Stadholder Willem I 'The Taciturn' (1533-1584), Wives and Children

[Marengo]

The company 'DelfTech' wills tart today with a new research after the death prince Willem I. The company hope that it will find new information about the murder that happened on 10 July 1584 (!).

The company will use a 3D laser technology. The police of Zeeland and the one of Midden & West Brabant will assist the company.

Article in Dutch here.

And another one here, with a picture of the men at work.

According to royalblog the DelfForensics team did some tests with shooting, yesterday. They want to see if the bullit holes in the prinsenhof are real or not.

 

[Egmond Codfried]

Anna of Saxony (December 23, 1544-December 18, 1577)
Anna was reputedly unattractive and lame, but her wealth drew many suitors. She accepted the suit of William I of Orange, and they were married on August 25, 1561. Anna was unstable, swinging wildly between melancholia, violence, and suicidal despair. William soon tired of her unpredictable personality, and she became unpopular both with his family and the citizenry. Anna and William produced five children.

Poor Anna, so in love with her handsome prince, now even maligned in death. As her husband had lovers and bastards, so did she. But there is this written story about Jan Peter Rubens, the painter, being infact her child. Do you kow this story? And do you have an idea how the poor woman actually died, was she walled in by her family and left to die?

I always refer to her as Anna,Countess of Buren,but that's because I was tought so almost 50 years ago,even tho her father was Maximiliaan van Egmond,who was the wealthiest noble in the land actually.

No it wasn't her father,but I believe they were related paternally cousinwise.

Inheritence was easy at that time,all the lady had was the husbands as soon as she said the centuries old infamous word;"Yes",
and gone was what used to be hers,it was all his henceforth.Lamoraal wasn't of the same line,Anna was her fathers sole heiress.

Anyone calling my name: Egmond? I'm named after my father and do not know why his parents chose this name.

Anna van Buren was the richest heiress around, so naturally the prince fell in love. But they could make prenuptials if they wished.

Queen Beatrix uses her title Countess of Buren when she travels incognito, as did William-Alexander when he participated in that Elf Steden Tocht as Alex van Buren. It must be dear to their heart.

 

[Egmond Codfried]

I wish they hadn´t done this rediculous election of the greatest Dutch person so soon after the Pim Fortuyn murder. All his voters were casting a vote for him while normally Willem van oranje would have won.

How do you know? People are more informed about Pim anyway. And if you must know, I cried three days over his murder, while I had some disagreements about his policies.

 

[lucien]

I wish they hadn´t done this rediculous election of the greatest Dutch person so soon after the Pim Fortuyn murder. All his voters were casting a vote for him while normally Willem van oranje would have won.

I too am sure Willem would have won if it wasn't for this populist queen and the subsequent whimsical and false emotions triggered by a media carnaval of sorts that apparently had to "overwhelm" everyone.I wasn't,nor ever will be in regards to that man.Disgusting.And all that due to disgustingly cheap mass hysteria of sorts,unknown before here and I do hope unknown hereafter.

This thread is about a man who really made a difference for this our country,not to be polluted by Fortuyn and his LPF crapule.
They're forgotten now.Willem isn't,never will.

 

[lucien]

Poor Anna, so in love with her handsome prince, now even maligned in death. As her husband had lovers and bastards, so did she. But there is this written story about Jan Peter Rubens, the painter, being infact her child. Do you kow this story? And do you have an idea how the poor woman actually died, was she walled in by her family and left to die?



Anyone calling my name: Egmond? I'm named after my father and do not know why his parents chose this name.

Anna van Buren was the richest heiress around, so naturally the prince fell in love. But they could make prenuptials if they wished.

Queen Beatrix uses her title Countess of Buren when she travels incognito, as did William-Alexander when he participated in that Elf Steden Tocht as Alex van Buren. It must be dear to their heart.

They didn't do pre-nuptials those days,what was the wives,or heiress,first,was entirely the man's after the wedding.That's it.

People were not given anything official next to a name till the days of the Emperor Napoleon and his Civil Code,anyone was
free to pick and choose freely,often they'd choose the name of the place they lived.

There are many people with surnames being the same of towns,cities even,but are of no importance whatsever in relation to
any noteworthy aristocratic claim of sorts,or any historical connotations for that matter.If one can't produce letters
patent of some substance,then one's just a guy next door,be that to the left or to the right,n'importe pas.

 

[Tezz_mission]

Philip William, the eldest son actually remained a catholic all of his life, which is one of the reasons why the States General were so reluctant to allow him to return to the North. In his testament (which was recently recovered again) he stipulated a Requiem Mass must be celebrated for his soul every year at the St Sulpice church in Diest, where he was buried.

