Burial place

• Nieuwekerk in Delft

Genus Oran Dynasty Father Wilhelm I Mother Juliana Stolbergskaya Spouse Anna van Egmond, Anna Saxon, Charlotte de Bourbon Montpensier And Louise de Coligny Religion Awards Rank captain William I of Orange at Wikimedia Commons

William (Willem) I of Orange, nicknamed Silent(Dutch Willem van Oranje; Willem de Zwijger; April 24 (1533-04-24 ) , on the family estate in Dillenburg - July 10) - Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau, first Stadtholder of Holland and Zealand, leader of the Dutch bourgeois revolution. He was killed on July 10, 1584 by the Spanish mercenary Balthasar Gerard.

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early years

At the age of eleven, William inherited the Principality of Orange, along with the title and possessions in the Netherlands. A year later, he left his parents' estate and went to Brussels to the court of Emperor Charles V. The latter personally decided to take part in the education of the Prince of Orange. The Stadtholder of the Netherlands at this time was the sister and part-time protege of the emperor - Maria of Austria. It was she who took on the main role in the education of William I of Orange. Living at the court in Brussels, he received a good education and experience of political intrigues and conspiracies that played out before his eyes. Very quickly, William I of Orange became the emperor's favorite and won his favor. Upon reaching the age of 18, Charles V married him to Anna van Egmont, the daughter of the Dutch military leader and captain-general Maximillian van Egmond. Four years later, William I of Orange accepted the post of commander-in-chief of the army on the borders with France.

Leader of the revolutionary movement

William I of Orange accidentally learned about plans regarding the future fate of the Netherlands lands and the Dutch from the French king Henry II while visiting France as an honorary hostage at the conclusion of peace. This story happened as follows. Secret negotiations on behalf of Philip II were to be conducted by Duke Fernando Alba, but the King of France, for unknown reasons, mistook William I of Orange for an authorized participant in the conspiracy and revealed all the plans to him. He listened carefully to the king and, keeping his intentions secret, decided to begin the fight against the conspirators. For this, bibliographers awarded him the nickname - Silent ( The Silent).

Having received permission from Henry II to leave the palace, William I of Orange hurries to return home. His first step was to draw up an appeal on behalf of the States General " on the removal of Spanish soldiers from Dutch territory" From this moment on, the prince and the king become irreconcilable opponents. Thus, in the early 1560s. William I of Orange leads the opposition and, after the invasion of the Netherlands by the Spanish army (1567), leaves the country in search of military support. Being in the title of a German prince, he had the right to maintain his own army and navy, which he decided to take advantage of. With his personal funds, as well as Huguenot donations, troops were equipped for the campaign in the Netherlands.

The first detachment of three thousand was assembled and crossed the border near Maastricht, but was defeated on April 25, 1568 at Roermond (see also Battle of Dahlem), as well as between Erkelenz and Dahlem in clashes with a Spanish detachment Sanho de Lodronje. The second detachment, the basis of which were Huguenots, was defeated on July 18, 1568 upon entering Artois. The third detachment was defeated at Gemmingen. After this, William I of Orange concentrated his attacks in a different direction. An army of approximately 40,000 was introduced into the Trier Province. Maneuvering, the soldiers moved into Brabant towards Keiserslautern (near Maastricht), where the Spanish army was camped under the leadership of Fernando Alba.

The combat effectiveness of the army was undermined by the local population, which refused William I of Orange support and provisions. In view of this, his mercenaries themselves began to rebel. Despite numerous local clashes, neither side resorted to a final battle. The prince, pursued by the Spanish army, was forced to retreat to Stokem, and from there to Togru. From Togra the army proceeded to Sint-Truiden, and from there to Zhoduan. Receiving the widespread refusal of the inhabitants of the southern provinces to support the general battle, William I of Orange retreats to Wavren. Having shown his diplomatic talent in resolving the conflict within the army (the French demanded to go to France and support the rebellious Huguenots, and the German mercenaries refused to fight against Charles IX), he withdraws the troops to Stratsburg and, having paid their salaries, disbands them. After this, William I of Orange, with a detachment of horsemen and accompanied by his two brothers, joined the army of Gaspard de Coligny. In the battle of Moncontour, his troops were finally defeated, and the prince was saved only thanks to the trick of dressing up in a woman's dress and escaped from the enemy encirclement with his subsequent return to Germany in the fall of 1569. Over the course of two years, he assembles new forces and sends negotiators to assist the Dutch. In April 1572, his supporters captured the fortress of Brielle, and its inhabitants swore an oath of allegiance to William I of Orange, declaring him royal governor of Holland. This act gave impetus to the uprising in the northern provinces. At the same time, the prince continued to remain in Germany and gather mercenary troops. In July he crossed the Rhine to Duisburg, and on July 23 captured Roermond. Lack of money delayed the advance for a month, which resumed after guarantees of three months' salary from the Dutch cities. After this, William I of Orange crossed the Meuse in August and moved through Diet, Tirlemont, Shechem, Louvant, Mechelen and Thurmond to Oudenard and Nivelle. At the same time, most cities allowed his troops through, while others supported them with money.

The city of Mons, besieged by the Spaniards, capitulated on September 19, at which time the prince's troops relocated to Orsua. Later, William I of Orange was forced to disband his troops. After this, he hurried to the city of Haarlem, besieged by the Spaniards. Gathering troops three times and sending convoys with food and ammunition to the city, he still failed to recapture the city, and on July 13 its surrender to the Spaniards followed. After this, the opponents moved to the city of Alkmaar and besieged it. Despite three assaults, the city did not surrender. Having learned about this situation, William I of Orange goes to help the inhabitants of Alkmaar. One of his solutions was to drown the Spanish army by blowing up dikes and dams. However, somehow this became known to the enemy, and on October 8 the siege was lifted and the troops were withdrawn to Amsterdam. Three days later, the Dutch flotilla under the command of Admiral Dirkzon destroyed the Spanish squadron under the command of Admiral Bussu. In one of the battles, at Moka, the prince’s troops were defeated, and both of his brothers died. Over time, due to financial difficulties within the Spanish Empire, its troops refused to continue military campaigns. The soldiers began looting and plundered Ghent, Antwerp, Valenciennes, Alost, Maastricht. William I of Orange took advantage of this circumstance and persuaded the Estates General to convene an assembly in Ghent, which at that time was still under Spanish control. After this, troops were sent from the province of Zealand and liberated the fortress of Ghent. The famous Peace of Ghent was signed at this place. However, the peace did not last long. This was followed by a series of events, such as the Union of Arras, the Union of Utrecht, and the Act of Abdication.

Positions and titles held

The first title of Orange and the principality were received in 1544, during the stay at the court of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.

In 1555, he accepted the post of commander-in-chief of the army, which was based on the borders with France.

From 1555 to the early 1560s. served as a member of the Council of State at the court of Philip II.

In the same 1555 he became a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

In 1559 he was appointed stadtholder of the provinces of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht.

In 1572 he was appointed legal stadtholder of Philip II in Holland and Zealand, with the powers of the supreme commander of all naval and land forces, the highest executive power, the right to appoint and remove all senior officials (with the knowledge of the cities).

Personality of William I of Orange

Appearance

William I of Orange, judging by his portraits, was a thin man. A face with a high forehead and a hooked nose. A deep, thoughtful look, constrained in emotional expression, with a restrained smile. Judging by the portrait of the 22-year-old prince, he did not have outstanding physical shape.

