Stadholder Frederik-Hendrik (1584-1647) and Princess Amalia (1602-1675)

[Marengo]

This thread is about Prince Frederik-Hendrik of Orange, Stadholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders and Overijssel (The Hague 24 Aug 1772-Berlin 12 Dec 1843) and Princess Amalia of Orange, born Countess of Solms-Braunfels (Potsdam 18 Nov 1774-The Hague 12 Oct 1837)

Parents Frederik-Hendrik: Prince Willem I of Orange, Stadholder of Holland, Zeeland etc. and Countess Louise de Coligny

Parents Amalia: Count Johann-Albrecht I of Solms-Braunfels and Count Agnes of Sayn-Witgenstein

Children Frederik-Hendrik and Amalia: Prince Willem II of Orange, Kuerfuerstin Louise-Henriette of Brandenburg, Princess Henriëtte Amalia, Princess Eisabeth and Princess Isabella Charlotte of Oranje-Nassau, Princess Albertina-Agnes of Nassau-Dietz, Duchess Henriette-Catharina of Anhalt-Dessau, Prince Hendrik-Lodewijk of Orange-Nassau, Princess Maria of Simmern

Half-Siblings Frederik-Hendrik: Prince Filips-Willem of Orange, Princess Maria of Hohenlohe, Countess Anna of Nassau, Countess Anna of Nassau-Dillenburg, Prince Maurice of Orange, Princess Emilia of Portugal, Princess Louise-Juliana of the Paltinate, Duchess Elisabeth de La Tour d'Auvergne, Countess Catharina-Belgica of Hanau-Münzenberg, Countess Charlotte-Flandrina of Nassau, Duchess Charlotte-Brabantina of Thouars and Countess Emilia Antwerpiana of Zweibrücken-Landsberg

Siblings Amalia: Viscountess Ursula of Dohna, Count Johann-Albrect II of Solms-Braunfels, Countess Louise Christina of Brederode.

[Marengo]

Frederick Henry or Frederik Hendrik in Dutch (January 29, 1584 – March 14, 1647) was Prince of Orange from 1625 to 1647.

Frederick Henry, the youngest child of William the Silent, was born at Delft about six months before his father's assassination.
His mother, Louise de Coligny, was daughter of the famous Huguenot leader, Admiral de Coligny, and was the fourth wife of William the Silent. The boy was trained to arms by his elder brother, Maurice of Nassau, one of the finest generals of his age. On the death of Maurice in 1625, Frederick Henry succeeded him in his paternal dignities and estates, and also in the stadtholderates of the five provinces of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Overijssel and Guelders, and in the important posts of captain and admiral-general of the Union.
Frederick Henry proved himself almost as good a general as his brother, and a far more capable statesman and politician. For twenty-two years he remained at the head of government in the United Provinces, and in his time the power of the stadtholderate reached its highest point. The "Period of Frederick Henry," as it is usually styled by Dutch writers, is generally accounted the golden age of the republic. It was marked by great military and naval triumphs, by world-wide maritime and commercial expansion, and by a wonderful outburst of activity in the domains of art and literature.

Read the entire wikipedia article here.

[Marengo]

Amalia of Solms-Braunfels (31 August 1602 – 8 September 1675), countess of Solms-Braunfels, was the wife of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange.
She was the daughter of Johan Albrecht I of Solms-Braunfels and Agnes of Sayn-Wittgenstein. She spent her childhood at the parental castle at Braunfels.
She became part of the train of Elizabeth Stuart, wife of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, the "Winter King" of Bohemia.
After imperial forces defeated Frederick V, she fled the pregnant queen to the west. Shelter was denied to them because the emperor forbade it. Elizabeth went into labour during their flight and Amalia helped her with her delivery.
The end of their journey was The Hague, where stadtholder Maurice of Nassau gave them assylum. They often appeared at his court, where Maurice's younger brother Frederick Henry became infatuated with Amalia. She refused to become his lover and held out for marriage.
When Maurice of Nassau died, he made his half-brother Frederick Henry promise to wed. Frederick married Amalia on 4 April 1625.

Read the entire wikipedia article here.

[Marengo]

As posted by Henri M on the Benelux Royals MB, a while ago:

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...

