BU Mint Set

Wilhelm II. was a member of the House of Oranien-Nassau. Before ascending to the throne, he served in the British Army, took part in the fighting against Napoleon on the Iberian Peninsula, and commanded Dutch troops at Waterloo in 1815. After the abdication of his father, Wilhelm I., he became King of the Netherlands in 1840 and, at the same time, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

This connection was based on the provisions of the Congress of Vienna of 1815. Luxembourg had been elevated to a grand duchy and transferred to the Dutch king in personal union. However, it remained an independent territory and belonged to the German Confederation (Deutscher Bund). Even before Wilhelm’s accession, historic Luxembourg had been divided as a result of the Belgian Revolution: the western, predominantly French-speaking part went to Belgium, while the reduced Grand Duchy remained connected to the Dutch king.

An important phase in constitutional development fell during Wilhelm’s reign. In 1841, Luxembourg received its first independent constitution. Against the backdrop of the European revolutions of 1848, a more liberal system followed, with stronger popular representation and limited governmental authority for the monarch. In the Netherlands, too, Wilhelm approved a comprehensive constitutional reform through which the country developed further into a parliamentary monarchy.

The equestrian figure depicted on the coin stands on the central square in front of the City Hall of Luxembourg City. The square is officially named Place Guillaume II and is known locally as “Knuedler.” The monument, erected in the 19th century, refers to Wilhelm as sovereign and to the reorganization of the Luxembourg state at that time.

The anniversary gave Luxembourg an opportunity to revisit this phase of its monarchical and constitutional history. The connection between the historic ruler and the present-day Grand Duke also highlights the dynastic continuity of the head of state, although the personal union with the Netherlands ended after the death of Wilhelm III. in 1890.