Prince Hendrik ´The Navigator´ (1820-1879) and wives

[Marengo]

Prince Hendrik (1820-1879)

This thread is about Prince Willem Frederik Hendrik of The Netherlands (Soestdijk Palace 13 June 1824-Luxembourg 13 Jan 1879)

Parents: King Willem II of The Netherlands and Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia

1st wife: Princess Amalia da Gloria of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

2nd wife: Princess Maria of Prussia

Siblings: King Willem III of The Netherlands, Princes Alexander, Casimir of The Netherlands and Grand Duchess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

[Marengo]

Willem Frederik Hendrik (Soestdijk Palace, 13 june 1820 – Castle Walferdange Luxembourg, 13 januari 1879), Prince of The Netherlands, prince of Orange-Nassau was the 3rd son of King Willem II and Queen Anna Pavlovna.

He had a long carreer in the navy because of that he was sometimes called ´the Navigater´. On his deathbed he was named as admiral of the fleet. Apart from the navy his brother installed him on Feb. 5th 1850 as Stadholder of the Grand Duchy Luxembourg. His residence as Stadholder was the Castle Walferdange, where he would die later.

Hendrik married twice. His first marriage was on the 19th of May 1853 in Weimar with Princess Amalia of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, daughter of Prince Karl-Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. The marriage remained childless. After the death of the Crownprince the dynasties future was insecure he decided to remarry after his wife´s death. On Aug. 24. 1878 he married at Potsdam with Princess Maria of Prussia, daughter of Prince Friedrich-Karl. After 5 months the groom died unexpectedly. His older brother King WIllem III just remarried and Hendrik was expected to be present as a witness. Because he was too ill he had to cancel his attendance but there was no reason to worry. Hendriks shortlived second marriage remained childless too.

The widow, Maria, was left behind penniless as the two were married with a prenuptial agreement. The inheritance went to the family of Hendrik, so to his brother Willem III and sister Sophie received most of his goods. Maria´s father went to The Hague to discuss the matter with the King but hew as sent away without any consession. Willem III wanted to use the money for himself. Of course the Hohenzollerns were hurt, especially as their Friedrich Karl, hero of Metz, wearer of the Pour le Merite was almost thrown out of the palace by this tactless man who would enter history as King Gorilla. The conflict didn´t continue in the open as the King was the lawfull heir and Maria quickly remarried with Prince Albrecht of Saxe-Altenburg- But even a generation later this matter overshadowed the relations between the Hohenzollerns and the Orange-Nassau´s. Kaiser Wilhelm II was openly pleased with the thought that the House of Orange would become extinct and the von Wied family would take over the throne. The relation between him and Queen Wilhelmina stayed very cool.

[Marengo]

A portrait of Hendrik, displayed at Soestdijk Palace:

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Two other pictures:

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The funeral procession of the Prince:

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Amalia Maria da Gloria Augusta (Ghent, 20 March 1830 — Walferdange, Luxembourg, 1 May 1872), Princess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was the first wife of Prince Hendrik of The Netherlands.

She was the daughter of Prince Karl-Bernhard of Saxe-Meiningen and Ida of Saxe-Meiningen. In 1847 she met Prince Hendrik on Madeira, who accompanied his sick brother Alexander there. She married Hendrik on May 19th 1853 in Weimar, after which she settled at Castle Walferdange in Luxembourg. She occupied herself with charity and made herself loved in Luxembourg. Her marriage to Hendrik remained childless. She ded on May 1st 1872 and was burried in the New Church in Delft.

[Marengo]

A painting of Princess Amalia da Gloria:

[Marengo]

Maria Elisabeth Louise Frederika (14 Sept. 1855 in the Marmor Palais in Potsdam - 20 June 1888 in Münster), Princess of Prussia, was the daughter of Prince Friedrich-Karl of Prussia.
She married on Aug. 24 1878 in the Neues Palais at Potsdam with Prince Hendrik of The Netherlands. Hendrik died only five moths after the marriage.
Maria remarried on May 6, 1885 in Berlin with Prince Albrecht of Saxe-Altenburg. Sadly this only lasted two years, as Maria died in 1887. From this marriage two daughters were born: Olga Elisabeth and Marie.

[Marengo]

Two more pictures of Princess Maria:

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Prince Hendrik, Princess Maria and Maria´s sisters and their husbands.

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The cover of the ´Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad´ with the wedding of Prince Hendrik and Princess Maria on the cover.

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This sapphire parure was inherited by Hendrik from his mother, Queen Anna. After his death it went to his brother, King Willem III. His wife Emma had it broken up and created the Mellerio Sapphire parure from the stones.

[Marengo]

Palace Lange Voorhout, Prince Hendriks residence in The Hague:

[lucien]

Statue of the Prince in Leeuwarden:

http://www.royaltyguide.nl/images-co...20Hendrik2.JPG

courtesy Mardam.

[Helena]

I think they have the same statue in Amsterdam on de Prins Hendrikkade near the central trainstation.