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"House of Orange" redirects here. For other uses, see House of Orange (disambiguation).

House of Orange-Nassau
Royal Coat of arms of the Netherlands
Arms of William the Silent
Parent house	House of Nassau
Country	the Netherlands(Dutch)
Founded	1544
Founder	William I of Orange (William the Silent)
Current head	Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
Titles	King of the Netherlands King of England, Scotland and Ireland Grand Duke of Luxembourg Duke of Limburg Prince of Orange Fürst of Nassau-Orange Fürst of Nassau-Orange-Fulda Princely Count of Nassau-Dietz Count of Nassau-Dillenburg Stadtholder in the Netherlands
Estate(s)	Netherlands
Dissolution	Since 1962 extinct in the original agnatic line

Coat of arms of King of the Netherlands
Coat of arms of King of the Netherlands
Versions
Coat of arms of the Prince of Orange, 17th Century
Coat of arms of William the Silent, "Orange-Nassau" symbolized by adding the "Châlon-Orange" arms in an escutcheon to the "Nassau" arms.

The House of Orange-Nassau (in Dutch: Huis van Oranje-Nassau, pronounced [ˈɦœy̯s fɑn oːˈrɑɲə ˈnɑsʌu̯]), a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the politics and government of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — especially since William I of Orange (also known as "William the Silent" and "Father of the Fatherland") organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years' War led to an independent Dutch state. William III of Orange lead the resistance of the Netherlands and Europe to Louis XIV of France, and orchestrated the Glorious Revolution in England that established parliamentary rule. Similarly, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was instrumental in the Dutch resistance during World War II.

Several members of the house served during the Eighty Years war after as governor or stadtholder (Dutch stadhouder) during the Dutch Republic. However, in 1815, after a long period as a republic, the Netherlands became a monarchy under the House of Orange-Nassau.

The dynasty was established as a result of the marriage of Henry III of Nassau-Breda from Germany and Claudia of Châlon-Orange from French Burgundy in 1515. Their son René inherited in 1530 the independent and sovereign Principality of Orange from his mother's brother, Philibert of Châlon. As the first Nassau to be the Prince of Orange, René could have used "Orange-Nassau" as his new family name. However, his uncle, in his will, had stipulated that René should continue the use of the name Châlon-Orange. History knows him therefore as René of Châlon. After the death of René in 1544 his cousin William of Nassau-Dillenburg inherited all his lands. This "William I of Orange", in English better known as William the Silent, became the founder of the House of Orange-Nassau.

The House of Nassau

The Castle of Nassau was founded around 1100 by Count Dudo-Henry of Laurenburg (German: Dudo-Heinrich von Laurenburg), the founder of the House of Nassau. In 1120, Dudo-Henry's sons and successors, Counts Robert I (German: Ruprecht; also translated Rupert) and Arnold I of Laurenburg, established themselves at Nassau Castle with its tower. They renovated and extended the castle complex in 1124 (see Nassau Castle).

The first man to be called the count of Nassau was Robert I of Nassau (Ruprecht in German), who lived in the first half of the 13th century (see family tree below). The Nassau family married into the family of the neighboring Counts of Arnstein (now Kloster Arnstein). His sons Walram and Otto split the Nassau possessions. The descendants of Walram became known as the Walram Line, which became Dukes of Nassau, and in 1890, the Grand Dukes of Luxembourg. This line also included Adolph of Nassau, who was elected King of the Romans in 1292. The descendants of Otto became known as the Ottonian Line, which inherited parts of Nassau County, and properties in France and the Netherlands.

William the Silent, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch War for Independence, and stadholder of Holland, Zeeland, and Utrecht.

The House of Orange-Nassau stems from the younger Ottonian Line. The first of this line to establish himself in the Netherlands was John I, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, who married Margareta of the Marck. The real founder of the Nassau fortunes in the Netherlands was John's son, Engelbert I. He became counsellor to the Burgundian Dukes of Brabant, first to Anton of Burgundy, and later to his son Jan IV of Brabant. He also would later serve Philip the Good. In 1403 he married the Dutch noblewoman Johanna van Polanen, and so inherited lands in the Netherlands, with the Barony of Breda as the core of the Dutch possessions and the family fortune.

A noble's power was often based on his ownership of vast tracts of land and lucrative offices. It also helped that much of the lands that the House of Orange and Nassau controlled sat under one of the commercial and mercantile centers of the world (see below under Lands and Titles. The importance of the Nassaus grew throughout the 15th and 16th centuries as they became councilors, generals and stadholders of the Habsburgs (see armorial of the great nobles of the Burgundian Netherlands and List of Knights of the Golden Fleece). Engelbert II of Nassau served Charles the Bold and Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, who had married Charles's daughter Mary of Burgundy. In 1496 he was appointed stadtholder of Flanders and by 1498 he had been named President of the Grand Conseil. In 1501, Maximilian named him Lieutenant-General of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands. From that point forward (until his death in 1504), Engelbert was the principal representative of the Habsburg Empire to the region. Hendrik III of Nassau-Breda was appointed stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland by Charles of Ghent in the beginning of the 16th century. Hendrik was succeeded by his son René of Châlon-Orange in 1538, who had inherited the principality of Orange and the title Prince of Orange from his maternal uncle Philibert of Chalon. René died prematurely on the battlefield in 1544. His possessions, including the principality of Orange and the title Prince of Orange, passed by his will as sovereign prince to his paternal cousin, William I of Orange. From then on, the family members called themselves "Orange-Nassau." See also Adolf of Germany.

The Dutch rebellion

Main articles: Dutch Revolt and Eighty Years' War

Although Charles V resisted the Protestant Reformation, he ruled the Dutch territories wisely with moderation and regard for local customs, and he did not persecute his Protestant subjects on a large scale. His son Philip II inherited his antipathy for the Protestants but not his moderation. Under the reign of Philip, a true persecution of Protestants was initiated and taxes were raised to an outrageous level. Discontent arose and William of Orange (with his vague Lutheran childhood) stood up for the Protestant (mainly Calvinist) inhabitants of the Netherlands. Things went badly after the Eighty Years' War started in 1568, but luck turned to his advantage when Protestant rebels attacking from the North Sea captured Brielle, a coastal town in present-day South Holland in 1572. Many cities in Holland began to support William. During the 1570s he had to defend his core territories in Holland several times, but in the 1580s the inland cities in Holland were secure. William of Orange was considered a threat to Spanish rule in the area and was assassinated in 1584 by a hired killer sent by Philip.

William was succeeded by his second son Maurits, a Protestant who proved an excellent military commander. His abilities as a commander and the lack of strong leadership in Spain after the death of Philip II (1598) gave Maurits excellent opportunities to conquer large parts of the present-day Dutch territory. In 1585 Maurits was elected stadtholder of the Provinces of Holland and Zealand as his father's successor and as a counterpose to Elizabeth's delegate, the Earl of Leicester. In 1587 he was appointed captain-general (military commander-in-chief) of the armies of the Dutch Republic. In the early years of the 17th century there arose quarrels between stadtholder and oligarchist regents—a group of powerful merchants led by Johan van Oldebarnevelt—because Maurits wanted more powers in the Republic. Maurits won this power struggle by arranging the judicial murder of Oldebarnevelt.

Expansion of dynastic power

Painting by Willem van Honthorst (1662), showing four generations of Princes of Orange: William I, Maurice and Frederick Henry, William II, and William III.

Maurits died unmarried in 1625 and left no legitimate children. He was succeeded by his half-brother Frederick Henry (Dutch: Frederik Hendrik), youngest son of William I. Maurits urged his successor on his deathbed to marry as soon as possible. A few weeks after Maurits's death, he married Amalia van Solms-Braunfels. Frederick Henry and Amalia were the parents of a son and several daughters. These daughters were married to important noble houses such as the house of Hohenzollern, but also to the Frisian Nassaus, who were stadtholders in Friesland. His only son, William, married Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, the eldest daughter of Charles I of Scotland and England. These dynastic moves were the work of Amalia.

