WI: William V of the Netherlands was female

What happens if William V, Stadholder of the Netherlands and Prince of Orange, was female?
Most likely a new stadholderless era and probably the definitive end of the stadholders. I don't think the Dutch are going to accept a female stadholder or are willing to have a foreigner as stadholder.
 
Most likely a new stadholderless era and probably the definitive end of the stadholders. I don't think the Dutch are going to accept a female stadholder or are willing to have a foreigner as stadholder.

AFAIK there was a bill deposited by Willem IV to allow for his daughter Wilhelmina Carolina to succeed him as stadtholder should Anne of Hannover's pregnancy be a girl/stillborn.
 
Well, there are some less likely scenarios, but I think pompejus is right. Even if William IV proposed legislation to allow for Wilhelmina Carolina to succeed him as stadtholder if he was left without a male heir... it's unlikely the people would stand for it. Traditionally, each province elected its own stadtholder. William IV was initially only stadtholder of Frisia and Groningen. Only in 1747 did he manage to force the other provinces to accept him as stadtholder as well, making the office hereditary as well.

But if he didn't have a male heir... well, there would be a lot of people calling for the stadtholderate to become elective again, as it had traditionally been. And without a good candidate, another stadtholderless period seems very likely.
 
I agree that William IV did have a bill passed to make the stadtholdership hereditary even to a female, because at the time of his ascension to the stadtholdership he didn't yet have a son (and at the time he was in a position to get away with anything). It would be difficult for sure, but if William IV manages to pull some further strengths to ensure Carolina's succession... well, you can't dismiss the possibility out of hand. Especially considering that the whole point of hereditary stadtholdership is that with the death of her father, Carolina would inherit the position and it would require an actual deposition to clear the way for a new Stadtholderless regime (which I could imagine wouldn't be too popular after the old one had only just been toppled).
 
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