The United Kingdom of the Netherlands was a state that existed from 1815 to 1830, formed after the defeat of Napoleon. It combined the northern provinces of the present-day Netherlands and the southern provinces, which are now part of Belgium and Luxembourg. The union aimed to create a strong, stable state in Northern Europe. The kingdom was ruled by King William I and faced challenges due to cultural and economic differences between the northern and southern regions. In 1830, a revolution in the south led to the independence of Belgium, effectively ending the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.