Exile and resurgence

Frederick Henry died in 1647 and his son succeeded him. As the Treaty of Munster was about to be signed, thereby ending the Eighty Years' War, William tried to maintain the powers he had in wartime as military commander. These would necessarily be diminished in peacetime as the army would be reduced, along with his income. This met with great opposition from the regents. When Andries Bicker and Cornelis de Graeff, the great regents of the city of Amsterdam refused some mayors he appointed, he besieged Amsterdam. The siege provoked the wrath of the regents. William died of smallpox on November 6, 1650, leaving only a posthumous son, William III (*November 14, 1650). Since the Prince of Orange upon the death of William II, William III, was an infant, the regents used this opportunity to leave the stadtholdership vacant. This inaugurated the era in Dutch history that is known as the First Stadtholderless Period. A quarrel about the education of the young prince arose between his mother and his grandmother Amalia (who outlived her husband by 28 years). Amalia wanted an education which was pointed at the resurgence of the House of Orange to power, but Mary wanted a pure English education. The Estates of Holland, under Jan de Witt and Cornelis de Graeff, meddled in the education and made William a "child of state" to be educated by the state. The doctrine used in this education was keeping William from the throne. William became indeed very docile to the wishes of the regents and the Estates.

The Dutch Republic was attacked by France and England in 1672. The military function of stadtholder was no longer superfluous, and with the support of the Orangists, William was restored, and he became the stadtholder. William successfully repelled the invasion and seized royal power. He became more powerful than his predecessors from the Eighty Years' War. In 1677, William married his cousin Mary Stuart, the daughter of the future king James II of England. In 1688, William embarked on a mission to depose his Catholic father-in-law from the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland. He and his wife were crowned the King and Queen of England on April 11, 1689. With the accession to the thrones of the three kingdoms, he became one of the most powerful sovereigns in Europe, and the only one to defeat Louis XIV of France. William III died childless after a riding accident on March 8, 1702, leaving the main male line of the House of Orange extinct, and leaving Scotland, England and Ireland to his sister-in-law Queen Anne.

Position of the House of Orange in the 17th Century

Willem II (1626-50), prince of Orange, and his wife Princess Maria Stuart of England (1631-60).

The house of Orange-Nassau was relatively unlucky in establishing a hereditary dynasty in an age that favoured hereditary rule. The Stuarts and the Bourbons came to power at the same time as the Oranges, the Vasas and Oldenburgs were able to establish a hereditary kingship in Sweden and Denmark, and the Hohenzollerns were able to set themselves on a course to the rule of Germany. The House of Orange was no less gifted than those houses, in fact, some might argue more so, as their ranks included some the foremost statesmen and captains of the time. A 104 years separted the death of William the Silent from the accession of his great grandson, William III, as King of England. Although the institutions of the United Provinces became more republican and entrenched as time went on, William the Silent had been offered the countship of Holland and Zealand, and only his assassination prevented his accession to those offices. This fact did not go unforgotten by his successors.

The Prince of Orange was also not just another noble among equals in the Netherlands. First, he was the traditional leader of the nation in war and in rebellion against Spain. He was uniquely able to transcend the local issues of the cities, towns and provinces. He was also a sovereign ruler in his own right (see Prince of Orange article). This gave him a great deal of prestige, even in a republic. He was the center of a real court like the Stuarts and Bourbons, French speaking, and extravagant to a scale. It was natural for foreign ambassadors and dignitaries to present themselves to him and consult with him as well as to the States General to which they were officially credited. The marriage policy of the princes, allying themselves twice with the Royal Stuarts, also gave them acceptance into the royal caste of rulers.

Besides showing the relationships among the family, the family tree below also points out an extraordinary run of bad luck. In the 211 years from the death of William the Silent to the conquest by France, there was only one time that a son directly succeeded his father as Prince of Orange, Stadholder and Captain-General without a minority (William II). When the Oranges were in power, they also tended to settle for the actualities of power, rather than the appearances, which increasingly tended to upset the ruling regents of the towns and cities. On being offered the dukedom of Gelderland by the States of that province, William III let the offer lapse as liable to raise too much opposition in the other provinces.

"The Nassau Cavalcade", members of the house of Orange and Nassau on parade in 1621 from an engraving by Willem Delff. From left to right in the first row: Prince Maurice, Prince Philip William and Prince Frederick Henry, between Maurice and Frederick Henry is William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg.	The collateral house of Nassau: the four brothers of Willem I, prince of Orange: Jan (1536–1606), sitting, Hendrik (1550–1574), Adolf (1540–1568) and Lodewijk (1538–1574), counts of Nassau.	Princes of the collateral House of Nassau-Dietz from the Stadhouderlijk Hof (nowadays called Princessehof Ceramics Museum) in Leeuwarden, H.Prince of Nassau, Henry Casimir, Prince of Nassau, George, Prince of Nassau, and Willem Frederick, Prince of Nassau_Dietz

The house of Orange was also related by marriage to several of these key European dynasties of the time, Stuart, Bourbon, and Palatine, Hannover and Hohenzollern. These alliances had consequences for all of them. William III used his double relationship with the Stuarts to justify his co-equal status with his wife on the English throne after the Glorious Revolution. As an arrière petit fils de France, albeit in the female line, he felt doubly insulted by his cousin Louis XIV's occupation and seizure of his sovereign principality of Orange. His death without children ensured the passing of Orange to a Dutch cousin and years of squabbles over the same, while securing the British throne to the more distantly related House of Hannover.

Oranje en Stuart/Houses of Orange and Stuart

William the Silent, Prince of Orange Henry IV of France James I of England Louis XIII Maurice, Prince of Orange Amalia of Solms-Braunfels Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange Henrietta Maria Charles I of England Elizabeth Stuart Louis XIV Louise Henriette of Nassau Albertine Agnes of Nassau William II, Prince of Orange Mary, Princess Royal Charles II of England James II of England Sophia of the Palatine Prince Rupert of the Rhine Frederick I of Prussia Henry Casimir II, Prince of Nassau-Dietz William III of Orange and England Mary II of England Anne of England James Francis Edward George I of Great Britain John William Friso, Prince of Orange  Prince of Orange   Member of House of Orange   King of France   Prince or Princess of France   King of England/House of Stuart   Prince/Princess of England   House of Palatine   King of Great Britain/House of Hanover   Elector of Brandenburg & King in Prussia/ House of Hohenzollern

The second stadtholderless era

The regents found that they had suffered under the powerful leadership of King William III and left the stadtholderate vacant for the second time. As William III died childless in 1702 the principality became a matter of dispute between Prince John William Friso of Nassau-Dietz of the Frisian Nassaus and King Frederick I of Prussia, who both claimed the title Prince of Orange. Both descended from Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange. The King of Prussia was his grandson through his mother, Countess Luise Henriette of Nassau. Frederick Henry in his will had appointed this line as successor in the case the main House of Orange-Nassau would die out. John William Friso was a great-grandson of Frederick Henry (through Countess Albertine Agnes of Nassau, another daughter) and was appointed heir in William III's will. The principality was captured by the forces of King Louis XIV of France under François Adhémar de Monteil, Count of Grignan, in the Franco-Dutch War in 1672, and again in August 1682. With the Treaty of Utrecht that ended the wars of Louis XIV, the territory was formally ceded to France by Frederick I in 1713. John William Friso drowned in 1711 in the Hollands Diep near Moerdijk, and he left his posthumously born son William IV, Prince of Orange. That son succeeded at that time his father as stadtholder in Friesland (as the stadtholderate had been hereditary in that province since 1664), and Groningen. William IV was proclaimed the stadtholder of Guelders, Overijssel, and Utrecht in 1722. When the French invaded Holland in 1747, William IV was appointed stadtholder in Holland and Zeeland also. The stadtholderate was made hereditary in both the male and the female lines in all provinces at the same time.

The end of the stadtholderate

William IV died in 1751, leaving his three-year-old son, William V, as the stadtholder. Since William V was still a minor, the regents reigned for him. He would grow out to be an indecisive person, a character defect which would come to haunt William V his whole life. His marriage to Wilhelmina of Prussia relieved this defect to some degree. In 1787, Willem V survived an attempt to dispose him by the Patriots (democratic revolutionaries) after the Kingdom of Prussia intervened. When the French invaded Holland in 1795, William V was forced into exile, and he was never to return alive to Holland.

