ABSTRACT
There had been the usual campaign of the ultra-orangists, the most prominent of whom was count William Bentinck. As in 1672, there was also a democratic movement which made a determined attempt to introduce reforms in the country’s constitution. Once more the prince failed to support the democrats and the popular elements to whom he owed his appointment. Prince William IV accepted the increase of his own powers for which the democrats were agitating, but, apart from the granting of a few financial reforms, he gave his full support to the continuation of the dictatorship of the upper middle class. The orangist democrats were very disappointed. It is conceivable that if William IV had boldly come down on the side of his democratic supporters he might have become in fact what the orangist rank and file had always expected their prince to be, the leader of a popular party.
