The Bahamas capital Nassau is named in honour of which British monarch?

Nassau is the capital and largest city of The Bahamas. With a population of 274,400 as of 2016, or just over 70% of the entire population of The Bahamas, Nassau is commonly defined as a primate city, dwarfing all other towns in the country. It is the centre of commerce, education, law, administration, and media of the country.

The town that would be called Nassau was founded in 1670 by British noblemen who brought British settlers with them to New Providence. They built a fort, and named it Charles Town in honour of England’s King Charles II. During this time there were frequent wars with the Spanish, and Charles Town was used as a base for privateering against them. In 1684 the town was burned to the ground during the Raid on Charles Town.

It was rebuilt in 1695 under Governor Nicholas Trott and renamed Nassau in honour of William of Orange. William was the Dutch Stadtholder ('stadhouder' in Dutch), and, from 1689, William III, the King of England, Scotland and Ireland. William belonged to a branch of the House of Nassau, from which the city takes its name. The name Nassau ultimately derives from the town of Nassau in Germany.