William III,(Wilhelm Alexander Paxil Frederik Lodewijk), king of the Netherlands, born Feb. 19, 1817. He was educated in England. In 1849, after his accession to the throne, he faithfully carried out and extended the liberal reforms initiated in 1848, and he reduced his civil list from 1,200,000 to 800,000 florins. The abolition of slavery in the West India colonies was decreed in 1862. In 1866 the Dutch province of Limburg, which since 1815 had formed a part of the Germanic confederation, was fully incorporated with his dominions; and on May 11, 1867, the neutrality of the grand duchy of Luxemburg was recognized, and it was placed under the absolute sovereignty of his dynasty. During the FrancoGerman war of 1870-71 the king maintained a strict neutrality. In 1873 he became engaged in warfare with Acheen, in Sumatra, which continued down to 1876. His wife, Sophia, a daughter of King William I. of Wiirtemberg (born June 17, 1818), is distinguished for scholarly attainments. Their eldest son, William, prince of Orange, was born Sept. 4, 1840.