
06-07-2006, 03:40 AM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Posts: 10,109
|
|
Not a Queen, but one of the most important women (THE most important woman some say) in the dynasty: Princess Amalia of Orange, nee Countess of Solms-Braunfels. Born on 31 august 1602 (same date as Queen Wilhelmina, no coincidence there), died 8 september 1675. Henri M. had a rather eloquent post about her on the Benelux Royals MB:
Countess Amalia was the daughter of Johann-Albrecht I Count of Solms-Braunfels and Agnes Countess zu Sayn-Wittgenstein.
Countess Amalia became a lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth Stuart, Princess of Scotland who married Friedrich V Kurfürst of the Pfalz (Elector Palatinate), King of Bohemia. This Elizabeth is the mother to Electress Sophia of Hannover, to whom all present direct descendants to the British throne are related.
Friedrich V was a full nephew to Amalia's later husband Frederik Hendrik of Nassau, Prince of Orange via his mother Louise Juliana of Nassau, a halfsister to Frederik Hendrik.
In 1619, Friedrich V was offered and accepted the crown of Bohemia, but his rule was brief, and Elizabeth Stuart became known as the "Winter Queen". She was also sometimes called "Queen of Hearts" because of her popularity. The couple and their children were given refuge in The Hague by their uncle Maurits of Nassau, Prince of Orange.
This old Prince Maurits was dying and forced his younger halfbrother Prince Frederik Hendrik to seek a lady for a proper marriage, on the threat of being disinherited, making his bastard sons general heir to the immense Orange-Nassau fortune.
Prince Frederik Hendrik rememered the pretty lady-in-waiting of his niece-in-law Elizabeth Stuart and rushed to the Palace of Bohemia in The Hague. He immediately proposed to Countess Amalia. The Countess, herself from exiled and impoverished nobility and having not a single centime of dowry realized that this was the chance of her life: she hesistated no moment and agreed.
Only one week after the totally unexpected proposal Frederik Hendrik of Nassau, Prince of Orange married in a most sober ceremony with Amalia Countess of Solms-Braunfels. When she was dressed up with her bridal toilet, Countess Amalia folded her hands and said: 'Quid Reddam Domino?' ('What shall I render to the Lord?') Suddenly she, an impovershed noble, found herself married to one of the most wealthy Princes of her era...
an article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalia_of_Solms-Braunfels
bigger article in dutch: http://www.koningkeizerrijken.info/amalia-van-solms.htm
and an even larger one: http://www.inghist.nl/Onderzoek/Proj...AmaliaVanSolms
|