The House of Orange-Nassau

The history of the house of orange is a little confusing because, as we will see later, the original Orange family, on which the Dutch Kingdom is based, point out that the, so called Heir, was not based on the habit that the eldest son was automatically the Heir of the family.

In several cases the family-tree could not go on in a straight line because some Heirs stayed childless and others died before they could take over the titles of their forefathers. In the Orange family this was not only the case but in two cases, until 1890, the family tree was continued through the female line, which is a "dead-sin" for nobility...... From 1890 on until present day the family tree continued through the female line with Wilhelmina, Juliana and Beatrix.

In accordance to the "Salic Law" Nobility can only "survive" when it continue through the male line.

At that time, and still at present time, the PURE BLOODLINE MUST continue through the eldest male of the family or et least through a younger male. That is obvious not the case with the Dutch Orange family. Furthermore, the present Orange House in The Netherlands have nothing to do with the original family-line of which it says to be derived, namely William of Orange (1533-1584).

The Orange-Nassau family already died-out in 1702 with the dead of William III, the grand-son of William of Orange, and was continued in the Lowlands by the descendants of The Nassau-Dietz family-line in the person of Johann Friso.

Let us have a closer look at the history and the bloodline of the Orange family in The Lowlands.

1. The House of Nassau-Dillenburg

The first ancestor of this house was one Dudo, "advocatus et comes de Lurenburch" [Laurenburg] (1093-1117).

Heinrich "The Rich" of Nassau (1180-1250), Heir

The first offspring of the Nassau family was Count Heinrich "The Rich" of Nassau (1180-1250). He married the Dutch Machteld of Guelders (Gelre), one of the nobles of The Lowlands at that time.

Walram II (1220-1276), Heir

Their eldest son Walram II (1220-1276) is the ancestor of the line Nassau-Weilburg and the present Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

A younger son, of Walram II, Otto I (†1289), is the ancestor of the line of Nassau-Dillenburg and "far away", see later, the present House of Orange of The Netherlands.

Otto I, 1256-1290, Heir

Otto I von Nassau in Siegen, Dillenburg, Beilstein and.Ginsberg (1255-1290), He married Agnes von Leiningen (died 1303), children :

Heinrich von Nassau in Siegen and Dillenburg, ?-1343, Heir

Heinrich von Nassau in Siegen, Ginsberg, Haiger and dem Westerwald 1303, in Dillenburg, Herborn and Beilstein (1328-1343), died 1343, married before 1302 with Adelheid von Heinsberg (died 1343), children :

Otto II von Nassau in Siegen and Dillenburg, 1305-1351, Heir

He married 1331 Adelheid von Vianden (died 1376), children :

Johann I von Nassau-Dillenburg, 1350-1416, Heir

He married 1357 Margareta von der Mark-Kleef (died 1409), children :

Engelbert I von Nassau-Dillenburg, 1370-1442.

The line of Nassau-Dillenburg acquired possessions in the Lowlands when Engelbert I von Nassau-Dillenburg, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, born 1370, died 03-05-1442 at Breda, married the wealthy heiress Johanna van Polanen. They married 01-08-1403 at Breda. Engelbert von Nassau-Dillenburg was a son of Johan I von Nassau-Dillenburg and Margaretha van de Mark-Kleef.

Lord of Breda, in 1417 he inherited the County Vianden, etc, born 1370, died at Breda 1442, married 1405 Johanna van Polanen, heiress of Breda (1392 -1445).

Johanna van Polanen van der Leck, born 10-01-1392,died 15-05-1445 at Breda was the heiress of Jan van Wassenaar-Polanen, born circa 1350, died 11-08-1394. Heer van Breda. Married (1) about 1380 with ? van Grimhuijsen?, born about 1350, unknown origin. Maried (2) about 1390 with Odilia van Salm-Ardeneen, born about 1365, died 22-06-1428, daughter of Johann van Salm-Ardeneen and Philippa van Valkenburg.

