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

[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]

Originally Posted by 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

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]

Originally Posted by 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

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-dea...-59880695.html

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Durham

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]

Originally Posted by Somebody

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.