Prince Maurice of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau (Willem Frederik Maurits Alexander Hendrik Karel; 15 September 1843 – 4 June 1850), was the second son of King William III of the Netherlands and his first spouse, Sophie of Württemberg.

This article does not cite any sources. (September 2017)

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

Prince Maurice
Prince Maurice of the Netherlands (left) with his brother Prince William.
Born	(1843-09-15)15 September 1843 Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, Netherlands
Died	4 June 1850(1850-06-04) (aged 6) Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, Netherlands
House	Orange-Nassau
Father	William III of the Netherlands
Mother	Sophie of Württemberg

Close

When Prince Maurice suffered from meningitis, Queen Sophie wanted to consult another physician for a second opinion, but King William III refused and the child died. Their already strained relationship fell apart almost completely, as Sophie blamed William for Maurice's death.

The embittered queen wrote to one of her friends:

My child is dead. I've closed my eyes myself. All that was left of hope and joy on this earth is gone forever... I hope I can die soon. Every day my misery increases. Every face I have to see is torture; I continuously envision the pointed face of my dying child, how he begged me to help him, when no help was possible...

Nevertheless, the couple had one more son, Prince Alexander, born a year after Maurice's death.