 

[lucien]

At the Prinsenhof in Delft,former residence of Prince Willem I and venue for his murder there in 1584,an exhibition opened on all Heads of the Orange Nassau Family,i.e. the 7 Prince-Stadtholders and the.-almost - , 7 Monarchs since 1568.

http://www.anpfoto.nl/search.pp?eventid=1488155

courtesy ANP

http://www.prinsenhof-delft.nl/en

 

[lucien]

Antique print from my collection.

 

[rominet09]

Beautiful print !!! I visited the place he was killed and very impressed I was !

 

[rominet09]

This thread is hugely interesting !

 

[Marengo]

In 2016 a new movie about William of Orange will be in the cinemas. The prince will be played by actor Barry Atsma:

Royalty Online

 

[An Ard Ri]

William the Silent is a highly interesting figure,looking forward to this project.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

This weekend a new tombstone has been laid on the grave of Charlotte of Nassau, Princess of Orange born De Bourbon-Vendôme (1546-1582). She was the third spouse of Willem I of Nassau, Prince of Orange. Charlotte was the fifth child and fourth daughter of Louis III de Bourbon-Vendôme, Duc de Montpensier, prince du sang, and of Jacqueline de Longwy, Comtesse de Bar-sur-Seine.

On the 9th of May 1582 the Princess died due to pneumonia. A few days earlier there was a failed attempt to assassinate the Prince. According to stories the Princess would have hold the wounds of the Prince (he was shot through the cheek) closed with her hands, unstoppable, exhausting her and apparently leading to her death.

The original tombstone was removed during the contrareformation (the Catholics reconquering Antwerp): there was no place anymore for honours to "heretics" (Charlotte converted to protestantism) in the Cathedral of Antwerp. Now a new tombstone has been created to the memory of this "forgotten" Princess.

The Prince and Princess of Orange got 6 daughters:

1
Louise Juliana Kurfürstin von der Pfalz, Pfalzgräfin bei Rhein née Nassau-Orange (1576−1644)

2
Elisabeth Flandrica de la Tour d'Auvergne, Duchesse de Bouillon, Vicomtesse de Turenne née Nassau-Orange (1577−1642)

3
Catharina Belgica Gräfin von Hanau-Münzenberg née Nassau-Orange (1578–1648)

4
Charlotte Flandrina de Nassau-Orange (1579–1640), Abbesse de Sainte-Croix

5
Charlotte Brabantina de la Trémoïlle, Duchesse de Thouars, Princesse de Talmond et de Tarente née Nassau-Orange (1580–1631)

6
Emilia Secunda Antwerpiana von Pfalz-Zweibrücken, Herzogin von Pfalz-Landsberg née Nassau-Orange (1581–1657)

 

[An Ard Ri]

Charlotte of Bourbon's secret conversion to Calvinism caused a major scandal at the time as she was Abbess of a convent (Which she later escaped from).

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

What I like is that in the Ye Olde Medieaeval Dutch on her tombstone Charlotte de Bourbon-Vendôme, daughter of a prince-du-sang and married to a Sovereign Prince is just referred as "Housewife"....

CHARLOTTE DE BOURBON
1546 - 1482

HOUSEWIFE OF
WILLEM OF ORANGE

[...]
in the blossoming of her years
Charlotte de Bourbon
legal housewife of Nassau
a fruitful tendril,
loyal unto death,
mannered of morals,
her presence was so sweet,
sweet as heaven's dew
[...]

 

[An Ard Ri]

Anna of Saxony

The Fifteen Princesses of Orange: Anna of Saxony | Royal Central

 

[An Ard Ri]

Charlotte of Bourbon

The Fifteen Princesses of Orange: Charlotte of Bourbon | Royal Central

 

[An Ard Ri]

Éléonore de Bourbon wife of Philip William, Prince of Orange (whom I never knew was Catholic and assumed all the Princes were Calvinist).

The Fifteen Princesses of Orange: Éléonore de Bourbon | Royal Central

 

[An Ard Ri]

Anna van Egmont,Countess of Buren,Leerdam and Lingen.

The Fifteen Princesses of Orange: Anna of Egmont | Royal Central

 

[Londena]

Thanks for sharing those, I really enjoy writing them!

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Éléonore de Bourbon wife of Philip William, Prince of Orange (whom I never knew was Catholic and assumed all the Princes were Calvinist).

The Fifteen Princesses of Orange: Éléonore de Bourbon | Royal Central

Still every year in the St Sulpice in Diest (Brabant) a Holy Mass is read for the repose of Philips Willem of Nassau, Prince of Orange (son of Willem I) and his spouse Éléonore de Bourbon (daughter of Henri I de Bourbon, Prince de Condé, Duc d'Enghien, Duc de Montmorency).

