When king of England, William still kept his position as stadtholder, and with it his general European policy.

He found in England the sea power he needed, and used the resources of Holland for the land war.

This Dutch prince consented that in the allied fleets, in councils of war, the Dutch admirals should sit below the junior English captain; and Dutch interests at sea were sacrificed as readily as Dutch pride to the demands of England.

When William died, his policy was still followed by the government which succeeded him.

Its aims were wholly centred upon the land, and at the Peace of Utrecht, which closed a series of wars extending over forty years, Holland, having established no sea claim, gained nothing in the way of sea resources, of colonial extension, or of commerce.
Of the last of these wars an English historian says: "The economy of the Dutch greatly hurt their reputation and their trade.