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- BIOGRAPHY
Willem Bentinck was born in London on 6 November 1704, a younger son of Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, and his second wife Jane Martha Temple. His father died when Willem was only five years old. His guardian became Johan Hendrik, Count van Wassenaer-Obdam. As all the British properties had been inherited by his half-brother, there were no prospects for him in England and at fifteen he was sent to Holland to start a political career. Later on he would inherit the Dutch properties.
As a young man, to the annoyance of his guardian, Willem enjoyed himself greatly in The Hague and ran up enormous debts to the extand that his guardian eventually was forced to make arrangements for the repayments. In his twenties he became determined to marry Charlotte Sophie, Gräfin von Aldenburg, heiress of Varel, Kniphausen and Doorwerth. However, she preferred an unattainable German prince and her mother expected that Willem would at least become a Count of The Holy Roman Empire.
Emperor Karl VI elevated him on 29 December 1732, and as Count Willem Bentinck he was accepted by Charlotte Sophie and married her on 1 June 1733. They became the parents of two sons. However, Charlotte Sophie did not bring prosperity, as a lot of money was owing on her properties and her debts exceeded his. Their marriage was an unhappy one and in 1740 they separated. Her properties were held as securities for their children, and for fourteen years she fought her husband in the courts to reclaim them in her own right. On 18 August 1754 she was forced to accept that her main properties went to her sons.
The most important part of his political career was spent on the restoration of Stadhouder Willem IV. In 1747 Willem IV was at last accepted in Holland and Count Willem Bentinck accompanied the prince on his journey through Holland and Zeeland. However, his political ambitions came to nothing as he was distrusted by the prince's wife. Nevertheless, he was capable, honest and a man of principle.
On 13 October 1774 he died on his property 'Zorgvliet' near The Hague.
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