After 1795, the House of Orange-Nassau faced a difficult period, surviving in exile at other European courts, especially those of Prussia and England. Following the recognition of the Batavian Republic by the 1801 Oranienstein Letters, William V's son William VI renounced the stadtholdership in 1802. In return, he received a few territories from First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte of the French Republic (Treaty of Amiens), which was established as the Principality of Nassau-Orange-Fulda. William V died in 1806.

The Monarchy (since 1815)

Main article: Monarchy of the Netherlands

A new spirit: the United Kingdom of the Netherlands

After a repressed Dutch rebel action, Prussian and Cossack troops drove out the French in 1813, with the support of the Patriots of 1785. A provisional government was formed, most of whose members had helped drive out William V 18 years earlier. However, they were realistic enough to realize that any new government would have to be headed by William V's son, William Frederick (William VI). All agreed that it would be better in the long term for the Dutch to restore William themselves rather than have him imposed by the allies.

Prince William of Orange wounded at Waterloo, 1815

At the invitation of the provisional government, William Frederick returned to the Netherlands on November 30. This move was strongly supported by the United Kingdom, which sought ways to strengthen the Netherlands and deny future French aggressors easy access to the Low Countries' Channel ports. The provisional government offered William the crown. He refused, believing that a stadholdership would give him more power. Thus, on December 6, William proclaimed himself hereditary sovereign prince of the Netherlands—something between a kingship and a stadholdership. In 1814, he was awarded sovereignty over the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège as well. On March 15, 1815 with the support of the powers gathered at the Congress of Vienna, William proclaimed himself King William I. He was also made grand duke of Luxembourg, and the title 'Prince of Orange' was changed to 'Prince of Oranje'. The two countries remained separate despite sharing a common monarch. William had thus fulfilled the House of Orange's three-century quest to unite the Low Countries.

The institution of the monarch in the Netherlands is considered an office under the Dutch Constitution. There are none of the religious connotations to the office as in some other monarchies. A Dutch sovereign is inaugurated rather than crowned in a coronation ceremony. It was more of a crowned/hereditary presidency, and a continuation of the status quo ante of the pre-1795 hereditary stadholderate in the Republic. In practice today, the monarch has considerably less power.

As king of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, William tried to establish one common culture. This provoked resistance in the southern parts of the country, which had been culturally separate from the north since 1581. He was considered an enlightened despot.

The Prince of Orange held rights to Nassau lands (Dillenburg, Dietz, Beilstein, Hadamar, Siegen) in central Germany. On the other hand, the King of Prussia, Frederick William III—brother-in-law and first cousin of William I, had beginning from 1813 managed to establish his rule in Luxembourg, which he regarded as his inheritance from Anne, Duchess of Luxembourg who had died over three centuries earlier. At the Congress of Vienna, the two brothers-in-law agreed to a trade—Frederick William received William I's ancestral lands while William I received Luxembourg. Both got what was geographically nearer to their center of power.

In 1830, most of the southern portion of William's realm—the former Austrian Netherlands and Prince-Bishopric—declared independence as Belgium. William fought a disastrous war until 1839 when he was forced to settle for peace. With his realm halved, he decided to abdicate in 1840 in favour of his son, William II. Although William II shared his father's conservative inclinations, in 1848 he accepted an amended constitution that significantly curbed his own authority and transferred the real power to the States General. He took this step to prevent the Revolution of 1848 from spreading to his country.

William III and the threat of extinction

William II died in 1849. He was succeeded by his son, William III. A rather conservative, even reactionary man, William III was sharply opposed to the new 1848 constitution. He continually tried to form governments that were dependent on his support, even though it was prohibitively difficult for a government to stay in office against the will of Parliament. In 1868, he tried to sell Luxembourg to France, which was the source of a quarrel between Prussia and France.

William III had a rather unhappy marriage with Sophie of Württemberg, and his heirs died young. This raised the possibility of the extinction of the House of Orange-Nassau. After the death of Queen Sophie in 1877, William remarried, to Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont in 1879. One year later, Queen Emma gave birth to their daughter and the royal heiress, Wilhelmina.

A modern monarchy

Wilhelmina was queen of the Netherlands for 58 years, from 1890 to 1948. Because she was only 10 years old in 1890, her mother, Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, was the regent until Wilhelmina's 18th birthday in 1898. Since females were not allowed to hold power in Luxembourg, due to Salic law, Luxembourg passed to the House of Nassau-Weilburg, a collateral line to the House of Orange-Nassau. For a time, it appeared that the Dutch royal family would die with Wilhelmina. Her half-brother, Prince Alexander, had died in 1884, and no royal babies were born from then until Wilhemina gave birth to her only child, Juliana, in 1909. The Dutch royal house remained quite small until the latter 1930s and the early 1940s, during which Juliana gave birth to four daughters. Although the House of Orange died out in its male line with the death of Queen Wilhelmina, the name "Orange" continues to be used by the Dutch royalty and as evidenced in many patriotic songs, such as "Oranje boven".

The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, during her reign, and the country was not invaded by Germany, as neighboring Belgium was.

Nevertheless, Queen Wilhelmina became a symbol of the Dutch resistance during World War II. The moral authority of the Monarchy was restored because of her rule. After 58 years on the throne as the Queen, Wilhelmina decided to abdicate in favour of her daughter, Juliana. Juliana had the reputation of making the monarchy less "aloof", and under her reign the Monarchy became known as the "cycling monarchy". Members of the royal family were often seen bicycling through the cities and the countryside under Juliana.

A royal marriage policy quarrel occurred starting in 1966 when Juliana's eldest daughter, the future Queen Beatrix, decided to marry Claus von Amsberg, a German diplomat. The marriage of a member of the royal family to a German was quite controversial in the Netherlands, which had suffered under Nazi German occupation in 1940–45. This reluctance to accept a German consort probably was exacerbated by von Amsberg's former membership in the Hitler Youth under the Nazi regime in his native country, and also his following service in the German Wehrmacht. Beatrix needed permission from the government to marry anyone if she wanted to remain heiress to the throne, but after some argument, it was granted. As the years went by, Prince Claus was fully accepted by the Dutch people. In time, he became one of the most popular members of the Dutch monarchy, and his death in 2002 was widely mourned.

On April 30, 1980, Queen Juliana abdicated in favor of her daughter, Beatrix. In the early years of the twenty-first century, the Dutch monarchy remained popular with a large part of the population. Beatrix's eldest son, Willem-Alexander, was born on April 27, 1967; the first immediate male heir to the Dutch throne since the death of his great-grandfather, Prince Alexander, in 1884. Willem-Alexander married Máxima Zorreguieta, an Argentine banker, in 2002; the first commoner to ever marry an heir apparent to the Dutch throne. They are parents of three daughters: Catharina-Amalia, Alexia, and Ariane. After a long struggle with neurological illness, Queen Juliana died on March 20, 2004, and her husband, Prince Bernhard, died on December 1 of that same year.

Upon Beatrix's abdication on April 30, 2013, the Prince of Orange was inaugurated as King Willem-Alexander, becoming the Netherlands' first male ruler since 1890. His eldest daughter, Catharina-Amalia, as heiress apparent to the throne, became Princess of Orange in her own right.

Net worth

See also: List of the richest royals and List of heads of state and government by net worth

Unlike other royal houses, there has always been a separation in the Netherlands between what was owned by the state and used by the House of Orange in their offices as monarch, or previously, stadtholder, and the personal investments and fortune of the House of Orange.

The Royal Family's biggest wealth advantage, is that they don't need to live off their wealth for their day-to-day needs and job functions. As monarch, the King or Queen has use of, but not ownership of, the Huis ten Bosch as a residence and Noordeinde Palace as a work palace. In addition the Royal Palace of Amsterdam is also at the disposal of the monarch (although it is only used for state visits and is open to the public when not in use for that purpose), as is Soestdijk Palace (which is open to the public and not in official use at all at this time). The crown jewels, comprising the crown, orb and sceptre, Sword of State, royal banner, and ermine mantle have been placed in the Crown Property Trust. The trust also holds the items used on ceremonial occasions, such as the carriages, table silver, and dinner services. Placing these goods in the hands of a trust ensures that they will remain at the disposal of the monarch in perpetuity. Members of the Royal House also receive stipends in order to carry out their duties which are listed here. The Royal House is also exempt from income, inheritance, and personal tax.