Character

Due to his origin and the financial condition of the family, William I of Orange received conditions for good development from childhood with subsequent education. All this made him phlegmatic, and the constant dangers that beset members of noble families made him cautious, secretive and impenetrable. The education he received formed in him the makings of a talented politician and administrator. However, in return it deprived him of aesthetic content, which resulted in a lack of interest in art and literature. There is information that William I of Orange had knowledge of Latin, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, French, English and German. This can be accepted as true, taking into account the following: Latin was the main language of instruction of those times; Spanish was the language of the court of Charles V and Philip II; Charles V’s own sister, Maria of Austria, could have taught him French; Dutch is the language of the provinces under his influence; German is one's own native language from birth. Education in the spirit of Lutheranism, as well as the influence of the ideas of Calvinism in the subsequent period, played an important role in the formation of personality and worldview. Also, despite his financial superiority, the prince did not boast of his status and position and, on the contrary, was restrained and polite when addressing even the servants. Great ambition, cold calculation and constant self-education made him an influential political speaker and publicist. Despite his restraint in emotions, which led to him receiving the nickname “silent,” he had natural eloquence. However, the most characteristic features of William I of Orange were sharpness of mind and tenacity of will. During his stay at the court in Brussels, the saying came into use: “Smart as the Prince of Orange and decisive as the Count of Egmont.”

The rationality of the mind and the stinginess of the expression of feelings and emotions is evidenced by the fact that William was baptized in Lutheranism, was brought up at the court of Charles V as a Catholic, and later became a Calvinist. All this only emphasizes the lack of religious beliefs and the primacy of logic over impressionability and emotionality. For example, in 1561, he banned the practice of the Protestant faith in his Principality of Orange only to prevent disruption of public peace, and not because of religious intolerance, which was not inherent in him. And although at the court of Charles V he was actively raised as a Burgundian, this could not eradicate in him the German Count of Nassau, to whom Spanish absolutism was alien. Thanks to his foreign origin and talent as a diplomat, he enjoyed authority among the highest aristocracy, which grouped around him, thereby transforming from scattered handfuls into a united opposition.

Family

Second attempt

Philip II of Spain, by his Royal Edict of March 15, 1580, declared William I of Orange an outlaw and called on every faithful Catholic to kill the prince. The decree promised a reward of 25 thousand, an amnesty for previous crimes and the granting of the title of nobleman. After this step, William I of Orange had no choice but to start looking for allies among other states that could guarantee military support for the sovereignty of the Netherlands. Turning alternately to England and Germany, he never achieved his goal, since few wanted to enter into open confrontation with Spain. William I of Orange drew up a draft agreement with France, which was accepted by the Estates General. After this, François (Duke of Alençon and Anjou) became sovereign of the Netherlands (with a hereditary title, but a ban on the annexation of provinces to France), which was fixed by the treaty of September 19, 1580 at Plessis-les-Tours. After this, French soldiers were brought into Antwerp to guarantee the integrity of the city, but the people of Antwerp opposed this because they considered France a direct threat to their trade, and even began to openly kill the French. Therefore, in order to clarify his position and win them over to his side, and also not to lose the support of France, William I of Orange decides to arrive and stay in the city until he secures strong support. He holds various kinds of meetings, appears at city meetings and, demonstrating his religious tolerance, visits religious centers. After one of these visits, on May 18, 1580, William I of Orange held receptions for supporters and other influential persons. It is not known for certain how Jean Hauregvi was introduced, but he achieved a private audience with the prince. As soon as the latter entered the room, the assassin took out a pistol and fired at point-blank range. In this battle, William I of Orange received a penetrating wound to the jaw area, contusion and burnt hair. The guards arrived in time and instantly hacked the assassin to pieces with sabers. During a search of the body, documents were found, thanks to which the names of those who ordered the assassination attempt became known. Subsequently, they even managed to capture the cashier Venero and the priest Timmerman.

Third attempt

After an attempt on his life, as well as the fall of Antwerp, William I of Orange and his family moved to a monastery in Delft. In this city he undergoes treatment and continues to organize meetings and receptions. However, for Wilhelm this was only a temporary reprieve. After an unsuccessful assassination attempt, the Jesuit monks continued their search for the executor of the will of Philip II. This time the choice fell on Balthazar Gerard, a Catholic fanatic originally from Franche-Comté. A legend was invented for him, according to which he was a victim of Spanish repression and a supporter of the Orange policy. He also had false documents in the name Franz Guyon, according to which he was accepted into military service by William I of Orange. Having achieved the favor of the prince, however, this killer began to waver in his decision. Later, while passing through Trier, he once again consulted four Jesuits in turn, and all four gave the same answer. Subsequently, on July 10, 1584, Gerard appeared at the house of William I of Orange asking for an audience. Due to his busy schedule, his appointment was scheduled for the afternoon. The killer hid in a dark corner not far from the stairs and, when the Prince of Orange, surrounded by two people, approached him, he attacked. A total of three pistol shots were fired at close range. The killer started to run, but was instantly overtaken by the soldiers. In this, already the third attempt, William I of Orange was mortally wounded and died almost instantly. According to legend, the last words of the Prince of Orange were: “Oh God, have pity on my soul... Have pity on this unfortunate people” ( Mon Dieu, ayez pitié de mon âme; Mon Dieu, ayez pitié de ce pauvre peuple). He was buried in Delft, in the New Church.

As for the fate of the killer, it was unenviable. After an unsuccessful escape attempt, he was caught by security and taken into custody. After a formal trial that lasted 4 days, the verdict was execution by scaffold. However, in order to calm the crowd, whose discontent could lead to mass unrest, the death penalty was preceded by a lengthy execution, which began on July 14, 1584 in front of the Delft town hall. First, on a wooden platform, they cut off his right hand with an ax. After that, they began to tear the flesh with red-hot tongs. This was followed by quartering alive, followed by opening of the abdominal cavity, as well as ripping out the heart from the chest. According to the text of the verdict, the same “ treacherous heart“The actual corpse was already struck three times in the face. Only after this was the head separated from the body by means of a scaffold, and the quartered parts of the criminal were placed at the four corners of the walls surrounding the city.

Activity

Due to the harsh policies pursued by Philip II, the Dutch nobles rightly feared for their positions. Therefore, opposition sentiments arose among small owners and the highest nobility, which were led by: William of Orange, Count Lamoral of Egmont and Admiral Philippe de Horn. It was the prince who promised guarantees of maintaining titles, property, and privileges. In return, he demanded financial and military support in a series of cardinal demands on Philip II. The main ones were:

• Respect for rights and freedoms for the country;
• withdrawal of Spanish troops from the country;
• removal from the post of Chief Advisor to the Spanish King in the Netherlands - Antoine Perrin de Granvel;
• ending persecution for religious dissent.

Having acted together with the opposition to the current government, William I of Orange pursued the goal of gaining authority in the eyes of both townspeople and rural residents, presenting himself as a defender of the liberties and national interests of the Netherlands. However, the indecision and slowness of decision-making, which was inherent in many nobles, merchants and ordinary people, led to the fact that the prince had to seek support from German princes, French Huguenots, and supporters of Calvinism. As can be seen from this, Wilhelm was not particularly distinguished by religious purity and firmness. Rather, on the contrary, he saw religion as a means to strengthen political significance and a way to maneuver between different groups in search of support.