[Marengo]

[Marengo]

A poem by the most famous poet of The Netherlands, Joost van den Vondel (from www.dbnl.nl, free of copyrights):

Op de beeldenis der doorluchtighste en hooghgebore Vorstinne Amelia,
Princesse van Orangie, &c. * * *

Had Paris dees belonckt in 't midden van Godinnen: Vs. 1 Had hem AMELIA beschenen met een' blick: Hy hadse schoonst geroemt: nu schonck haer Frederick D'orangienappel, als aen d'eere der Vorstinnen. vs. 4 Anders. Dees' Venus kan den Vorst met minnevlam verwarmen: Wanneer hy in 't albast, en 't sneeu smelt van haere armen: vs. 2 Als hy verslingert druckt dat purper en korael, En met sijne ooren vangt haere honighsoete tael. Anders. In sterflijck aenschijn blinckt onsterffelijcke schoonheyd, Die Frederick den Held als in triomf ten toon leyd. vs. 2 Dus stroockt Amelia des grooten veldheers borst. vs. 3 Orangie uyt haren schoot verwacht den jongen Vorst. Anders. Dit is de Morgenstar, die, eer 't begint te daegen, Den Hemel overlicht van FREDRICX ledekant: Hy sou om dese Heleen thien jaren wapens draegen, vs. 3 Of troosten sich een slagh op Vlaendrens bloedigh strand. vs. 4 * Van 1625. Afgedrukt volgens de tekst in Begroetenis (zie blz. 508) de laatste bladzij.
Amalia van Solms, echtgenote van Frederik Hendrik, zie blz. 514, vs. 166; Vondel schrijft Amelia naar 't Frans-Nederl. Amelie.
Randschrift van de prent: Quid reddam Domino?: Wat zal ik de Heer wedergeven.
Vs. 1 Paris moest verklaren wie onder de godinnen de schoonste was; zie Hierusalem Verwoest, Aen den Leser r. 249-251, blz. 94.
vs. 4 d'eere: de voortreffelikste.
vs. 2 't albast, en 't sneeu: 't sneeuwwitte albast (zie blz. 190 op vs. 1820).
vs. 2 ten toon leyd: rondvoert (zij heeft Frederik Hendrik overwonnen door haar schoonheid, en voert hem als 't ware mee op haar zegetocht).
vs. 3 stroockt: streelt.
vs. 3 Heleen: Hélena, door Paris geschaakt; wat de oorzaak werd van de tienjarige Trojaanse oorlog.
vs. 4 troosten sich: zich getroosten 'n slag als b.v. die van Nieuwpoort.

[Marengo]

Princess Amalia as a widow, pointing to a portrait of her late husband.

[Marengo]

After her husbands death, the angel is called 'hope'. She certainly had an important role after her husbands death. As her son died quickly as well she had to battle with the states- general and with her daughter-in-law, the snobish Mary Stuart about the education of Stadholder Willem III (future king of GB).

[Marengo]

With some of her daughters. Princess Amalia got 9 children:

- Stadholder Willem II (1626-1650)
- Princess Louise-Henriette (1627-1667)
- Princess Henriette-Amalia (1628)
- Prince Elisabeth (1630)
- Princess Isabella-Charlotte (1632-1642)
- Princess Albertine-Agnes (1634-1696)
- Princess Henriette-Catharina 1637-1708)
- Prince Hendrik-Lodewijk (1639)
- Princess Maria (1642-1688)

[Marengo]

Amalia and her daughters. The angel is her son Willem II:

[Marengo]

More of Amalia:

[Marengo]

Princess Amalia:

[Marengo]

Some more of Frederik and Amalia

here with their daughter Louise-Henriette:

[Marengo]

Frederik-Hendrik with his brother Stadholder Maurits:

[Marengo]

Frederik-Hendrik was called ´The City Forcer´ because he conquered several cities during the 80-years war like Breda and Den Bosch:

[Marengo]

Frederik Hendrik on a victory chariot while his anscestors are looking down from above:

[Marengo]

A gravure of Princess Amalia holding two children.

[lucien]

Beautifull Marengo,thank you.I'm still puzzled tho as to why Queen Wilhelmina held such a grudge against Amalia,as she did to Willem V for obvious reasons,never got my head around what Amalia had done wrong in the eyes of the late Queen.

[Marengo]

I never heard anything about a grudge against Amalia actually, that should be interesting though.
Holding grudges against anscestors does sound rather glamorous, don´t you think

[Nancylee]

Does anyone know the location and artist for the portrait of Amalia, Princess of Orange and her daughters with her son Willem II as an angel?