 The relationship between the prince and his parents became very problematic, as his parents refused William's wish to accept Mathilde as his bride in 1874.By the standards of the Dutch royal family, a marriage between a member of the royal family and a member of the nobility was considered unequal and therefore unacceptable.Also a rumour circulated that Mathilda was an illegitimate daughter of king William III and so William could be marrying his half-sister.