Because of their marriage the house of Nassau-Dillenburg came to The Lowlands (Netherlands).

They hade the following children :

Johann IV von Nassau-Dillenburg, 1410-1475, Heir

Count of Vianden and Dietz (1448-75), Heer van der Lek and Breda, married 1440 Marie von Loon, heiress of Millen, Gangelt, Vucht, Lummen and Steijn (1424-1502), children :

Johann V von Nassau-Dillenburg, 1455-1516.

Johann V (1455-1516), Count of Nassau, lord of Dillenburg, Siegen, Vianden and Dietz and Breda, Stadtholder of Guelders and Zutphen 1504-1505, son of Johann IV von Nassau-Dillenburg in Vianden and Dietz (1448-1475), grandson of Engelbert I, married 1482 Elisabeth of Hesse (1466-1523). They had the following children:

Heinrich III De Nassau-Breda, 1483-1538, Heir

The House of Nassau-Dillenburg acquired the principality of Orange when Hendrik III of Nassau (1483-1538), the eldest son of Johann V, married Claudia of Chalon and Orange (1498-1521) on 1515, daughter of Jean II of Chalon, died 1502, who married Philiberte of Luxembourgh, child :

René of Chalon.

2. The House of Orange-Nassau-Dillenburg

René of Chalon De Nassau-Breda, 1519-1538, Heir

Count of Nassau 1538, Prince of Orange 1538.

Born 5 Feb 1519, died 1544 childless.

After the dead of René of Chalon the family line continued through his uncle.

William I the Rich, 1487-1559, Heir

Count of Vianden and Dietz 1516, Count of Nassau 1544.

The younger brother of Hendrik III, William I the Rich (1487-1559), Count of Nassau, Vianden and Dietz. Married 1st 29 Apr 1506 Walburgis of Egmond (1489-1529), Walburgis of Egmond, born 1489, died 1529. Married 2nd on 20 Sep 1531 Juliana of Stolberg-Wenigerode (1506-1580), widow of Philip II of Hanau-Münzenberg (1501-1529), children :

Because of the early dead of Henrdrik III's son Rene of Chalon, his nephew, William I "the Silent" (1533-1584), became Heir of the title "Prince of Orange" in 1544. He became a national hero in the Lowlands.

William I the Silent, 1533-1584, Heir.

click the image to enlarge

Prince of Orange 1544, Count of Nassau, Vianden and Dietz, VisCount of Antwerp, Baron of Breda 1559. Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht 1559, Brabant 1577, Frisia 1580.

William I (Maurice) the Silent (April 25,1533- July 10,1584), Heir of his father William I the Rich, and in 1544 Heir of the title "Prince of Orange" after the dead of Rene of Chalon. Also known as William of Orange.

The life story of William of Orange

Early Life

He was a descendant of the Ottonian line of Nassau, he was born at Dillenburg, near Wiesbaden, Germany, of Protestant parents. After inheriting (1544) the holdings of the branch of the Nassau family in the Low Countries and the principality of Orange in Southern France, William was reared a Roman Catholic at the insistence of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, whose favorite servant he became. In 1555 he was made Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, and Utrecht.

Wives and Heirs

William married four times.

He married 1st 1551 Anna of Egmond and Buren (1533-1558), Countess of Buren.

After the death of his 1st wife William of Orange had an affair with Eva Elinx and fathered a son, Justinus of Nassau (1559-1631), who married in 1597 Anna of Merode (1565-1634).

He married 2nd 1561 Anna of Saxony (1544-1577), daughter of Elector Maurice of Saxony, in spite of the opposition of Philip II and of Anne's parents; in 1575 annulled.

He married 3rd at Dordrecht on April 24, 1575, two years before Anne's death, Charlotte de Bourbon-Montpensier (1547-1582).

He married 4th in 1583 with Louise de Coligny (1555-1620), widow of Charles de Téligny and daughter of Admiral Gaspard de Coligny.

From his first marriage Prince Philip William of Orange (d. 1616) was born; from the second and fourth marriages issued William's successors as Stadtholder, Maurice of Nassau and Frederick Henry (see later).

