A life-size statue of William of Orange on horseback stands on Noordeinde in The Hague. This small sculpture is closely associated with the story behind it. In the mid-19th century French sculptor Alfred-Emile O'Hara de Nieuwerkerke made a model for an equestrian statue of William of Orange. It was displayed in The Hague, where King William II saw it. He was pleasantly surprised, and paid for the life-size statue to be made. But the Dutch people were not happy at the sight of William of Orange on horseback, which brought to mind the image of a ruler who controls his people, like a horse.
Equestrian statue of William of Orange, (after) Alfred-Emile O’Hara de Nieuwerkerke, post-1843, bronze | Stedelijk Museum Breda