The following fact is significant. When particularly radical religious fanatics (Lutherans, Calvinists, Protestants), who did not obey either the nobility or the military, rebelled and committed Catholic pogroms, William I of Orange did not support them. On the contrary, after the Viceroy of the Netherlands from King Philip II, in a manifesto dated August 25, 1566, made a number of concessions and guaranteed an amnesty to members of the union of nobles, the latter fully accepted her conditions and even began to armedly suppress the uprising. The prince personally wrote in his letter to the viceroy dated August 25, 1566 that, on his orders, two iconoclasts were hanged in the market square, and twelve more were subjected to various punishments. This act once again emphasizes the character traits of William I of Orange - secrecy in his future plans, the ability to compromise, and lack of adventurism. Otherwise, in the wake of a popular religious uprising, he could declare himself the new leader of the reformation movement and lead a “crusade” against the Catholic Church. The Belgian historian Henri Pirenne, characterizing him for this act, calls the prince “prudent”

However, both the Prince of Orange and the nobility were caught in a trap of sorts, which was successfully set by Philip II. He skillfully used the uprising as a way to introduce an army under the leadership of the Duke of Alba, the purpose of which, in addition to suppressing the uprising, was to eliminate the Dutch nobility in order to forever put an end to attempts to secede from Spain or demands for privileges. Realizing the impending danger, William I of Orange, like about 100 thousand other people, left the country. Opinions regarding this act diverge into two positions: accusations of betrayal and cowardly flight and a deliberate move, a retreat to gather forces before decisive battles.

Using his dynastic position, the Prince of Orange establishes ties in opposition to Spain in the German Empire and France, unites Dutch emigrants around himself, makes financial investments in supporting the uprising, and gathers an army. At this time, he was hatching plans according to which, after the liberation of the Dutch lands from Spanish rule, they would become part of the German Empire with the rights of an electorate. At this stage, the Catholic Church was awaiting the dissolution and establishment of Lutheranism. At the same time, William I of Orange does not abandon the plan of collusion with Philip II, subject to the return and guarantee of fulfillment of the demands that were developed by the opposition nobility in the 1560s.

With the help of princes of German origin, as well as French Huguenots, the Prince of Orange and his brother twice managed to invade the Netherlands with a military campaign in order to overthrow the Alba regime, take possession of the southern provinces and thereby realize their plans. He did not give up attempts to raise a nationwide uprising of the Dutch, but only the sea gueuzes joined his movement. His initial refusal to support the uprising in the northern provinces is explained by the fact that the primary task was to gather the southern provinces into a unification, with their subsequent annexation to the northern provinces. This would give him a unified state in which he would be given a role with unlimited powers. That is why William I of Orange viewed the uprising in the North as a secondary matter and was indignant at its “prematureness.” “The Prince of Orange, having learned of this popular uprising, did not show any pleasure,” wrote the chronicler Hugo Grotius, “on the contrary, he complained that these small successes would interfere with the main event that he was preparing.” Despite the lack of visible military successes, William I of Orange accomplished one of the strategic tasks - he delayed the main attacks of the Spanish army and thereby blocked its access to the North, from the bridgehead from which he received provisions, mercenaries and other types of support. Also thanks to this, reform ideas in the northern provinces did not encounter much resistance and spread quite quickly.

However, due to the obvious temptation of unlimited power, William I of Orange, at least openly, did not make claims to an absolute monarchy over the Netherlands. We find confirmation of this in his willingness to remain under the crown of Spain in exchange for return and guarantees of former privileges for the country. The same applies to the alternative option of joining the German Empire as an elector. There is the following information about this. The Prince of Orange publishes a manifesto in which he calls on the inhabitants of the northern provinces to rebel for liberties and freedoms, but not against Philip II, but only against his “criminal satrap Alba, who abuses the king’s trust and deceives him.” This document contained the words: (“We are sure that His Majesty has incorrect information about Dutch affairs ...”), which only emphasize that the original goal of the uprising was to return the privileges of the state and the abolition of repression, and not a separative exit. Again, two opinions arise about him: according to one, he is a fairly flexible politician, ready to make compromises, and the second speaks of a lack of national consciousness and patriotism in him.

We should not forget the position in which William I of Orange was then. On the one hand, he was hostage to the oligarchic class represented by merchants and trade unions, since the latter were the financial basis of his campaign. They also had a majority in the Estates General and could veto any law at any time. The nobles understood who was behind the Prince of Orange, and for their part they exerted pressure in opposition to the merchants. The Gyozas and peasants did not stand aside, who, when joining the militia, also counted on benefits that directly contradicted the aspirations of both the oligarchy and the nobility. In this situation, William I of Orange had no choice but to temporarily reconcile all classes through intrigue, bribery, blackmail and the distribution of various positions to continue the struggle. At the height of the military conflict with the Spaniards, the Prince of Orange also had to fight an internal threat. For example, the Estates General deprived the city militia of the right to discuss political issues. In response, William sought for them the right under which the Estates General still had to consult with the militia commanders when making political decisions. He pursued a corresponding flexible diplomatic line in relation to administrative issues. In order to stop attempts to create independent local councils and thereby destabilize the system of central government, in return he demanded that delegates from 12 large and small cities of the Netherlands be included in the General State. However, for reasons beyond his control, this was not implemented. On the contrary, the Estates General responded to this desire by creating the “Grand Council”, the purpose of which was to limit the power of the Prince of Orange and prevent him from becoming a monarch. In addition, after the convening of the Dordrecht Synod of the Calvinist Church (1574), he took an active opposition side, since he saw in this reform an attempt to create a theocratic state.

To win the favor of minor officials and the people, he resorted to methods that are still used today by the Dutch monarchs. According to available information, he could easily have conversations about current affairs with a small shopkeeper, drink wine at a wedding or christening in the family circle of an artisan, or provide financial assistance to the widow of one of his soldiers.

The policy of double standards, the desire to compromise and religious instability led to what eventually resulted in popular discontent. It came to the point of public ridicule on the street in the form of questions about who he really was - a Catholic or a Calvinist? In response, William I of Orange surrounds himself with German mercenaries. Fearing for his life, he even spent the night on the ship, and in his letters he spoke of the Dutch peasants as “the most corrupt people in the whole world,” “rebels who swagger only as long as wine fumes roam in their heads,” etc.

When, starting in 1579, William I of Orange openly declares his intention to find a new guarantor of the independence of the Netherlands and thereby signs his own death warrant. Philip II publishes a special manifesto on June 15, 1580, in which he calls on each of the Catholics to hand over to him or kill the Prince of Orange. In addition, financial rewards and a number of privileges were promised. After this, William I of Orange issues the Act of Abdication (July 26, 1581) and convinces the States General to recognize the French as sovereign of the Netherlands. These actions prompted the states of Holland and Utrecht to appoint him as their stadtholder. As the son of William I of Orange, Moritz of Orange, spoke about this, he personally “would rather jump from the highest tower of The Hague than accept sovereignty on the terms that were set for his father.” In return for guarantees of sovereignty, the French demanded that the Duke of Anjou, Hercule François (Francis) de Valois, be appointed Duke of the Province of Brabant. However, all the cities of Flanders and Brabant refused to submit to the French and rebelled. In May 1583, the Duke of Anjou left the Netherlands, and William I of Orange had to leave Antwerp and settle in Delft. After his death, his son Moritz of Orange became a follower of his father's policies and methods.

