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WILLIAM (1227-1256)

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 671 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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WILLIAM (1227-1256) , See also:king of the See also:Romans and See also:count of See also:Holland, was the son of Count See also:Floris IV. and his wife See also:Matilda, daughter of See also:Henry, See also:duke of See also:Brabant. He was about six years of See also:age when his See also:father was killed in a See also:tournament, and the fact that his See also:long minority was peaceful and uneventful speaks well for the See also:good See also:government of his two paternal uncles, who were his guardians. William was, however, suddenly in 12Y7 to become a prominent figure in the See also:great See also:Guelph-Ghibelline struggle, which at that See also:time was disturbing the See also:peace of See also:Europe. The See also:quarrel between the See also:church and the See also:emperor See also:Frederick II. had now reached an acute See also:stage. See also:Pope See also:Innocent IV., who had failed in repeated efforts to induce various princes to accept the dignity of king of the Romans in See also:place of the excommunicated Frederick, found the youthful William of Holland ready to accept the proffered See also:crown. After a long See also:siege William succeeded in taking the imperial See also:city of See also:Aix-la-Chapelle, where he was crowned on All See also:Saints' See also:Day 1248. As the recognized See also:head of the Guelph party he spared no efforts to win for himself See also:friends in See also:Germany, but he never really succeeded in forming a party or gaining for himself a footing in the See also:Empire during the lifetime of Frederick. With the extinction of the See also:Hohenstaufen See also:house in 1254 his chances were much improved, but shortly afterwards his See also:death occurred on the 28th of See also:January 1256 through his See also:horse breaking through the See also:ice during an obscure See also:campaign among the Frisian marshes. William was more successful in his struggles with See also:Margaret, countess of See also:Flanders and See also:Hainaut, known as " See also:Black Meg." She wished her See also:succession to pass to the sons of her second See also:marriage with William of Dampierre in preference to those of his first marriage with Bouchard of Avennes. But See also:John of Avennes, her eldest son, had married William's See also:sister Aleidis. William took up arms in See also:defence of his See also:brother-in-See also:law's rights and Margaret was decisively beaten at See also:West Kappel in 1253, and was compelled to acknowledge John of Avennes as her successor to the See also:county of Hainaut. See A.

See also:

Ulrich, Geschichte See also:des romischen Konigs, Wilhelm von Holland (See also:Hanover, 1882).

End of Article: WILLIAM (1227-1256)

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