He had the following children :

Philips William, 1554-1618, Heir

Prince of Orange , Count of Nassau, Vianden and Buren 1584.

He married Eléonore of Bourbon-Condé (1587-1619). They had no issue.

Philips William lived a long time (1566-1596) in Spain as hostage for his father who was escaped to Dillenburg for Philips II of Spain.

In 1596, 12 years after the dead of his father, he received permission to return to the Lowlands to claim his titles and Heir-ship of his father William I. But Maurice, his younger half-brother, had proclaimed himself already "born Prince of Orange" and the States of Holland didn't trust the raised Roman Catholic Philips William, so he lost the "battle" of his Heir-ship in the Lowlands and returned to his Castle in Orange and lived there until his dead in 1618 after years of struggle with his younger half-brother.

Maurice (Maurits), 1567-1625.

Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau 1618.

2nd Stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland 1585, Guelders, Utrecht and Overijssel 1589, Groningen and Drenthe 1620.

Captain General and Admiral of the 7 United Provinces of Holland from 1588.

Son of William I the Silent and Anne of Saxony. In 1618 he succeeded his elder half-brother, Philip William, as Prince of Orange (see the story above).

Maurice, the 7th child of William I, became Stadtholder in Holland until his dead in 1625.

He never married, but fathered several bastards by Margaretha van Mechelen, Anna van de Kelder and others, including: William (1601-1627) who married 1627 Anna van der Noot (†1642), lady of Hoogwoud. He had also a bastard son by Barbara Cocx, Lodewijk (1602-1665), lord of Beverweerd, married 1630 Isabella of Hornes (†1664). This line of Nassau-LaLecq became extinct in 1861.

He was succeeded by his youngest half-brother Frederick Henry who became Prince of Orange in the same year his elder brother died and he became 3rd Stadtholder of Holland and heir of the Orange family.

Frederick Henry, 1584-1647.

Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau 1625

3rd Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Overijssel and Guelders 1625, Groningen and Drenthe 1640.

15th and youngest son of William I, his mother was Louise de Coligny (1555-1620).

In 1625 he married Amalia of Solms-Braunfels (1602-1675).

His 1st son, William II of Orange-Nassau (1626-1650) succeeded his father in 1647 for only 3 years and he suddenly died of chicken-pox when he was 24 years old.

The beginning of the first period in which the Seven United Provinces had no Stadtholder, it lasted from 1647 until 1672, Groningen and Frisia until 1702.

William II, 1626-1650, Heir

Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau 1647

He married 1641 Mary Stuart (1631-1660) of England, Scotland and Ireland, daughter of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland. His only son, William III of Great-Britain (1650-1702), was born 8 days after his death.

William III, 1650-1702, Heir

He was also called William III of Great-Britain.

Prince of Orange 1650, King of England, Scotland and Ireland 1689 (Glorious revolution)

4th Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht 1672, Overijssel and Guelders 1675, Drenthe 1696.

He never became Stadtholder of Groningen and Frisia because the Nassau-Dietz family, also relatives of him, were dominant in that part of the Lowlands.

The young William III was to young to succeed his grand-father as Stadtholder, and, when grown-up, he went to Great-Britain with the permission of the States of Holland and became the famous King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1689.

He married 1677 his cousin, Mary II Stuart (1662-1694), Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland 1688, eldest surviving daughter of King James II of England, Scotland and Ireland. She died of small-pox in December 1694. Henry Purcell composed a requiem for the burial ceremony of Mary II Stuart in the Westminster Abbey in London, March 5 1695, called "Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts".

Mary II Stuart

William I of Orange's grand-grandson, William III of Orange, remained childless.

William III is the King who is still at present day remembered in Northern Ireland. The Irish Protestants still celebrate his victory over the Roman Catholics with their Orange Mars every year.

By his last will he proclaimed his title "Prince of Orange" to his nephew in 2nd line in the Lowlands, Johan William Friso (1687-1711), the grandson of Albertine Agnes of Orange-Nassau and William-Frederick of Nassau-Dietz.