The House of Orange has long had the reputation of being one of the wealthier royal houses in the world, largely due to their business investments. They are rumored to have a large stake in Royal Dutch Shell. Other significant shares are supposed to be in the Philips Electronics company (known in the Netherlands as Royal Philips), KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines, and the Holland-America Line ( cruise ships)- How significant is a matter of conjecture, as their private finances, unlike their public stipends as monarch, are not open to scrutiny. The holdings are spread among real estate (include Castle Drakensteyn in Holland and a villa in Tuscany), investments, and commercial companies. It should be noted that given Royal Dutch Shell's 2012 earnings, revenue, and equity, even a few percent stake in this company alone would exceed the estimates of earnings below.

Forbes magazine is the most consistent in estimating the net worth of heads of state. As late as 2001, the fortune of the Royal Family was estimated by various sources (Forbes magazine) at $3.2 billion. Most of the wealth was reported to come from the family's longstanding stake in the Royal Dutch/Shell Group. At one time, the Oranges reportedly owned as much as 25% of the oil company; their stake is in 2001 was estimated at a minimum of 2%, worth $2.7 billion on the May 21 cutoff date for the Billionaires issue. The family also was estimated to have a 1% stake in financial services firm ABN-AMRO.

The fortune seems to have been hit by declines in real estate and equities after 2008. They were also rumored to have lost up to $100 million when Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme collapsed, though the royal house denies the allegations. In 2009, Forbes estimated her wealth at US$300 million. This could also have been due to splitting the fortune between Queen Beatrix and her 3 sisters, as there is no right of the eldest to inherit the whole property. A surge in export revenue, recovery in real estate and strong stock market have helped steady royal family’s fortunes, but uncertainty over the new government and future austerity measures needed to bring budget deficits in line may dampen future prospects. In July 2010, Forbes magazine estimated her net worth at $200 million This estimate was repeated in April 2011, and 2020 and Business Insider in 2018,.

Stadtholderate under the House of Orange-Nassau

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
William I Father of the nation, William the Silent, Prince of Orange	(1533-04-24)24 April 1533 – 10 July 1584(1584-07-10) (aged 51)	1559	1584	Stadtholder	Orange-Nassau
Maurice Prince of Orange	(1567-11-14)14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625(1625-04-23) (aged 57)	1585	1625	Stadtholder, son of William I	Orange-Nassau
Frederick Henry Prince of Orange	(1584-01-29)29 January 1584 – 14 March 1647(1647-03-14) (aged 63)	1625	1647	Stadtholder, son of William I	Orange-Nassau
William II Prince of Orange	(1626-05-27)27 May 1626 – 6 November 1650(1650-11-06) (aged 24)	14 March 1647	6 November 1650	Stadtholder, son of Frederick Henry	Orange-Nassau
William III Prince of Orange	(1650-11-04)4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702(1702-03-08) (aged 51)	4 July 1672	8 March 1702	Stadtholder, son of William II	Orange-Nassau
William IV Prince of Orange	(1711-09-01)1 September 1711 – 22 October 1751(1751-10-22) (aged 40)	1 September 1711 (under the regency of Marie Louise until 1731)	22 October 1751	Hereditary Stadtholder of the United Netherlands, son of John William Friso	Orange-Nassau
William V Prince of Orange	(1748-03-08)8 March 1748 – 9 April 1806(1806-04-09) (aged 58)	22 October 1751	9 April 1806	Hereditary Stadtholder of the United Netherlands, son of William IV, succeeded by his son King William I (-> Principality of the Netherlands (1813 - 1815)	Orange-Nassau

Stadtholderate under the House of Nassau

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
John VI Jan de Oude (John the Elder)	(1536-11-22)22 November 1536 – 8 October 1606(1606-10-08) (aged 69)	1578	1581	Stadtholder, brother of William I	Nassau
William Louis Us Heit (Our Father)	(1560-03-13)13 March 1560 – 31 May 1620(1620-05-31) (aged 60)	1584	1620	Stadtholder, son of John VI	Nassau
Ernest Casimir I	(1573-12-22)22 December 1573 – 2 June 1632(1632-06-02) (aged 58)	1620	1632	Stadtholder, son of John VI	Nassau
Henry Casimir I	(1612-01-21)21 January 1612 – 13 July 1640(1640-07-13) (aged 28)	1632	1640	Stadtholder, son of Ernest Casimir I	Nassau
William Frederick	(1613-08-07)7 August 1613 – 31 October 1664(1664-10-31) (aged 51)	1640	1664	Stadtholder, son of Ernest Casimir I	Nassau
Henry Casimir II	(1657-01-18)18 January 1657 – 25 March 1696(1696-03-25) (aged 39)	18 January 1664	25 March 1696	Hereditary Stadtholder, son of William Frederick	Nassau
John William Friso	(1687-08-04)4 August 1687 – 14 July 1711(1711-07-14) (aged 23)	25 March 1696	14 July 1711	Hereditary Stadtholder, son of Henry Casimir II, succeeded by his son William IV of Orange-Nassau, Hereditary Stadtholder of the United Netherlands (-> Stadtholderate under the House of Orange-Nassau	Nassau, Orange-Nassau

Principality of the Netherlands (1813-1815)

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
William I	(1772-08-24)24 August 1772 – 12 December 1843(1843-12-12) (aged 71)	6 December 1813	16 March 1815	Raised Netherlands to status of kingdom in 1815, son of Stadtholder William V	Orange-Nassau

Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–present)

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
William I	(1772-08-24)24 August 1772 – 12 December 1843(1843-12-12) (aged 71)	16 March 1815	7 October 1840	Son of the last Stadtholder William V	Orange-Nassau
William II	(1792-12-06)6 December 1792 – 17 March 1849(1849-03-17) (aged 56)	7 October 1840	17 March 1849	Son of William I	Orange-Nassau
William III	(1817-02-17)17 February 1817 – 23 November 1890(1890-11-23) (aged 73)	17 March 1849	23 November 1890	Son of William II	Orange-Nassau
Wilhelmina	(1880-08-31)31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962(1962-11-28) (aged 82)	23 November 1890	4 September 1948	Daughter of William III	Orange-Nassau
Juliana	(1909-04-30)30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004(2004-03-20) (aged 94)	4 September 1948	30 April 1980	Daughter of Wilhelmina	Orange-Nassau (House of Mecklenburg)
Beatrix	(1938-01-31) 31 January 1938	30 April 1980	30 April 2013	Daughter of Juliana	Orange-Nassau (House of Lippe)
Willem-Alexander	(1967-04-27) 27 April 1967	30 April 2013		Son of Beatrix	Orange-Nassau (House of Amsberg)

The Royal Family and the Royal House

Main article: Dutch royal house

A distinction is made in the Netherlands between the royal family and the Royal House.

The royal house and family is the Orange-Nassau family.

However, not every member of the family is also a member of the Royal House. By Act of Parliament, the members of the Royal House are:

• the monarch (King or Queen);
• the former monarch (on abdication);
• the members of the royal family in the line of succession to the throne, limited to the second degree of sanguinity reckoned from the reigning monarch;
• H.R.H Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, (for whom an exception was made);
• the spouses of the above.

Members of the Royal House lose their membership and designation as prince or princess of the Netherlands if they lose the membership of the Royal House on the succession of a new monarch (not being in the second degree of sanguinity to the monarch anymore), or marry without the consent of the Dutch Parliament. For example, this happened with Prince Friso in 2004, when he married Mabel Wisse Smit. This is written down in the law of membership of the Royal House, 2002.

Family tree

Origins of the Nassauer

The lineage of the House of Nassau can be traced back to the 10th century.