Memory

Description	Year	Image
Painting "Mausoleum of William I of Orange in the New Church (Nieuwe Kerk), Delft." Author Bartholomeus van Bassen.	(1590-1652)
Monument to William I of Orange, erected in The Hague on Plein Square

William I of Orange Willem van Oranje William of Orange. Work by A. Kay (1580) ... Wikipedia

- (Willem van Oranje) (1650 1702), stadtholder (ruler) of the Netherlands from 1674, English king from 1689. Called to the English throne during the coup d'etat of 1688 89 (Glorious Revolution), until 1694 he ruled together with his wife Maria II... ... Modern encyclopedia

- (1650 1702) stadtholder (ruler) of the Netherlands from 1674, English king from 1689. Called to the English throne during the coup d'etat of 1688 89 (Glorious Revolution), until 1694 he ruled together with his wife Mary II Stuart ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (1650 1702) English king from 1689. In 1689 94. ruled together with his wife Mary, daughter of the English king James II Stuart, deposed in 1688. In 1674 1702 stadtholder (ruler) of the Netherlands. Called to England by Whigs and Tories... ... Historical Dictionary

William III of Orange- (William III) (1650 1702), king of England, Ireland and Scotland (1689 1702). He was stadtholder of Holland and after the French. Invasion in 1672 gained almost unlimited power in the United Provinces of the Netherlands (1672 1702). In 1677 he married... ... The World History

William III of Orange- (Willem van Oranje) (1650 1702), stadtholder (ruler) of the Netherlands from 1674, English king from 1689. Called to the English throne during the coup d'etat of 1688 89 (“Glorious Revolution”), until 1694 he ruled together with his wife Mary II... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Wikipedia has articles about other people named Wilhelm. William III of Orange William III (II) of Orange ... Wikipedia

- (1650 1702), stadtholder (ruler) of the Netherlands from 1674, English king from 1689. Called to the English throne during the coup d'etat of 1688 89 (“Glorious Revolution”), until 1694 he ruled together with his wife Mary II Stuart. * * * WILHELM... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

This term has other meanings, see William IV. William IV Hendrik Friso Willem Karel Hendrik Friso ... Wikipedia

Willem V of Orange Willem V van Oranje Nassau ... Wikipedia

Books

• Series "Historical Silhouettes" (set of 40 books), The series "Historical Silhouettes" presents historical, journalistic and historical and biographical books from the Phoenix publishing house by famous publicists and historians, from which you can learn… Category: Collections of biographies Series: Historical silhouettes Publisher: Phoenix,
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William of Orange (Dutch Willem, prins van Oranje) (1533-1584), also known as William the Silent (Zwijger, Latin Taciturnus), first Stadtholder of Holland, Count of Nassau and Prince of Orange, eldest son of Count William of Nassau-Dillenburg, was born in Dillenburg Castle in Nassau on April 24, 1533.

In 1544, William inherited the title of Prince of Orange from his cousin René, who died childless, which included the principality itself and extensive possessions in the Netherlands. Thus, Wilhelm became the richest of the Dutch aristocrats. Raised under the leadership of the sympathetic Emperor Charles V as a Catholic (although the family was Protestant), William early discovered a gift for politics.

When I undertake something, I do not need hopes; persisting in my actions, I do not need success.

William of Orange

When in 1555 Charles V ceded control of the Netherlands to his son Philip II, William was far from convinced of the foresightedness of the latter's policy; While still a Catholic, he opposed the persecution of Protestants. Going to Spain, Philip entrusted the duties of governor of a number of provinces of the Netherlands to William, and transferred general power over the country to his half-sister Margaret of Parma.

In 1559, William accidentally (from the French king Henry II) became aware of some details of Philip’s intentions regarding the Netherlands, but he prudently refrained from commenting, for which he received the nickname “Silent.”

William abstained from participating in the failed uprising of 1566-1567, but when Philip sent the Duke of Alba to suppress it, he retreated to Germany (where he returned to the religion he professed as a child), raised here with his own funds and with the help of some sympathetic German princes army and invaded the Netherlands.

The attempt to resist the Spaniards was unsuccessful, but over the next three years William was closely associated (primarily through his brother Louis) with the resistance movement known as the Gueuze (from the French les gueux, "the beggars"). Some of them - the sea gueuzes - assembled a fleet and in 1572 captured Brielle (near Rotterdam), which served as a signal for a general uprising in the northern provinces of Holland, Friesland and Zeeland.

At the same time, William, declared stadtholder in Holland (and then in other northern provinces), again invaded the Netherlands. He intended to restore the freedom of the Netherlands and end religious persecution. However, now the uprising was closely intertwined with Calvinism, which strengthened its position in the northern provinces and which William himself joined in 1573.

Alba's successor, Requesens y Zuniga, managed in 1574 to defeat the Protestants near Nimwegen, where William's brothers, Louis and Henry, were killed. Then William opened the dams and, flooding the surrounding area, forced the Spaniards to lift the siege of Leiden.

When, after the death of Requesens y Zuniga, the unbridled Spanish army subjected the areas it occupied to terrible devastation (“Spanish rage”), William managed to persuade the southern provinces to revolt. The states met in Brussels; Through negotiations between north and south, the so-called “Pacification of Ghent” was concluded (signed on November 8, 1576), which proclaimed religious tolerance and the union of all provinces against the Spaniards.

100 great aristocrats Yuri Nikolaevich Lubchenkov

WILLIAM I OF ORANI (“THE SILENT”) (1533-1584) Prince, leader of the Dutch bourgeois revolution of the 17th century.

WILLIAM I OF ORANI (“THE SILENT”)

Prince, leader of the Dutch bourgeois revolution of the 17th century.

The Nassau family has been known since the beginning of the 12th century. The name of the genus comes from the burg of Nassau, built around 1100 by the Counts of Laurenburg on the banks of the Lahn. The descendants of Drutvin Laurenburg began to bear the name Nassau. The independent history of Nassau County begins in the second half of the 12th century. In 1255 it split into two parts. The southern part of the county, located on the left bank of the Lahn, came to be owned by Walram II, who gave rise to the Walram family line. The northern part, the right bank of the Lahn, went to his brother Otto, who gave rise to the Dillenburg (Otto) line.

The eldest - Walram - line again split into several independent branches in 1355. Since 1422, the Walram line even controlled the Saar region, separated from the center of the Nassau possessions. But in 1605, all these family branches were united in his person by Louis of Nassau-Walburg, and from that moment this line of the dynasty began to bear the name of the Walburg line. In turn, it was again divided into two branches - the Usingen-Saar and the Walburg proper. At the beginning of the 19th century, representatives of these branches, Frederick Augustus and Frederick William of Nassau, entered into an agreement under which their possessions were united under joint management. The united territory entered the German Confederation and was elevated to the status of a duchy. The first branch was cut short in 1816, and the Duchy of Luxembourg passed to the second in the 19th century.