During his youth 1650-1672 the Republicans ruled the Seven United Provinces of Holland. This period is also known as the "Golden Age" who lasted from 1587 until 1672.

After William III, the Orange-Nassau Heir, had changed Holland for Great-Britain and died, childless, in 1702 the straight line of the Orange-Nassau family died-out.

At the end of the 17th century (until 1696) there was only one offspring of the Orange family left in Holland, the 6th daughter of Frederick Henry. But in 1702, when the "real" heir of the "Orange" title died, she was already dead for 6 years including heir husband and ALL their children, there were only 2 grand-children left, Henriette Albertine (1686-1754) and Johan Willem Friso (1687-1711).

Note : The nearest family of the Nassau-Dillenburg line is at present day still living in Germany (there is also a Prince of Orange) and in Luxembourg, and certainly NOT in The Netherlands from 1703 (see later).

The House of Orange-Nassau-Dillenburg was replaced by the offspring in Germany and the Northern Lowlands of the House of Nassau-Dietz

3. The House of Nassau-Dietz

Albertine Agnes of Orange-Nassau (1634-1696).

She was married with the heir to the Nassau's of Frisia in 1652, Willem Frederik of Nassau-Dietz (1613-1664), he was her nephew in 3rd line, he was the grandson of the younger brother of William I of Orange.

The Family line of Nassau-Dietz.

We go back again in history to trace the ancestors of the Nassau-Dietz line.

William I the Rich, 1487-1559, Heir

Count of Vianden and Dietz 1516, Count of Nassau 1544.

The younger brother of Hendrik III, William I the Rich (1487-1559), Count of Nassau, Vianden and Dietz. Married 1st 29 Apr 1506 Walburgis of Egmond (1489-1529), Walburgis of Egmond, born 1489, died 1529. Married 2nd on 20 Sep 1531 Juliana of Stolberg-Wenigerode (1506-1580), widow of Philip II of Hanau-Münzenberg (1501-1529), children :

William I the rich was the last one who was really a Count, his offspring was further only TITLED Prince of....... and......

Johann VI the elder, 1536-1606.

Titled Prince of Nassau and Dietz

Stadtholder of Guelders and Zutphen 1578-1581

Younger brother of William I the Silent, he married 1st 1559 Elisabeth of Leuchtenberg (1537-1579), 2nd 1580 Kunigunde of The Palts (1556-1586), 3rd 1586 Johanetta of Sayn-Wittgenstein (1561-1622). He had 24 children, including :

Ernst Casimir, 1573-1632.

Titled Prince of Nassau and Dietz

Stadtholder of Frisia 1620, Groningen and Drenthe 1625

He married 1607 Sophia Hedwig of Brunswick-Wolffenbüttel (1592-1642). He was killed fighting in the Eighty Years War. Of their children 3 sons and 2 daughters died young. Other children :

William Frederick, 1613-1664.

Titled Prince of Nassau and Dietz

Stadtholder of Frisia 1640, Groningen and Drenthe 1650

He married 1652 with Albertine Agnes of Orange-Nassau (1634-1696), 6th daughter of Frederick Henry of Orange-Nassau, children :

Henry Casimir II, 1657-1696.

Titled Prince of Nassau and Dietz

Stadtholder of Frisia and Groningen 1664 and Drenthe 1674

He married 1683 his cousin Henriette Amalie of Anhalt-Dessau (1666-1726), children:

As mentioned above by the story of William III he left his possessions to Johan Willem Friso, his nephew. Nevertheless there were others who claimed the possessions of William III, for instance :

François Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé clamed the Princedom of Orange in France but King Lodewijk IV of France urged him not to claim it and give him some other possessions.

In February 1703, after the dead of William III in 1702, Lodewijk IV inherited the Orange princedom himself because the Orange-Nassau family was died-out and he made it a definitive part of France.