1. this goes back in for real article --->>

From Sandbox:

The following family tree is compiled from Wikipedia and the reference cited in the note

Dudo-Henry of Laurenburg (German: Dudo-Heinrich) (ca. 1060 – ca. 1123) was Count of Laurenburg in 1093

Robert I of Nassau (German: Ruprecht) (ca. 1090 – ca. 1154) was from 1123 co-Count of Laurenburg later title himself 1st Count of Nassau

Arnold I of Laurenburg (died ca. 1148)

Robert II (German: Ruprecht) Count of Laurenburg (1154-1158)(died ca. 1159)

Walram I of Nassau (French: Valéran) (ca. 1146–1198) was the first (legally titled) Count of Nassau (1154-1198)

Henry (Heinrich) I co-Count of Nassau (1160 - August 1167)

Robert III, the Bellicose German: Ruprecht der Streitbare (died 1191) co-Count of Nassau (1160-1191)

Henry (Heinrich) II, the Rich Count of Nassau (1180–1251)

Robert (Ruprecht) IV Count of Nassau (1198–1230) Teutonic Knight (1230–1240)

Herrmann (d after 3 December 1240) Canon of Mainz Cathedral

Walram II of Nassau (ca. 1220 - 1276) the WALRAMIAN Branch present-day rulers of Luxembourg descend from him

Robert (Ruprecht) V d. before 1247 Teutonic Knight (1230–1240)

Otto I of Nassau (reigned ca. 1247 - 1290) the OTTONIAN branch the present-day rulers of the Netherlands descend from him

John (ca. 1230 - 1309) Bishop-Elect of Utrecht (1267–1290)

Adolf (ca. 1255-1298) King of Germany (1292 - 1298)

Henry (d. 1343) Count of Nassau in Siegen

Emich (d. 7 June 1334) Count of Nassau in Hadamar extinct 1394

John (d. 1328) Count Nassau in Dillenburg

Ruprecht (+ 1304)

Gerlach I, Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden (bef 1288 +1361)

Walram III Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden

Otto II (c. 1305 – 1330/1331) Count of Nassau-Dillenburg

Henry (1307-1388) Count of Nassau-Beilstein ext. 1561

Adolph (1307 +1370) Count of Nassau in Wiesbaden-Idstein ext 1605

John I (1309 +1371) Count of Nassau-Weilburg

Rupert 'the Bellicose' (c. 1340 +1390) Count of Nassau-Sonnenberg

John I (1340 +1416) Count of Nassau-Dillenburg

Philip I 1368 +1429) Count of Nassau in Weilburg,Saarbrücken, etc.

Adolph (1362 +1420) Count of Nassau-Dillenburg-Dietz

John II "The Elder" ( +1443)

Engelbert I (c. 1370/80 +1442) Count of Nassau, Baron of Breda founder of the Netherlands Nassaus

John III "The Younger" (+1430) Count of Nassau in Siegen

Philip II (1418 +1492) Count of Nassau-Weilburg

John II (1423 +1472) Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken ext. 1574

John IV (Jan) (1410, +1475) Count of Nassau-Dillenburg-Dietz

Henry II (1414 +1450) Count of Nassau-Dillenburg

John III (1441 +1480) Count of Nassau-Weilburg

Philip (1443-1471) Count of Nassau-Weilburg

Engelbert II the Valorious (1451 +1504) Count of Nassau and Vianden, Baron of Breda(fr), Lek, Diest, Roosendaal en Nispen and Wouw

John V (1455 +1516) Count of Nassau in Dillenburg,Siegen,Hadamar,Herborn,Vianden,Dietz

From here descends the House of Nassau-Weilburg and the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg (see below also)'

From here descends the House of Orange-Nassau (see below also)

A detailed family tree can be found here. · A detailed family tree of the House of Orange-Nassau from the 15th century can be found on the Dutch Wikipedia at Dutch monarchs family tree. A detailed family tree of the House of Orange-Nassau from the 15th century can be found on the Dutch Wikipedia at Dutch monarchs family tree.

Orange and Nassau Family Tree

A summary family tree of the House of Orange-Nassau from the joining of the house of Nassau-Breda/Dillenburg and the House of Châlon-Arlay-Orange to the end of the Dutch Republic is shown below. The family spawned many famous statesmen and generals, including two of the acknowledged "first captains of their age", Maurice of Nassau and the Marshal de Turenne.

House of Orange & Nassau

John V Count of Nassau-Dietz, 1455-1516, Stadholder of Gelderland John IV Prince of Orange, 1475-1502 William the Rich Count of Nassau-Dillenburg 1487- 1559 Henry III Count of Nassau-Breda 1483-1538 Claudia of Châlon 1498–1521 Philibert of Châlon, Prince of Orange, 1502-1530 William I "the Silent" 1533-1584, Prince of Orange 1544, Stadholder of Holland, Zealand & Utrecht Louis 1538–1574 died in battle against Spain Adolf 1540–1568, died in battle against Spain Henry 1550-1574 died in battle against Spain John VI "the Elder" 1535–1606, Stadholder of Gelderland René of Châlon 1519–1544, Prince of Orange,1521 Philip William 1554–1618, Prince of Orange, 1584 Maurice 1567–1625, Prince of Orange,1618, Stadholder of Holland, Zealand, Utrecht, etc. illeg. Justinus van Nassau (1559 – 1631) Admiral & General, Gov of Breda 1601-1625 Louise Juliana 1576-1644 married Frederick IV Elector Palatine from whom the British royal family descends Elisabeth 1577-1642 married Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon Frederick Henry 1584–1647, Prince of Orange, 1625, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, & etc. William Louis "Us Heit", Count of Nassau-Dillenburg 1560–1620, Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe Ernst Casimir, Count of Nassau-Dietz 1573–1632, Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe John VII "the Middle", Count of Nassau-Siegen, 1561–1623 illeg William of Nassau (1601–1627), lord of de Lek illeg Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd (1602– 1665) Charles I, King of England 1625-1649 Elizabeth of England, Queen of Bohemia, 1596–1662 Frederick V, Elector Palatine, 1610 & King of Bohemia 1619-21 Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne & Marshal-General of France 1611-1675 Charles II James II Mary,Princess Royal William II 1626-1650,Prince of Orange & Stadholder of Holland, Zealand, etc, 1647 Louise Henriette (1627-1667) married Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg descendants were Kings of Prussia and later German Emperors illeg. Frederick Nassau de Zuylestein (1608–1672) general of the army, descendants were the Earls of Rochford in England Albertine Agnes(1634– 1696) William Frederick,1613-1664 Count later Prince of Nassau-Dietz,Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe Henry Casimir I Count of Nassau-Dietz,1612–1640,Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe John Maurice "the Brazilian", Prince of Nassau-Siegen,1604–1679,gov. of Dutch Brazil, Field Marshal of the Dutch Army Mary II of England William III 1650-1702,Prince of Orange 1650, Stadholder of Holland, Zealand, etc, 1672, King of England, 1689 ceded claims to the lands of Orange to France in 1713, but kept right to use the title in its German form: currently Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia, "Prinz von Oranien" Henry Casimir II, Prince of Nassau-Dietz,1657-1696,Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe John William Friso 1687-1711, appointed heir by William III, Prince of Orange, 1702, Stadholder of Friesland 1696 Anne, Princess Royal of England William IV 1711–1751, Prince of Orange, Stadholder of Holland, Zealand, etc. 1747 Wilhelmina of Prussia William V 1748–1806, Prince of Orange,1751 Stadholder of Holland, Zealand, etc. 1751-1795 Carolina 1743–1787 Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, 1735-1788 Princess Louise of Orange-Nassau, 1770– 1819 married Karl, Hereditary Prince of Braunschweig(-Wolfenbuttel), son of Princess Augusta of Great Britain Prince Frederick of Orange-Nassau, 1774–1799 an Austrian General, no issue William VI, Fürst of Nassau-Orange-Fulda 1803–1806, Fürst of Nassau-Orange, Prince of Orange 1806 later William I, King of the Netherlands 1815 Frederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, 1768-1816 Royal Family of the Netherlands, see next table below William, Duke of Nassau, 1792-1839 Adolphe 1817–1905, Duke of Nassau 1839-1866,Grand Duke of Luxembourg, 1890-1905 Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg

The main house of Orange-Nassau also spawned several illegitimate branches. These branches contributed to the political and economic history of England and the Netherlands. Justinus van Nassau was the only extramarital child of William of Orange. He was a Dutch army commander known for unsuccessfully defending Breda against the Spanish, and the depiction of his surrender on the famous picture by Diego Velázquez, The Surrender of Breda. Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd was a younger illegitimate son of Prince Maurice and Margaretha van Mechelen. His descendants were later created Counts of Nassau-LaLecq. One of his sons was the famous general Henry de Nassau, Lord of Overkirk, King William III's Master of the Horse, and one of the most trusted generals of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. His descendants became the Earls of Grantham in England. Frederick van Nassau, Lord of Zuylestein, an illegitimate son of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, gave rise to the Earls of Rochford in England. The 4th earl of Rochford was a famous English diplomat and a statesman.