The Mass is often read by clergy from of the Benelux countries, from Nassau or from Orange. As the Prince was a Catholic before the changes of Vaticanum II, the Mass is read according the traditional Tridentine Liturgy.

The grave of Philips Willem of Nassau, Prince of Orange


Holy Mass for the repose of Philips Willem of Nassau, Prince of Orange

 

[An Ard Ri]

How interesting that this is still continued in his memory,was his wife Roman Catholic? I recall that several of the Princes of Conde were committed Huguenots and related to Jeanne d'Albret,queen of Navarre.

 

[Marengo]

Yes Eleonore was a catholic, apporved by Philips II of SPain even. Philips WIllem was basically held hostage by the Spanish king and received a catholic upbringing.

***

Apparently the 'Wilhelmus' (our national anthem) was not written by Filips van marnix van St. Aldegonde:

New Author For The Wilhelmus? | The Royal Forums

 

[CyrilVladisla]

A statue in honor of William the Silent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCRStVmuDPA

 

[Countessmeout]

Yes Eleonore was a catholic, apporved by Philips II of SPain even. Philips WIllem was basically held hostage by the Spanish king and received a catholic upbringing.

***

Apparently the 'Wilhelmus' (our national anthem) was not written by Filips van marnix van St. Aldegonde:

New Author For The Wilhelmus? | The Royal Forums

Are you certain Eleanor was catholic? At least before marriage. Considering her father Henry, 2nd prince of Conde, and her grandfather Louis were both Hugenot generals (Louis was implicated in several major rebellions against the Catholic throne),it seems unlikely that she was raised catholic. She married her husband 8 years after the death of Philip II.

I recall that several of the Princes of Conde were committed Huguenots and related to Jeanne d'Albret,queen of Navarre.

Yes, Jeanne was related by marriage. Her husband Antoine was Eleanora's Great Uncle. He was the elder brother of her grandfather Louis, the founder of the house of Conde. And both Louis and his son Henri were prominent Hugenot generals.

 

[Marengo]

I always assumed she was a catholic, but after your question I had a look around and I didn't find conclusive information about it. Online sources only mention that she was a relative of the French king and that she didn't inherit a penny from her husband.

However, I think it is rather likely she was catholic: she is burried in a catholic church, next to Filips Willem, which would be impossible if she would have been a protestant. Also, the marriage was approved by the king of Spain. Since the Spanish wanted to keep the house of Orange -and most others- catholic, I doubt they would have approved of a protestant marriage. By the time of her marriage to FW in 1606, Henri of Navarre already turned catholic for good. Eleonora's brother Henri II of Condé was also a catholic. In 1595 her own mother Charlotte Catherine de La Trémoïlle converted to catholicism as well. I suppose that Henri II Condé's being the heir presumptive to King Henri IV (until the birth of the future Louis XIII in 1601) may have something to do with the Condé's conversions ... Paris is worth a mass .

 

[CyrilVladisla]

The death of William of Orange
http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-de...g-william-of-orange-william-the-59880695.html

 

[Somebody]

Thank you that's interesting. Yes I was aware of the role of the stadtholder. The revolt of the Netherlands is a great story of the struggle for freedom.

In the Netherlands, if anyone would talk about 'Willem van Oranje' (William of Orange) everyone would no that it is about THIS Willem van Oranje and not one of his many descendants that shared his name.

I still think it would be a good idea if they'd pick his birthday (April 24) as the Official Birthday of the Monarch. Beatrix picked her mother's birthday (April 30) as she didn't want it in January, Willem-Alexander picked his own (3 days earlier: April 27), so I would expect Amalia to 'honor her father' by picking his birthday instead of her own (December - 2 days after the most important children's feast of Sinterklaas); picking April 24 would hardly be a change and would provide consistency because what if Amalia's firstborn is also born in winter?!

 

[An Ard Ri]

What sort of relationship did Willem have with the Regent Margaret of Parma?

 

[Marengo]

I still think it would be a good idea if they'd pick his birthday (April 24) as the Official Birthday of the Monarch. Beatrix picked her mother's birthday (April 30) as she didn't want it in January, Willem-Alexander picked his own (3 days earlier: April 27), so I would expect Amalia to 'honor her father' by picking his birthday instead of her own (December - 2 days after the most important children's feast of Sinterklaas); picking April 24 would hardly be a change and would provide consistency because what if Amalia's firstborn is also born in winter?!

Never thought of this before but I think that is a great idea! One wonders if it was ever considered at Noordeinde.

It is indeed unlikely that Amalia will pick her own birthday as a national day, it is a dreadfully inconvenient date paired with bad weather and early & dark evenings.