the kingdom of the netherlands originated in the aftermath of french emperor napoleon i's defeat in 1815. in the year 1815, the netherlands regained its independence from france under its first french empire, which had annexed its northern neighbour in 1810, as the sovereign principality of the united netherlands. the great powers of europe, united against napoleonic france, had decided in the secret treaty of the london protocol to establish a single state in the territories that were previously the dutch republic/batavian republic/kingdom of holland, the austrian netherlands and the prince-bishopric of liège, awarding rule over this to william, prince of orange and nassau, although the southern territories remained under prussian (german) rule until napoleon's return from his first exile on elba ("hundred days").