Royal House of Orange-Nassau

In 1815, William VI of Orange became King of the Netherlands. This summary genealogical tree shows how the current Royal house of Orange-Nassau is related:

William I, 1772-1843, King of the Netherlands, 1815-1840

Wilhelmina of Prussia

William II, 1792-1849, King of the Netherlands, 1840

Anna Pavlovna of Russia

Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, 1797-1881

Princess Pauline of Orange-Nassau, 1800-1806

Princess Marianne of the Netherlands, 1810-1883 married Prince Albert of Prussia (1809–1872)

Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont

William III, 1817-1890, King of the Netherlands, 1849

Sophia of Württemberg

Prince Alexander of the Netherlands, 1818–1848

Prince Henry of the Netherlands, "the Navigator" 1820–1879

Princess Sophie of the Netherlands, 1824–1897 married Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

Princess Louise of the Netherlands,1828–1871 married Charles XV of Sweden

Princess Marie of the Netherlands, 1841-1910 married William, Prince of Wied one son was William, Prince of Albania

Wilhelmina, 1880-1962, Queen of the Netherlands, 1890-1948 To 1907 after 1907

Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1876-1934, Prince of the Netherlands

William, Prince of Orange 1840-1879

Prince Maurice of the Netherlands1843-1850

Alexander, Prince of Orange, 1851-1884

Juliana 1909-2004, Queen of the Netherlands, 1948-1980

Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Prince of the Netherlands 1911-2004

Beatrix,1938-, Queen of the Netherlands,1980-2013

Claus van Amsberg,1926-2002, Prince of the Netherlands

Princess Irene of the Netherlands, 1939, m.(1964–1981) Carlos Hugo of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma, 4 children not eligible for throne

Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, 1943-

Pieter van Vollenhoven

Princess Christina of the Netherlands,(1947-2019), m. Jorge Pérez y Guillermo (m. 1975; div. 1996), 3 children not eligible for throne

William-Alexander of the Netherlands,1967- Prince of Orange & Heir Apparent, 1980, King of the Netherlands, 2013-

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands

Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau 1968-2013 m.(2004) Mabel Wisse Smit without permission, his children are not eligible for the throne and he was no longer a Prince of the Netherlands after his marriage

Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, 1969-

Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands

4 sons, 2 of whom were eligible for the throne until Beatrix abdicated in 2013

Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands,2003- Princess of Orange & heiress apparent, 2013-

Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, 2005-

Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, 2007-

Countess Eloise of Orange-Nassau, 2002-

Count Claus-Casimir of Orange-Nassau, 2004-

Countess Leonore of Orange-Nassau, 2006-

Coats of Arms

Main articles: Armorial of the House of Nassau and nl:Wapen van Nassau § Tak van Otto

See also: Coat of arms of the Netherlands

Arms of the Ottonian Branch of the House of Nassau: Azure billetty or, a lion rampant of the last armed and langued gules

The gallery below show the coats of arms used by members of the house of Orange-Nassau. Their growing complexity and use of crowns shows how arms are used to reflect the growing political position and royal aspirations of the family. A much more complete armorial is given at the Armorial of the House of Nassau, and another one at Wapen van Nassau, Tak van Otto at the Dutch Wikipedia.

The ancestral coat of arms of the Ottonian line of the house of Nassau is shown right. Their distant cousins of the Walramian line added a red coronet to distinguish them. There is no specific documentation in the literature on the origin of the arms. The lion was always a popular noble symbol, originating as a symbol of nobility, power, and royal aspirations in western culture going all the way back to Hercules. The lion was also heavily used as a heraldic symbol in border territories and neighbouring countries of the Holy Roman Empire and France. It was in all likelihood a way of showing independence from the Holy Roman Emperor, who used an eagle in his personal arms and the King of France, who used the famous Fleur-de-lis. The lion was so heavily used in the Netherlands for various provinces and families (see Leo Belgicus) that it became the national arms of the Dutch Republic, its successor Kingdom of the Netherlands, Coat of Arms of Belgium, and Luxembourg. Blue, because of its nearness to purple, which in the northern climes tended to fade (red was the other choice), was also a popular color for those with royal aspirations. The billets could have been anything from blocks of wood to abstractions of the reenforcements holding the shield together. The fact that these were arms were very similar to those of the counts of Burgundy (Franche-Comté) did not seem to cause too much confusion.

Henry III of Nassau-Breda came to the Netherlands in 1499 as heir to his uncle, Engelbrecht II of Nassau-Breda. His and his uncle's arms are shown below. When Philbert, prince of Orange died in 1530, his sister's son René of Breda inherited the Princedom of Orange on condition that he used the name and coat of arms of the Châlon-Orange family. History knows him therefore as René of Châlon instead of as "René of Nassau-Breda." The 1st and 4th grand quarters show the arms of the Chalons-Arlay (the gold bend) princes of Orange (the bugle). The blue and gold cross is the arms of Jeanne of Geneva, who married one of the Chalons princes. The 2nd and 3rd show the quarterings of Brittany and Luxembourg-St. Pol. The inescutcheon overall is his paternal arms quarterd of Nassau and Breda. William the Silent's father, William the Rich, was rich only in children. He bore the arms shown below. Clockwise from upper left they displayed the arms of Nassau (1st quarter), Katzenelenbogen (3rd quarter), Dietz (2nd quarter), Vianden (4th quarter).

• 
  Arms of Engelbrecht II and Henry III of Nassau-Breda.
• 
  Coat of arms of Rene of Chalons as Prince of Orange.
• 
  Arms of William the Rich, count of Nassau-Dillenburg.

The princes of Orange in the 16th and 17th century used the following sets of arms. On becoming prince of Orange, William placed the Châlon-Arlay arms in the center ("as an inescutcheon") of his father's arms. He used these arms until 1582 when he purchased the marquisate of Veere and Vlissingen. It had been the property of Philip II since 1567, but had fallen into arrears to the province. In 1580 the Court of Holland ordered it sold. William bought it as it gave him two more votes in the States of Zeeland. He owned the government of the two towns, and so could appoint their magistrates. He already had one as First Noble for Philip William, who had inherited Maartensdijk. This made William the predominant member of the States of Zeeland. It was a smaller version of the countship of Zeeland (& Holland) promised to William, and was a potent political base for his descendants. William then added the shield of Veere and Buren to his arms as shown in the arms of Frederick Henry, William II and William III with the arms of the marquisate in the top center, and the arms of the county of Buren in the bottom center. William also started the tradition of keeping the number of billets in the upper left quarter for Nassau at 17 to symbolize the original 17 provinces of the Burgundian/Habsburg Netherlands, which he always hoped would form one united nation.

Coat of arms of William the Silent as Prince of Orange from 1544 to 1582, and his eldest son Philip William	The coat of arms used by William the Silent from 1582 until his death, Frederick Henry, William II, and William III as Prince of Orange	The coat of arms used by Maurice showing the county of Moers (top left center and bottom right center) and his mother's arms of Saxony (center)	An alternate coat of arms sometimes used by Frederick Henry, William II, and William III as Prince of Orange showing the county of Moers in the top center rather than Veere.	Coat of arms on expeditionary banner of William and Mary, 1688, showing the arms of William III impaled with the royal arms of England	Coat of arms of King William III of England as King of England.
Coat of arms of William the Silent as Prince of Orange from 1544 to 1582, and his eldest son Philip William	The coat of arms used by William the Silent from 1582 until his death, Frederick Henry, William II, and William III as Prince of Orange	The coat of arms used by Maurice showing the county of Moers (top left center and bottom right center) and his mother's arms of Saxony (center)	An alternate coat of arms sometimes used by Frederick Henry, William II, and William III as Prince of Orange showing the county of Moers in the top center rather than Veere.	Coat of arms on expeditionary banner of William and Mary, 1688, showing the arms of William III impaled with the royal arms of England.	Coat of arms of King William III of England as King of England.