Willem Hyacinth, Count of Nassau-Siegen (1666-1743), He claims the possessions of the Orange-Nassau family because of the last will of Philips William of Orange Nassau (1554-1618), the eldest son of William I the Silent (1533-1584), in which is stated that when there is no male offspring from William I, all possessions should go to the offspring of the eldest son of Jan von Nassau (1410-1475).

King Frederick I of Prussia states that the possessions are his because of the last will of his grand-father Frederick Henry, in which is stated that when the male line of William I dies-out, the possessions will be taken over by his eldest daughter, Louise Henriette and her offspring, the mother of the king.

The struggles for the possessions of the Orange-Nassau family lasted until 1740, 29 years after the dead of Johan Willem Friso.

Johan Willem Friso, 1687-1711.

Titled Prince of Nassau and Dietz, Prince of Orange 1702

Stadtholder of Frisia and Groningen 1696

He married 1709 Marie Louise of Hesse-Cassel (1688-1765), drowned in the Hollands-diep near Dordrecht, children :

The second period in Holland without Stadtholder 1711-1747 because William IV was too young, he was born a few weeks after his father drowned near Dordrecht.

In this period the 7 United Provinces of Holland were expanded with 4 other provinces, Friesland (Frisia), Groningen, Brabant and Limburg. After this expansion Holland was called The Netherlands in 1748. The most important reason for this expansion was that the Nassau-Dietz family was prominent in the "Northern Netherlands" (Groningen, Frisia and Drenthe)

Willem IV, 1711-1751.

Titled Prince of Nassau and Dietz, Prince of Orange-Nassau 1711

5th Stadtholder of Holland 1747-1748, 1st Stadtholder of The Netherlands 1748-1751.

Willem IV of Orange-Nassau (1711-1751), Prince of Nassau-Dietz and Orange 1711, Stadtholder of Frisia 1711, Groningen 1718, Drenthe and Guelders 1722, Zealand, Holland, Utrecht and Overijssel 1747, Stadtholder of The Netherlands 1748, married 1734 Anna of Great-Britain and Hannover (1709-1759), the Princess Royal, Two daughters were still-born, children :

Willem IV was the first who was TITLED Prince of Orange-Nassau and the last who was TITLED Prince of Nassau-Dietz.

Willem V Batavus, 1748-1806.

Titled Prince of Orange-Nassau 1751, deposed 1795

2nd and last Stadtholder of The Netherlands from 1751-1795.

Willem V Batavus of Orange-Nassau (1748-1806), Stadtholder of The Netherlands 1751-1795 (deposed), married 1767 Wilhelmina "Willemijntje" of Prussia (1751-1820). One son died in infancy, another child was stillborn, children:

France occupation by Napoleon Bonaparte 1795-1813.

In 1795 the republic of Holland was annexed by France for a short period during the reign of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and was called "Batavian Republic".

Kingdom of Holland 1806-1810

Amsterdam was chosen as the capital of Holland and it is still today.
The first King of Holland was the brother of Napoleon Bonaparte of France.

Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland 1806-1810.

After this short reign Holland became independent again and became The Netherlands in 1813 and Kingdom of The Netherlands in 1815.

Kingdom The Netherlands, 1815-Present

click image to enlarge

In 1815 The Netherlands became a Kingdom and consisted of :

Willem I Frederik of The Netherlands, 1772-1843.

Prince of The Netherlands from 1813, King of The Netherlands including Belgium from 1815 until 1830, and Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1813-1840.

Willem I Frederik of The Netherlands (1772-1843), (abdicated), married 1st 1791 his cousin, Frederika Louise Wilhelmina of Prussia (1774-1837), 2nd 1841 Henriette d'Oultremont (1792-1864), Countess of Nassau 1841, who had been lady in waiting to his 1st wife, children of his 1st marriage :

** Their children became the the ancestors of the Royal family's of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

Belgium (Southern part of The Netherlands)

A short history.

In 843 the area of present Belgium was divided between France and Lorraine by the grandsons of King Charles the Great. Through the Middle Ages the Counts of Flanders were liege to the French Kings.

