
    He fought strongly for religious freedoms for all religions.
    He may have been one of the first feminists, because he made his wife, Mary, an equal monarch.

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 36 Votes: 77.78% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 40 Votes: 32.50% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 65 Votes: 55.38% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 19 Votes: 89.47% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 214 Votes: 41.59% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 82 Votes: 51.22% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 35 Votes: 48.57% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 40 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 6 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 29 Votes: 48.28% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 20 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 48 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 28 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 31 Votes: 64.52% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 77 Votes: 62.34% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 99 Votes: 53.54% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 191 Votes: 57.59% Annoying
    In 2004, Out of 258 Votes: 56.59% Annoying
    In 2003, Out of 635 Votes: 58.43% Annoying
    In 2002, Out of 2347 Votes: 67.87% Annoying
    In 2001, Out of 4364 Votes: 48.49% Annoying