When John William Friso became Prince of Orange, he used the arms below. However, he was never recognized outside of Holland and areas friendly to Holland as Prince of Orange. His son, William IV, recognized as Prince of Orange, seems to have used the original arms of William the Silent. When the princes of Orange fled the Netherlands during the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of Holland, and when France occupied the Netherlands, they were compensated by Napoleon with the Principality of Nassau-Orange-Fulda. These principalities were confiscated when Napoleon invaded Germany (1806) and William VI supported his Prussian relatives. He succeeded his father as prince of Orange later that year, after William V's death. The house of Orange-Nassau also had several illegitimate lines (see below) who based their arms on the arms of Nassau-Dillenburg.

• 
  Arms of Johan Willem Friso as Prince of Orange.
• 
  Arms of William VI of Orange as prince of Orange-Nassau-Fulda. The bottom most shield shows clockwise from top left the principality of Fulda, the lordship of Corvey, the county of Weingarten, and the lordship of Dortmund.
• 
  Arms of Justinus van Nassau, natural son of William the Silent.
• 
  Arms of the Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd, natural son of Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, and his descendants the lords of den Lek and the earls of Grantham in England
• 
  Arms of the lords of Zuylestein, natural son of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange and his descendants the earls of Rochford in England

When William VI of Orange returned to the Netherlands in 1813 and was proclaimed Sovereign Prince of the Netherlands, he quartered the former Arms of the Dutch Republic (1st and 4th quarter) with the "Châlon-Orange" arms (2nd and 3rd quarter), which had come to symbolize Orange. As an in escutcheon he placed his ancestral arms of Nassau. When he became King in 1815, he combined the Dutch Republic Lion with the billets of the Nassau arms and added a royal crown to form the Coat of arms of the Netherlands. In 1907, Queen Wilhelmina replaced the royal crown on the lion and the shield bearers of the arms with a coronet.

• 
  Arms of the States General of the Dutch Republic. The sword symbolizes the determination to defend the nation, and the bundle of 7 arrows the unity of the 7 United Provinces of the Dutch Republic.
• 
  Arms of William VI as sovereign prince of the Netherlands.
• 
  First arms of the Kingdom and Kings of the Netherlands from 1815 to 1907.
• 
  Arms of the Kingdom and Kings of the Netherlands since 1907.

Wilhelmina further decreed that in perpetuity her descendants should be styled "princes and princesses of Orange-Nassau" and that the name of the house would be "Orange-Nassau" (in Dutch "Oranje-Nassau"). Only those members of the members of the Dutch Royal Family that are designated to the smaller "Royal House" can use the title of prince or princess of the Netherlands. Since then, individual members of the House of Orange-Nassau are also given their own arms by the reigning monarch, similar to the United Kingdom. This is usually the royal arms, quartered with the arms of the principality of Orange, and an in escutcheon of their paternal arms.

• 
  Juliana of the Netherlands & Oranje-Nassau Personal Arms
• 
  Beatrix of the Netherlands & Oranje-Nassau Personal Arms
• 
  William Alexander of the Netherlands and Oranje-Nassau Personal Arms
• 
  Arms for children of King William Alexander of the Netherlands
• 
  Sons of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, Pieter van Vollenhoven

As sovereign Princes, the princes of Orange used an independent prince's crown or the princely hat. Sometimes, only the coronet part was used (see, here and here). After the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and as the principality of Orange had been incorporated into France by Louis XIV, they used the Dutch Royal Crowns. The full coats of arms of the princes of Orange, later Kings of the Netherlands, incorporated the arms above, the crown, 2 lions as supporters and the motto "Je maintiendrai" ("I will maintain"), the latter taken from the Chalons princes of Orange, who used "Je maintiendrai Chalons".

Coat of Arms of Frederick Henry, William II and William III as sovereign princes of Orange.	Royal coat of arms of the Netherlands (1815-1907)	Royal coat of arms of the Netherlands (1907–present)

Lands and Titles

Main articles: King of the Netherlands § Terminology, title, and lineage; Style of the Dutch sovereign; and nl:Titels van de Nederlandse koninklijke familie § Historische titels van de Koning

See also: Maps of the Lands of the House of Orange

Titles

Coats of arms corresponding to the titles borne by various Dutch monarchs, including Veere and Flushing (right above the bottom crowned arms), displayed at Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam

Besides being sovereign over the principality of Orange , this is a partial listing of larger estates and titles that William the Silent and his heirs possessed, most enfeoffed to some other sovereign, either the King of France, the Habsburgs, or the States of the provinces of the Netherlands

Style of the Dutch sovereign:

• Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen

• Count of Nassau-Dillenburg

• Katzenelnbogen ,

Dietz , Vianden , Buren , Moers , Leerdam , and Culemborg (1748)

• Viscount of Antwerp

• Baron of Breda ,

Cranendonck , Lands of Cuijk , Eindhoven , City of Grave , Lek , IJsselstein , Acquoy , Diest , Grimbergen /, Herstal , Warneton (Waasten (nl)) , Beilstein , Bentheim-Lingen , Arlay , Nozeroy , and Orpierre ;

• Lord of Baarn , Soest , & Ter Eem ,

Bredevoort , Dasburg , Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe , Klundert, 't Loo , Montfort, Naaldwijk , Niervaart, Polanen/lands of Polanen , Steenbergen , Sint-Maartensdijk , Turnhout & Zevenbergen , Willemstad , Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith , and Besançon

Maps of Lands

Soveriegn Titles

King of the Netherlands

Name	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
King of the Netherlands Koning der Nederlanden	1815 - present -The monarch of the Netherlands is constitutionally always considered "king" to ensure the powers are continuous.	Amsterdam (Capital & largest city) Amsterdam (Capital & largest city) (Netherlands)	Royal Arms since 1907

Principality of Orange

The original main title was taken from the Principality of Orange on the Rhone River outside Avignon and the papal lands of the Comtat Venaissin. The principality was 108 sq mi (280 km2). However, the prince was a sovereign monarch, which put him on the same plane as the kings and monarchs of Europe and the world. This is much the same situation as Monaco today.

Name	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Prince of Orange Prince d'Orange	793?/885 - 1713 titular 1713-present - Founded by First House of Orange- 885 - Imperial immediacy 1163 as a principality in the Holy Roman Empire - Completely sovereign as Holy Roman Empire retreated from the Kingdom of Burgundy approx. 1254 - Ceded to France by the Treaty of Utrecht 1713	Orange Orange (France)	Principality of Orange
Lord of Aumelas Seigneur de Aumelas	- 1544 - 1795 -The Lordship of Aumelas was part of the titles of the first Counts of Orange, but not part of the sovereign principality.	Aumelas Aumelas (Occitanie)		Map of Aumelas

Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1815-1890)

Name	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Grand Duke of Luxembourg Groussherzog vu Lëtzebuerg Grand-duc de Luxembourg	1815 - 1890 -The Grand Duchy was setup as an associated part of the German Confederation in 1815, but ruled by the King of the Netherlands. -In the founding of the Belgian state in 1830-1831 the status of Luxembourg was at issue. It was repartitioned with the predominantly Germanic/Luxemburgish part remaining as the independent Grand Duchy. -When William III of the Netherlands died in 1890 without a male heir, the next heir by the pact of the Nassau Family was Adolph of Nassau-Weilburg, the former Duke of Nassau, who was installed as Grand Duke.	Luxembourg City (Capital & largest city) Luxembourg City (Capital & largest city) (Luxembourg)	Grand Ducal Arms	Partitions of Luxembourg
Duke of Limburg Hertog van Limburg	1839 - 1867	Roermond Roermond (Netherlands)	Ducal Arms	The Exchange of 1839. The removal of Western Luxembourg (4) from the German customs union by Belgium (3) resulted in compensation by the Netherlands (1) by the creation of the Duchy of Limburg (2) (this territory was controlled by Belgium until 1839).

