| William VIII | |
|---|---|
| Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel | |
| Spouse(s) | Dorothea Wilhelmina of Saxe-Zeitz |
| Issue | |
| Charles Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel Maria Amalia |
|
| Titles and styles | |
| The Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel | |
| Noble family | House of Hesse-Kassel |
| Father | Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel |
| Mother | Maria Amalia of Courland |
| Born | 10 March 1682 |
| Died | 1 February 1760 |
William VIII (10 March 1682 – 1 February 1760) ruled Hesse-Kassel 1730 until his death, first as regent (1730–1751) and then as landgrave (1751–1760).
Born in Kassel, he was the seventh son of Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. After his elder brother Frederick became King of Sweden in 1720 and his father died in 1730, he became de facto ruler of Hesse-Kassel. He became officially landgrave after his brother's death on 25 March 1751.
Five years later, the Seven Years' War began and William joined with the Prussian and British forces. Hesse-Kassel became an important battlefield and was occupied by France on several occasions.
His second son and successor, Frederick, became a Catholic, which led to restrictions on Catholicism in the Calvinist landgraviate and the transfer of the Principality of Hanau to his Protestant son William.
During his reign, William started building the Wilhelmsthal Palace and collected paintings, including works by Rembrandt.
In 1717, William married Dorothea Wilhelmina (20 March 1691 – 17 March 1743), eldest daughter of Maurice William, Duke of Saxe-Zeitz.
They had three children: Charles (21 August 1718 – 17 October 1719); Frederick, his successor; and Maria Amalia (7 July 1721 – 19 November 1744). He died at Rinteln in 1760.
| Preceded by Frederick I |
Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel 1751 – 1760 |
Succeeded by Frederick II |