In 1806, the representative of another branch of the Nassau dynasty, William VI, lost all his possessions in Prussia, which passed to the united Walburg line. In 1815, at the Congress of Vienna, it was decided to separate some regions from Luxembourg, which became part of the German Confederation (until 1866) as the independent Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. By decision of the same congress, William VI became the first Grand Duke of Luxembourg and King of the Netherlands, taking the name William I, receiving the duchy as compensation for the lost hereditary possessions of Nassau in Prussia. A personal union was concluded between the Netherlands and Luxembourg. In 1840, he handed over the crown to his eldest son, and, having accepted the title of Count of Nassau, he moved to Berlin. It should be noted that there was an agreement between the Nassau princely houses, according to which inheritance could only be carried out through the male line. According to this treaty, after the death in 1890 of William III, the grandson of William I, his daughter Wilhelmina - he had no sons - could not become both Queen of the Netherlands and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. The oldest representative of the Walburg line of the Nassau family, Duke Adolf, became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He was related to the House of Romanov (his first wife, who died as a result of difficult childbirth, was the niece of Emperor Alexander I). The daughter of A.S. was also related to the Nassau dynasty. Pushkina Natalya Alexandrovna, who married Prince Nicholas-Wilhelm of Nassau.

The Dillenburg branch of the House of Nassau later became known as the Oran branch. The representative of this line, Prince Engelbert, thanks to a successful marriage, annexed part of the lands in northern Brabant to his possessions. His descendants served under the Burgundian dukes who ruled the Netherlands, and then the Spanish kings. They became the richest landowners and hereditary governors - stadtholders (stathauders) - of the Netherlands. In 1530, by marriage, the southern French principality of Orange, located on the banks of the Rhone, was annexed to their possessions, which gave the name to this line of the dynasty. Since then it was called Oranskaya.

The struggle of the Netherlands for its independence is most closely connected with the representatives of the Orange line of the House of Nassau. The leader of the foremost fighters for the independence of the Netherlands was William of Nassau, Prince of Orange, who went down in history as William I of Orange. He was born on April 14, 1533 at Dillenburg Castle in the Principality of Nassau. His ancestors had been in the highest positions of government in the Netherlands for many years. His father accepted the Protestant faith and was known as a very rich man, going down in history with the nickname William the Rich. Having married Juliana von Stolberg, he had 10 children - five sons and five daughters.

At the age of eleven, William the Rich's eldest son, William, inherited the Principality of Orange along with the title and possessions in the Netherlands after the death of his cousin Renat of Orange, becoming Prince of Orange. A year later, he left his parents' home and went to Brussels to the court of Emperor Charles V, who wished to take personal part in the education of the Prince of Orange. The Stadtholder of the Netherlands at that time was the sister and right hand of the emperor, the Dowager Queen Maria of Hungary. She took upon herself the main responsibility for raising Wilhelm. While at the court in Brussels, William went through a good school of political intrigue and conspiracies, with the help of which many affairs were accomplished. By nature, he was gifted with intelligence and thoughtfulness, which did not go unnoticed by Emperor Charles, who had high hopes for the boy. Very quickly, Wilhelm became the emperor's favorite and won his complete trust. Despite the fact that the policies pursued by Charles V in the Netherlands were characterized by self-will and cruelty, during his reign the revolutionary movement did not break out in these provinces. Many attribute this to the personal charm and courtesy of the emperor, who managed to win over the nobility and flatter the national feeling of the inhabitants of this territory. And the emperor generously showered his favorite Wilhelm with all kinds of honors and favors. When Wilhelm reached the age of 18, Karl married him to Anna von Egmont, the daughter of the wealthy Count Maximilian von Buren. Four years later, he appoints William commander-in-chief of the army on the borders of France. The young prince fully justified the trust placed in him.

In 1555, Charles V transferred rights to the Netherlands, and then the rest of his possessions, to his son Philip. Philip appoints Wilhelm a member of the state council and soon awards him with the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Perhaps Philip and William would have been connected by friendship, but the character of the new emperor was sharply different from the character of Charles. Philip was a gloomy, unfriendly and always suspicious ruler. Carrying out an even tougher policy in the Netherlands, he really wanted to destroy the slightest free-thinking here, and he especially hated the noble nobility. But he could do nothing while the war with France was ongoing, in which the Dutch nobles proved themselves to be brilliant commanders. Deciding to end the war as quickly as possible, Philip appoints William of Orange as a commissioner to conduct peace negotiations. Wilhelm, showing excellent diplomatic skills, concluded such an agreement with France, which, in essence, was a surrender on the part of France. The prince's success further strengthened Philip's feeling of hostility towards him, since the emperor now considered himself bound by ties of gratitude. Philip needed a peace treaty in order to begin secret negotiations with the French king on the fight against Protestantism in France and Spain - both monarchs understood each other perfectly, and soon a secret alliance was concluded.

William of Orange accidentally learned about the royal plans from the French king Henry II while visiting France as an honorary hostage at the conclusion of peace. The Duke of Alba was supposed to conduct secret negotiations, but for some reason the King of France mistook William for a participant in the conspiracy and shared his plans with him. It was not for nothing that William was nicknamed the Silent; he listened carefully to the king and decided to start the fight, leaving Henry II completely unaware of the mistake he had made.

Having received permission to leave, William of Orange hastened to return home. The first step was to draw up a “petition” from the States General to remove Spanish soldiers from the Netherlands. From that moment on, William of Orange and Philip II became ardent opponents, although the prince had previously not forgotten about his promise to Charles V to serve faithfully and his heir.

So Wilhelm became the head of the opposition and, leaving the borders of Holland, took over the general leadership of the uprising.

As a German sovereign prince, William had the right to maintain his own army and navy, which he took advantage of to equip troops for the invasion of the Netherlands using his own funds and those of Dutch patriots, as well as a Huguenot subsidy.

His first detachment of three thousand people under the command of Villars crossed the border to Julierie (near Maastricht) and was defeated on April 25, 1568 at Roermond, as well as between Erkelenz and Dahlem in clashes with the Spanish detachment of Sanho de Lodronie. The second detachment, composed of Huguenots under the command of de Coqueville, was defeated on July 18, 1568 upon entering Artois at Saint-Valery by the Picardy governor Marshal de Lossay and thrown back abroad. The third detachment was defeated at Gemmingen.

However, these failures did not weaken the energy of William of Orange, and at the end of September 1568 he managed to concentrate a new 40,000-strong army in the Trier province, near the Romersdorf monastery. Wanting to take revenge for his defeat at Gemmingen, Wilhelm moved to Brabant to Keizerslaber (near Maastricht), where the Spanish army of the Duke of Alba stood in a fortified camp, which avoided a decisive battle.

29 times the prince changed positions, and with each movement the duke followed him, avoiding battle. The local population refused food to the prince, fearing the wrath of Alba. William of Orange's dissatisfied mercenaries began to rebel, demanding payment of money, and with great difficulty he managed to suppress the indignation in his own camp.

Vanguard clashes continued as before, but it did not come to a battle. The prince was forced to retreat to Stokem, and from there to Togru, where he was followed by the Spanish army, which was stationed in close proximity. From Togr, William moved to St. Trond, pursued by the troops of Alba. Moving south, to Zhoduan, he took the direction of Waveron, where the reinforcements of the French of Count Genlis, who had already crossed the Meuse at Charlemont, were supposed to arrive.

Approaching the Goethe River on October 20, 1568, William of Orange put forward a 3,000-strong detachment, under the cover of which he began to transfer the army to the other bank. Then the Duke of Alba sent 4 thousand infantry and 300 cavalry and easily destroyed the covering detachment.

