William I (1772-1843) was the first king of the present-day kingdom of the Netherlands. He was the son of William V, Prince of Orange, the last Netherlands governor, or stadholder, who lost his throne to the French in 1795. William I joined the Prussian Army against Napoleon I, and in 1806 lost the German duchy of Nassau. He regained Nassau in 1815, but then he traded it for the duchy of Luxembourg at the Congress of Vienna.
The congress made William king of the new Kingdom of the Netherlands, which included Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. In 1830, Belgium demanded its independence, which was recognized in 1839. Because of trouble within the country, William gave up the Netherlands throne in 1840, in favor of his son William II.
William I was born on Aug. 24, 1772, in The Hague. He died on Dec. 12, 1843.