Brabant, Hainault, Limburg and Luxemburg stayed a part of the German State.

At the end of the 14th century the Dukes of Burgundy tried to unite the "Low Countries" to get a huge state in the west of Europe. However, after the death of Duke Charles the Bold the House of Habsburg inherited the land.

The 80 years war (1568-1648) between the Spanish King Philip II and the northern part of the Low Countries led to the independency of this part of the Low Countries as the Republic of the Seven United Provinces. The south came to the Austrian Habsburgs after 1700.

On January 11th, 1790, the States General in Brussels declared the United Belgian States independent but instead if its Independence it became a part of the French Republic in 1795 and later the French Empire (1806).

With the rise of Napoleon, French rule over Belgium became more constructive, including the revitalization of industry and (with the opening of the Schelde) the partial recovery of Antwerp as important harbor was established).

With Napoleon's fall, the great Allied powers decreed that Belgium would become a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1814 Belgium was reunited with the northern part of the Low Countries.

Together they became the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The Belgians were not happy with this union, one of the biggest contrast between the North and the South was that the South was Catholic and the North predominantly Protestant and the Belgians found that King William I was to pro-Dutch (Northern Netherlands).

Belgium independent

So, In August 1830 a revolution began.

Belgium separated and declared independence from the Northern-Netherlands and became a Kingdom themselves.

Although the Dutch King Willem I sent Crown Prince Willem, and later his younger son Prince Frederik, to the south, leading a big army, in September that army was forced to leave Brussels. On October 4th, 1830, the provisional government declared Belgium independent, and in November they choose to reject the dynasty of the Nassau-Dietz family.

After other States in the world recognized the Country as an independent state, the government looked out for a monarch. The second son of King Louis-Philippe of France, the Duke of Némours, was asked, but refused. Finally on June 4th 1831 Leopold Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was chosen. He had been married to the British Princess Charlotte, who died in childbed in 1817. The new King was welcomed in Brussels on July 21st, 1831, and on the same day he took the oath as King Leopold I.

Soon afterwards the Dutch tried to win back Belgium for the last time.

With the help of France, Belgium stayed independent, but lost Maastricht and a part of Luxemburg and Limburg to The Northern Netherlands.

Until 1839 the Dutch refused to acknowledge the independency of the Belgian State. A year after he became King Leopold I married Louise-Marie, a daughter of King Louis-Philippe of France, to secure the survival of his dynasty. She gave birth to three sons: the oldest died soon after his birth, the second became King Leopold II, and the third Philippe Count of Flanders later secured the survival of the dynasty.

Luxembourg stayed part of The Northern Netherlands until 1890.

Willem II of The Netherlands, 1792-1849.

King of The Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1840

Willem II of The Netherlands (1792-1849), married 1816 Anna Pawlowna of Russia (1795-1865), children :

Willem III of The Netherlands, 1817-1890.

King of The Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1849

Willem III of The Netherlands (1817-1890), married 1st his cousin, Sophia of Württemberg (1818-1877), a daughter of Catharina Pawlowna of Russia,

** He asked for permission to marry the Dutch Countess Anna Mathilda "Mattie" van Limburg Stirum (1854-1932), but was not allowed to do so. After his death she married the Dutch Baron William Charles Reginald van Tuyll van Serooskerken (1845-1903). From 1867 onwards Willem lived in Paris.

Willem III married 2nd 1879 Adelheid Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1858-1934). Their age difference was more than 41 years.

It is a public "secret" that Wilhelmina was possible NOT the "real" child of Willem III because her "father" was already ill and possibly impotent when he married Adelheid Emma. A DNA test would give the answer but the present royal family will never give permission for such a test.

The Nassau-Dietz family died-out with the dead of King Willem III in 1890.

Luxembourg Independent

After the dead of King Willem III there was no male Heir of The Nassau family left in The Netherlands.