Deceived in his hopes for a general battle and for the support of the local population, William of Orange, after the defeat at Goethe, retreated to Waveron, where at the end of October he united with the 3,000-strong detachment of Zhanlis. The uprising, which could have become general if victory had been achieved, became impossible.

Rebellious outbreaks in the rebel camp became more frequent. Both Genlis himself and other French officers began to demand that the prince leave the Netherlands and go to the aid of the Huguenots, who had resumed the religious war. However, this plan was opposed by German mercenaries who did not want to fight against Charles IX in France.

Under these conditions, William of Orange was forced to withdraw his troops through Champagne and Lorraine to Strasbourg and disband there. Having settled the matter of paying the troops' salaries, William of Orange joined the Duke of Depont's detachment, recruited in Germany to support the French Huguenots. But soon a battle took place near Jarnac, as a result of which the Huguenot army was defeated. William of Orange, with a detachment of more than a thousand horsemen, accompanied by two of his brothers, joined Coligny's army. The new battle of Moncontour finally destroyed the Huguenot army. Even earlier, William of Orange, having changed into a simple dress, managed to pass through the enemy front and return safely to Germany in the fall of 1569.

During 1571, he prepared a new expedition, sending his agents to places where help could be obtained. On April 1, 1572, his supporters captured the fortress of Brillem, the inhabitants of which swore allegiance to William of Orange as the royal governor of Holland. This was the beginning of a new uprising, which soon spread throughout the northern provinces.

But while all these events were happening, William of Orange remained in Germany, busy recruiting troops and raising money. He managed to recruit an army consisting of 15 thousand infantry and 7 thousand cavalry, which was joined by another 3 thousand Walloons.

On July 7 he crossed the Rhine at Duisburg, and on July 23, after a strong cannonade, he captured Roermond. Here he had to stay for a whole month, since his troops, due to lack of money, refused to further march to the Netherlands. Only after receiving a guarantee from the Dutch cities for a three-month salary did William of Orange cross the Meuse on August 27 and move through Diet, Tirlemont, Shechem, Louwan, Mecheln and Thurmond to Oudenard and Nivelle. Many cities let his troops through, others were bought off with money. Meanwhile, the city of Mons, captured on May 23 by William's brother Louis of Nassau, was besieged by the Spanish troops of Don Frederico de Toledo and could barely hold out. Soon after the capture of Mons, Louis sent Count Genlis to France for reinforcements, and asked him to unite with his brother’s troops and only then, with joint forces, begin an offensive towards Mons. However, the Huguenot leader ignored this advice and on July 19 was defeated just two miles from Mons. Only about a hundred soldiers were able to enter Mons, and this was the only help Louis received from France, on which he had such high hopes.

At this time, William of Orange arrived in Peronna, and the Duke of Alba arrived in the camp of the Spanish troops besieging Mons. Wilhelm's position again became critical. He could neither attack Alba in his camp nor send reinforcements to the besieged Mons. On September 11, Don Frederico's 4,000-strong army occupied the village of Saint-Florian near the fortress, while the army of William of Orange himself was camped half a mile from the said village, at Herminy, from where he tried to bring reinforcements to Mons.

On the night of September 12, Don Frederico made an attempt to attack the camp of William of Orange. Six hundred selected musketeers under the command of Julian Romero, sneaking up to the forward posts of the Orangemen, killed the sentries and took the rebels by surprise. For two hours, the Spaniards destroyed the enemy, who was unaware of the small number of Spaniards. Only after the Spaniards lit the tents did the light of the fire show the Orangemen the small number of the enemy. However, before they could launch a counterattack, Romero was able to withdraw his musketeers without losing 50 men. The Orangemen lost more than 600 people.

William of Orange was forced to withdraw his army to Nivelle, informing his brother about the failure of the expedition and advising him to agree to surrender on possibly acceptable terms.

On September 19, Mons capitulated. William of Orange, having crossed the Meuse, headed towards the Rhine. Having crossed it to Orsua, he disbanded his troops and returned alone to Holland. He no longer hoped to gather a new army and was now only trying to help Harlem, besieged by the troops of Don Frederico. He sent food and supplies to the city, formed a 4,000-strong detachment of de la Marche in Leiden, intending to introduce it into the besieged city, and after the defeat inflicted on this detachment by Romero’s troops, he assembled a new 2,000-strong detachment with seven guns and several wagons of shells under command of Batenburg. But this detachment suffered the same fate as the first.

At the end of January, William of Orange still managed to transport a supply of gunpowder and grain to the city on 170 sleighs on the ice of Lake Harlem and 400 reinforcements. When the lake opened up at the end of February, William of Orange acquired several dozen vessels of various sizes. Naval clashes began to occur almost daily, until finally, on May 28, the Spanish squadron of Bussu defeated the Orange fleet.

And yet, William of Orange tried in June to undertake a third expedition to assist Harlem, sending 400 wagons with supplies with Batenburg’s 5,000-strong detachment. On June 8, at dusk, the detachment set out from Sassenheim and might have safely reached the besieged city if, two days earlier, carrier pigeons carrying letters containing details of the upcoming expedition had not been shot down by the Spaniards. The discovered correspondence was immediately delivered to Don Frederico's camp, and he immediately made the appropriate orders. After a fierce battle, almost the entire Batenburg detachment was exterminated or scattered. The last hope for the release of the blockade of Harlem was lost, and on July 13 its surrender to the Spaniards followed.

After this, Don Frederico attacked the city of Alkmeer, located at the end of the peninsula between the lagoons and meadows of North Holland, and by August 21, 1573, he closely surrounded it. Three assaults launched by the Spaniards were unsuccessful, and the huge losses suffered by the attacking troops left a grave impression on the Spanish army. The soldiers began to refuse to launch a new assault.

Knowing this, William of Orange ordered the dams to be broken to flood the country and sweep the entire Spanish army into the sea. But his plans accidentally became known to Don Frederico. On October 8, the siege, which had lasted seven weeks, was lifted and Spanish troops retreated to Amsterdam.

Three days later, the Dutch flotilla of Admiral Dirozoon destroyed the numerically superior Spanish squadron under the command of Admiral Bussu in the waters of the North Sea.

The following year, William of Orange began actions to capture Middolburg, occupied by the Spanish troops of Mondrabon, which was assisted by the entire Spanish army under the command of Zunit Requesens, who replaced the Duke of Alba in the Netherlands.

On January 30, 1574, a naval battle took place between Bergen op Zoom and Romersval, in which the Spanish squadron was defeated, and on February 18 the siege of Middolburg was lifted. The Orangemen failed to achieve any other successes, and were defeated at the Battle of Mookerheiden. Both brothers of William of Orange died in this battle.

But soon unrest began in the Spanish army, which allowed William to provide assistance to Leiden, which was besieged by the troops of the Spanish general Valdez. At this time, the main apartment of William of Orange was located in Delft, near which there was the Polederwart fortress, which was attacked by Valdez on July 29. However, the assault was repulsed, and the prince retained his position, the only one that allowed him to hope to free Leiden from the siege. He tried to cause a flood around the city, but this attempt failed, and therefore he had to turn to other means. Under the leadership of William of Orange and his active assistant Admiral Boisot, more than 200 ships and about 3 thousand sailors were assembled. On the night of September 11, the Orangemen captured Landscheidin, but then the water turned out to be too shallow for ships. On September 18, the water rose again, and this made it possible for Boizot's flotilla to approach the besieged city. The Spaniards were pushed back into the belt of forts in the immediate vicinity of Leiden. After shallow waters set in, on the night of October 2, a storm raised the water again, which made it possible for Boiseau's flotilla to approach the besieged city, and on October 3 it was liberated.

