Royals Marrying Late In Life

[Denville]

He was a late marrier because he had to marry a virgin, ie a much younger woman. If he'd left it much longer, as PHilip put it, there would be no one left. But I certainly think that there nothing wrong with a royal male marrying In his 30s if he can marry a woman close in age.. She's still young enough to have 2 or 3 children.

[eejm]

Prince Henry of the Netherlands married late in life just like his brother, Willem III. He had been married once before, to Amalia of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. They had a happy marriage, but were childless. Amalia died in 1872.


At the age of 58, Henry married Marie of Prussia in 1878. She was just shy of her 23rd birthday. Willem III's marriage had produced three sons, one of whom died as a child. The two remaining sons were known as dissolute (as was Willem himself), so Henry's marriage was intended to save the House of Orange-Nassau from extinction.



Henry's marriage to Marie was also childless and lasted just five months. He died of measles in 1879. Poor Marie was left destitute as Henry had not yet changed his will to include her. She married again a few years later and had two daughters.


Thankfully the House of Orange-Nassau did not die out thanks to Willem III's second marriage to Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont, as already mentioned.