The Salic Law *** prohibited the succession of Queen Wilhelmina and because of that the government decided, by Constitution, that the "Salic Law" should no longer be followed regarding the succession of a Female (Queen) and The Netherlands became a constitutional monarchy.

*** Rule of succession in certain royal and noble families of Europe, forbidding females and those descended in the female line to succeed to the titles or offices in the family. It is called the Salic law on the mistaken supposition that it was part of the Lex Salica (see Germanic laws; provisions of that code forbade female succession to property but were not concerned with titles or offices.

The local government of Luxembourg did not accept Wilhelmina as the successor of her "father" and further disagreed with this Dutch to change the Constitution and declared themselves independent in 1890.

A distant relative in the House of Nassau was found for the Grand Duchy. This turned out to be Adolph, who had been the Duke and Nassau, Usingen, and Nassau-Weilburg and had lost his state to Prussia in 1866, after taking the side of Austria in the Six Weeks War. Since Adolph was actually of the senior line of Nassau, this was actually rather nice, for the Netherlands, in effect, to find a position for him after the loss of his job to Prussia.

Nevertheless The Netherlands is still a Kingdom until this day and continued in the female line.

Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Marie, 1880-1962.

Queen of The Netherlands 1890

Until 1898 her mother Emma was Queen-regent because Wilhelmina was to young to became Queen.

Wilhelmina Queen of The Netherlands 1890-1948 (abdicated), married 1901 Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1876-1934), children :

Juliana von Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 1909-2004.

Queen of The Netherlands 1948

Juliana ( b1909), Queen of The Netherlands 1948-1980 (abdicated), married 1937 Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld (1911-2004), children :

Beatrix von Lippe-Biesterfeld, 1938-.

Queen of The Netherlands 1980

Beatrix ( b1938), Queen of The Netherlands 1980, married 1966 Claus von Amsberg (1926-2002), children :

Willem Alexander von Amsberg, 1967-.

Titled Prince of Orange

Willem Alexander (b1967), Crown Prince, Prince of Orange, married (2, February, 2002) Máxima Zorreguieta (b1971).

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After 400 years of Stadtholders (War-Lords) and family mixing of several "Heirs" of "noble" families and finally 3 generations of Queens since 1890, there is nothing left of the Royal Orange-Nassau "blood" that once existed in the Lowlands and Germany in the16th and 17th century.

Beatrix is in bloodline as far from "Orange-Nassau" as Alpha from Omega in the alphabet. Why The Netherlands is still a Kingdom I don't understand. Do You ?.

The title "Prince of Orange" is from 1702 on only a "folklore" title and has noting to do with the Orange region in France of which is was derived. Another point is that the original family, of which the title is taken from, already died-out with the death of William III in 1702.

At present time it's impossible that children take over the titles of their father, when he was graduated as Dr., Drs., Ir., Mr. or whatever, his offspring can/t take over his titles when he dies.

Even with Nobility it's unusual to hand over all titles to their offspring. In accordance to the so called "Salic Law" the family-line cannot continue through the Female line. Why this "Salic Law" is set-apart regarding the Dutch Royal family can only be explained when the people of The Netherlands likes fairy-tails. And They still do.

For instance : Prince William Alexander is married (Febr.2.2002) with a "normal", not noble, girl from Argentina and when the Dutch like to continue with this fairy-tail she MUST be Ennobled to become Queen in the future.

THIS FOLKLORE MUST END, its ridicules, crazy and not of this Era to continue this fairy-tail to eternity.

I am not a Republican yet but I will be one when Queen Beatrix is not the last, it should come to an end because every fairy-tail ends once, so The Netherlands can be taken to another era, the fairy-tail is over.

Why not make Beatrix President of The Netherlands with, as it is usual, elections, maybe she will get my vote when there is no better candidate.

AND THEY LIVED LONG AND HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

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For more information you can visit the Genealogy page of the Nassau family

A lot of information you can find at the Maximilian Genealogy Master Database

All Nobility families of Europe at the GREAT FAMILIES page.

A German page in English The Stem Duchies