However, William of Orange's attempt to provide assistance to the city of Zirik-See, besieged by Mondragen's troops, was unsuccessful. On May 25, Admiral Boisot tried to bring reinforcements into the city from the sea, but his attack on the Spanish barriers ended in failure. On June 21, 1576, Zierik See surrendered to the Spaniards.

Immediately after his surrender, a mutiny of Spanish troops broke out. The soldiers occupied the citadels of Ghent, Antwerp, Precht and Valenciennes, and plundered Alost, Maastricht and Antwerp. William of Orange took advantage of the mutiny of the Spanish troops to induce the Council of State to hold a general meeting of the Estates General in Ghent. But the Ghent citadel, which dominated the city, was still in the hands of the Spaniards and, despite the small number of the garrison, held out stubbornly. Only after William of Orange sent reinforcements from Zealand did the citadel fall on November 8, 1576.

Four days before the promulgation of the Truce of Ghent, a new governor, the king's son Juan of Austria, arrived in the Netherlands. Negotiations between him and William of Orange led nowhere, since both pursued completely opposite goals. Don Juan insisted on restoring the absolute power of the king and the dominance of Catholicism in the Netherlands. The prince demanded the restoration of the old constitution and complete religious freedom.

Reinforcements have already arrived on both sides. On January 31, 1578, a 30,000-strong Spanish army, consisting of selected Spanish-Italian veterans, defeated the Dutch troops at Gembloux and soon captured almost the entire territory of the Netherlands. On October 1, Don Juan died, leaving his assistant Alexander of Parma as his successor.

Meanwhile, on the initiative of William of Orange, the northern provinces, seeing the unreliability of their alliance with the southern ones and their indecision and constant hesitation, concluded the so-called Utrecht Union among themselves. This marked the beginning of a special federal state. The union was drawn up in the name of the king, but already in 1581 the united provinces seceded from Spain.

On July 10, 1584, William of Orange was assassinated by Balthasar Gerard in Delft. His death destroyed all hopes of uniting all of the Netherlands into one republic, and Spanish rule over the southern provinces (Belgium) continued until 1714.

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William of Orange. Work by A. Kay (1554-1609) (1580, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam).

William (Willem) I of Orange, nicknamed the Silent (Dutch. Willem van Oranje; Willem de Zwijger;) - Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau, first Stadtholder (Stadtholder) of Holland and Zealand, one of the leaders of the Dutch bourgeois revolution.

The Nassau family has been known since the beginning of the 12th century. The name of the genus comes from the burg of Nassau, built around 1100 by the Counts of Laurenburg on the banks of the Lahn. The descendants of Drutvin Laurenburg began to bear the name Nassau. The independent history of Nassau County begins in the second half of the 12th century. In 1255 it split into two parts. The southern part of the county, located on the left bank of the Lahn, came to be owned by Walram II, who gave rise to the Walram family line. The northern part, the right bank of the Lahn, went to his brother Otto, who gave rise to the Dillenburg (Otto) line.

The Dillenburg branch of the House of Nassau later became known as the Oran branch. The representative of this line, Prince Engelbert, thanks to a successful marriage, annexed part of the lands in northern Brabant to his possessions. His descendants served under the Burgundian dukes who ruled the Netherlands, and then the Spanish kings. They became the richest landowners and hereditary governors - stadtholders (stathauders) - of the Netherlands. In 1530, by marriage, the southern French principality of Orange, located on the banks of the Rhone, was annexed to their possessions, which gave the name to this line of the dynasty. Since then it was called Oranskaya.

The struggle of the Netherlands for its independence is most closely connected with the representatives of the Orange line of the House of Nassau. The leader of the foremost fighters for the independence of the Netherlands was William of Nassau, Prince of Orange, who went down in history as William I of Orange. He was born on April 24 1533 years at Dillenburg Castle in the Principality of Nassau. His ancestors had been in the highest positions of government in the Netherlands for many years. His father accepted the Protestant faith and was known as a very rich man, going down in history with the nickname Wilhelm the Rich. Having married Juliana von Stolberg-Wernigerode.

William I, the Rich (1487-1559), was Count of Nassau-Dillenburg (1516-1559) - father of William of Orange.

Juliana van Stolberg - mother of William of Orange

His father already had a daughter from a previous marriage, and his mother also already had four children from a previous marriage. He was baptized into the Lutheran Church on May 4, 1533. After him, four more brothers were born - Jan (1535-1606), Louis (1538-1574), Adolf (1540-1568), Hendrik (1550-1574) and eight sisters. Until the age of eleven, Wilhelm was raised in the Lutheran faith at the family castle of Dillenburg in Germany.

At the age of eleven, William inherited the Principality of Orange along with the title and possessions in the Netherlands after the death of his cousin Renat of Orange, becoming Prince of Orange. A year later, he left his parents' home and went to Brussels to the court of the Emperor, who wished to take personal part in the education of the Prince of Orange. The Stadtholder of the Netherlands at that time was the sister and right hand of the emperor - the Dowager Queen of Hungary. She took upon herself the main responsibility for raising Wilhelm. Raised under the leadership of the sympathetic Emperor Charles V as a Catholic (although the family was Protestant), William early discovered a gift for politics. While at the court in Brussels, William went through a good school of political intrigue and conspiracies, with the help of which many affairs were accomplished. By nature, he was gifted with intelligence and thoughtfulness, which did not go unnoticed by Emperor Charles, who had high hopes for the boy. Very quickly, Wilhelm became the emperor's favorite and won his complete trust. Despite the fact that the policies pursued by Charles V in the Netherlands were characterized by self-will and cruelty, during his reign the revolutionary movement did not break out in these provinces. Many attribute this to the personal charm and courtesy of the emperor, who managed to win over the nobility and flatter the national feeling of the inhabitants of this territory. And the emperor generously showered his favorite Wilhelm with all kinds of honors and favors. When Wilhelm reached the age of 18, Karl married him to Anne von Egmont- daughter of the wealthy Count Maximilian von Buren.

Anna van Egmond, also Anna van Buren (N. Anna van Buren, baptized in March 1533 Grave - died March 24, 1558 Breda) - Countess van Buren, Leerdam and Lingen from the Dutch house of Egmond, Signora van Egmond, Ijsselstein, Sint- Martensijk, Kortgene, Kranendonk, Borssele, Grave, Jaarsveld and Odijk. The first wife of the Stadtholder of the Netherlands, William I of Orange.
Anna was the only child and heiress in the family of the Dutch military leader and captain-general Maximillian van Egmond and his wife Françoise de Lannoy, lords of Lannoy, Santé and Tronchienne. After the death of her father in 1548, Anna officially became Countess of van Buren, Leerdam, Lingen, etc. Anna sold the county of Lingen acquired by her father upon her marriage to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V for 120 thousand gold guilders. The girl came from the van Egmonds, one of the oldest and most noble aristocratic families in the Netherlands. The freedom fighters of the Netherlands also belonged to this family. Lamoral van Egmond And Philippe de Montmorency, Count of Horn.
On July 8, 1551, Anna marries William I of Orange-Nassau, heir to the Principality of Orange, in Buren. Thanks to his marriage to such a rich and noble heiress, William not only acquired significant land holdings in the Netherlands, but also became the owner of the count title of van Buren, and also became related to the influential Egmond family. At the time of their marriage, both William and his bride professed the Catholic religion. According to available sources and surviving letters, the marriage of William and Anna was extremely successful. The couple lived alternately in the castles of Buren and Breda. In this marriage, Anna had three children:
Maria (1553—1555)
Philipp-Wilhelm(1554-1618), Prince of Orange, wife (from 1606) Eleanor de Bourbon-Condé (1587-1619), daughter of Prince Henry I de Bourbon-Condé.
Maria(1556-1616), from 1595 married to Count Philipp von Hohenlohe-Neuenstein.
After the early death of their mother, the children were raised at the court of the ruler of the Netherlands Mary of Austria.
Anna van Egmond remained in history the only Dutch woman - the wife of the rulers of the Netherlands from the House of Orange. The title of Counts of Van Buren has since belonged to the Dutch monarchs. In memory of the connection between Countess Anna and William of Orange, the city of Buren received a second name - Oranjestad.

Sculptural group depicting the family of William the Silent in the city of BurenWillem van Oranje en Anne van Buren (jwt 03/24/2007), made by Lia Krol and Caroline van "t Hoff in 2003

Four years later, Charles V appoints William commander-in-chief of the army on the borders of France. The young prince fully justified the trust placed in him.

IN 1555 In 1941, Charles V transferred 17 Dutch provinces, as well as Spain and its colonies, to his eldest son Philip, and the Holy Roman Empire went to his youngest son Ferdinand. Philip appoints Wilhelm a member of the state council and soon awards him with the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

Going to Spain, Philip entrusted the duties of governor of a number of provinces of the Netherlands to William, and transferred general power over the country to his half-sister Margaret of Parma.

The search for foreign patrons continued even after the return of the Duke of Anjou to France and the treacherous murder of William of Orange in 1584. The offer to become sovereign of the Netherlands was transferred to the Queen of England Elizabeth, but she rejected it, sending her close Count to the United Provinces in 1585 Lester, who was proclaimed governor in 1586 G.

IN 1583 Mr. William of Orange married Louise de Coligny(1555-1620), daughter of Count Gaspard II de Coligny, admiral of France.

Louise de Coligny (1620).

Johannes de Visscher. Portret van Louise de Coligny (1555-1620), echtgenote van Willem I (1533-1584), prins van Oranje.(1677).
Louise de Coligny (French Louise de Coligny, born September 23, 1555 Chatillon-sur-Loing - died November 13, 1620 Fontainebleau) - French aristocrat from the Coligny family, 4th wife of William I of Orange, Princess of Orange- Nassau.
Louise was the eldest child of Admiral Gaspard II of Coligny of France and his wife, Charlotte de Laval (1530–1568), daughter of Count Guy XVI de Laval-Montfort. She received a comprehensive, but strictly Protestant education. After the early death of her mother, she was raised by Queen Jeanne III of Navarre. Here Louise met and won the friendship of Jeanne's son, the future King of France Henry IV.
At the age of 17 (in 1571), Louise, on the advice of her father, married Charles de Teligny (1535-1572), the favorite of King Charles IX. This marriage turned out to be short-lived, since the Comte de Teligny, as well as Louise's father Gaspard de Coligny, were killed on St. Bartholomew's Night on August 24, 1572, refusing to convert to Catholicism. After these tragic events, Louise de Coligny, together with her mother-in-law Jacqueline d'Entremont, was forced to flee France - first to Savoy, then to Switzerland - to Basel and Bern. After the Edict of Beaulieu, she returned to France in 1576 and lived on the estates of her late husband in Lierville. Only once does Louise appear at the royal court - with a request for the return of her title and property of her murdered father.
April 21 1583 year, in Antwerp, Louise de Coligny remarried - to the Stadtholder of the Netherlands, William I of Orange-Nassau, becoming his fourth wife. In 1584, William and Louise had a son, Frederick Henry, the future Prince of Orange. After the murder in 1584 of her second husband, William - in the presence of Louise herself - she raised her son and daughters William from her third marriage in the traditions of Protestantism and dealt with their future marriages. To maintain constant contacts with French Protestants - the Huguenots, Louise, together with her stepdaughters Elizabeth of Orange-Nassau and Charlotte Brabantine of Orange-Nassau, came to Paris in 1594, where she visited the royal court. Louise was especially concerned about the fate of her granddaughter, Charlotte de La Tremouille, the future Countess of Derby. Due to her highly respected Protestant background, close ties to the Huguenot aristocracy, and long-standing friendship with King Henry IV, Louise de Coligny was a highly influential figure in the political world of both France and the Netherlands.
Louise de Coligny lived in Delft for a long time. A year before her death, she arrived in France, to the court of Queen Marie de' Medici at the Palace of Fontainebleau. Throughout her life, Louise de Coligny remained devoted to the Protestant faith. She was buried in Delft.
Had one son:
1.Friedrich-Heinrich(1584-1647), Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and others. His grandson, William III of Orange, ascended the throne of England.

The Spanish-inspired attempt on the life of the stadtholder in Antwerp in March 1583 failed, but on July 10, 1584, William was killed by a Spanish agent Balthazar Gerard. The assassin was hiding in the royal chambers at Prinsenhof and, when the prince entered, he shot him three times. Orange cried out: “Oh God, have pity on my soul... Have pity on this unfortunate people” (“Mon Dieu, ayez pitié de mon âme; mon Dieu, ayez pitié de ce pauvre peuple.”).

William the Silent was killed at his home by w:Balthasar Gérard on 1584-07-10

He died almost instantly. Buried in Delft, in
His death destroyed all hopes of uniting all of the Netherlands into one republic, and Spanish rule over the southern provinces (Belgium) continued until 1714.

However, the foundations of Dutch independence had already been laid by Wilhelm, and it was up to his sons Moritz (1568-1625) and Friedrich Heinrich (1584-1648) to finally consolidate them.

Four generations of Princes of Orange: William I, Moritz of Orange and Frederick Hendrik, William II, William III (Wilhelm van Honthorst, 1662)

More reliable than a brilliant military leader, Wilhelm was undoubtedly an outstanding organizer, diplomat and statesman. Wilhelm fully deserved the title “Father of the Fatherland” assigned to him. Among his other services to the nation are the assignment of official status to the Dutch language and the founding of a university in Leiden in 1575

Workshop of Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt (1567-1641). Portrait of Willem I (1533- 1584), Prince of Orange. (1600, Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis)

Workshop of Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt. Portrait of Willem I (1533-84), prince of Orange. (ca. 1609-1633, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam)

Workshop of Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt (partly after Cornelis de Visscher (I)). Portrait of William I, Prince of Orange.(1632, Nationaal Museum Paleis Het Loo)

Willem Jacobsz Delff. Portrait of William the Silent (detail) (1623, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam)

Gravure van Willem van Oranje door Hendrik Bary (1671)

Detail glas 25 St. Janskerk: Het ontzet van Leiden (afbeelding Willem van Oranje); makers Dirck Verheyden en Dirck van Douwe, naar een ontwerp van Ysaac Claesz Swanenburg, 1603

Prinz von Oranien Graf von Nassau in Wiesbaden

Monument to Prince William of Orange in The Hague