Germany

Ancestral Lands

Initially, the family was known as “of Nassau” after their oldest possession the County of Nassau and their part of the subdivision of the lands, the Countship of Nassau-Dillenburg. This was divided and subdivided amongst the descendants of John the Elder. It generally comprised the northern part of the entire county of Nassau, north of the Lahn River. It was reunited in the 18th century under the line of Nassau-Dietz.

Name	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Princely County of Nassau (Ancestral Estate of the House of Nassau, Imperial Immediate Estate) Gefürstete Grafschaft Nassau specifically Count of Nassau in Dillenburg, Siegen, Dietz, Hadamar, Beilstein, which were all subdivisions of Nassau.	915 - 1866 - Founded and Acquired by the Lords of Laurenburg 915 – 1125 - Imperial immediacy 1093, on the death of the last Duke of Franconia - Raised to Princely County 1664 - Lost in the Austrian-Prussian War, 1866	Nassau Nassau (Germany)	Count of Nassau	Nassau (light yellow) within the HRE during the rule of the Staufers. The Rhine is light blue line to the left.

Subdivisions of Nassau

These subdivisions (baronies and lordships) of Nassau were split into semi-autonomous countships and pricipalities for the younger members of the House of Nassau. The title for these was Count of Nassau in xyz.

Lands of House of Nassau in Germany

House of Nassau (Walramian and Ottonian) Lands in and around Nassau in 1789

Close up of House of Orange-Nassau (Ottonian) Lands in and around Nassau in 1789

House of Nassau Lands in and around Nassau. After John VI the Elder of Nassau-Dillenburg died in 1606, Nassau-Dillenburg was divided among his five surviving sons (see genealogical table above, House of Nassau-Dillenburg): William Louis received a reduced Nassau-Dillenburg, George received Nassau-Beilstein, and John VII the Middle received Nassau-Siegen.

Name	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Count of Nassau in Dillenburg Barony of Dillenburg Graf von Nassau in Dillenburg, und Herr und Baron von Dillenburg	1254-1805 -Ancestral seat of the Royal House of the Netherlands. -Dillenburg Castle was built on top of the peak now called the Schlossberg in the late 13th or early 14th century -Usually a seat of the elder line of the Ottonian Nassaus. -Last broken off in 1504 for "William the Rich", father of William the Silent and his younger brother "John the Elder". It went John in 1544 when William went to the Netherlands to claim the inheritance of the Nassau-Breda line as Prince of Orange. -Confiscated by Napoleon in Favor of the Confederation of the Rhine/Grand Duchy of Berg.	Dillenburg Dillenburg (Germany)	The Counts of Nassau in Dillenburg to 1739 Civic Arms	Dillenburg in Nassau 1547
County of Diez or Dietz Grafschaft Diez or Dietz	-Probably created as a successor to the original county of the Conradines in Niederlahngau. -in 1388 part passed via his daughter Jutta to his son-in-law, Adolf I, Count of Nassau-Siegen. -In 1564, Nassau-Dillenburg and the Electorate of Hesse split the county. -The House of Nassau created a new county of Nassau-Dietz in 1606, from which the current royal family of the Netherlands is descended. The Monarchs of the Netherlands still claim this as part of their title	Diez Diez (Germany)	Count of Diez	Diez (brown) to the west of bordering/almost surrounded by Nassau (light yellow) within the HRE during the rule of the Staufers. The northern half of Katzenellenbogen is in orange just below Diez. The Rhine is light blue line to the left.
Count of Nassau in Siegen Barony of Siegen Graf von Nassau in Siegen, und Herr und Baron von Siegen	1303-1328/1606-1743 -After John VII died in 1628, the country was divided: his eldest son, John VIII, who had converted to Catholicism, received the part of the county south of the river Sieg. John Maurice, who remained Protestant, received the part of the county north of the Sieg. -in 1743, Nassau-Siegen had died out in the male line, and the territory fell to Prince William IV of the Orange-Nassau-Dietz line, who thereby reunited all the lands of the Ottonian line of the House of Nassau. -The principality consisted of the districts of Siegen, Netphen, Hilchenbach, and Freudenberg. From 1628-1734, the Protestant part consisted of the districts of Hilchenbach and Freudenberg and a half the district of Siegen. At the time, the Catholic half of the district of Siegen was called the district of Hayn. The Catholic part of the county consisted of the district of Netphen and the other half of the district of Siegen.	Siegen Siegen (Germany)	The Counts of Nassau in Siegen to 1679 Counts of Nassau in Siegen to 1743 Civic Arms	The baronies and lordships of Nassau by Blaeu in 1645
Count of Nassau in Beilstein Barony of Beilstein Herr und Baron von Beilstein	- Founded 1129 -Acquired by Otto I around 1287 -Usually a seat of a younger line of the Ottonian Nassaus	Nassau-Beilstein Nassau-Beilstein (Germany)	Lord and Baron of Beilstein	The baronies and lordships of Nassau by Blaeu in 1645
Count of Nassau in Hadamar Barony of Hadamar Herr und Baron von Hadamar	1620-1743 -Seat of a younger line of the Ottonian Nassaus, starting with John Louis	Nassau-Hadamar Nassau-Hadamar (Germany)	Lord and Baron of Hadamar	The baronies and lordships of Nassau by Blaeu in 1645
Count of Nassau in Schaumburg County of Holzappel, Lordship of Schaumburg Grafschaft Holzappel, Heerschaft von Schaumburg (Schloss Schaumburg)	1643–1692 -In 1643, the Lordship of Esterau along with the bailiwick of Isselbach was purchased by Imperial Field Marshal Peter Melander, Count of Holzappel (1641), from John Louis of Nassau-Hadamar, who was in considerable financial difficulty. Emperor Ferdinand III raised the Lordship to the Imperial County of Holzappel. -The territory of the Lordship of Schaumburg consisted of Biebrich, Cramberg and Steinsberg. -His only child Elisabeth Charlotte, Countess of Holzappel married Adolph,Count of Nassau-Dillenburg who took the title of Nassau-Schaumburg. -Elisabeth Charlotte left Holzappel to the youngest of her three daughters, Charlotte of Nassau-Schaumburg, who married Lebrecht of Anhalt-Dernburg in 1692, a cadet line of the princely house of Anhalt-Bernburg, the Princes of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym.	Schaumburg Schaumburg (Germany)	Lord and Baron of Schaumburg

other German Lands

Additionally, the House of Nassau acquired other lands in and around their ancestral estates:

Name	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
County of Katzenelnbogen (claimed) Grafschaft Katzenelnbogen	- Founded and Acquired by Diether I as Vogt of Abby of Prüm Abbey -in 1479, the male line of the Katzenelnbogens became extinct. The Obergrafschaft was passed to the Landgraves of Hesse by virtue of the 1458 marriage of Henry III of Upper Hesse to Count Philipp's daughter Anna of Katzenelnbogen -The counts of Nassau also claimed Katzenellenbogen, and the Monarchs of the Netherlands still claim this as part of their title	Katzenelnbogen Katzenelnbogen (Germany)	Count of Katzenellenbogen
County of Lingen Grafschaft Lingen	- Founded 1180 under Henry the Lion and Frederick Barbarossa. -Acquired by House of Tecklenburg-Schwerin, 1388 -Conquered 1597 by Maurice of Nassau -After William III's death in 1702 was inherited by the Hohenzollern	Lingen Lingen (Germany)	Count of Lingen
County of Moers Graafschap Meurs	- -1186, independent principality -During the Eighty Years' War it was alternately captured by Spanish and Dutch troops, - During the war it finally fell to Maurice of Orange. -it did not become an integral part of the Republic, though Dutch troops were stationed there. -After the death of William III of Orange in 1702, Moers was inherited by the king of Prussia.	Moers Moers (Germany)	Count of Meurs
County of Spiegelberg Grafschap van Spiegelberg	-1631 - 1819 -abt 1200, for Counts of Poppenburg -Inherited by Nassau-Diez in 1631 -Sold to King of Hannover in 1819.	Spiegelberg Spiegelberg (Germany)	Count of Spiegelberg

Other Paternal Estates of the Royal House

Once the House of Nassau acceded to the royal throne, the Queens married with these representatives of other royal houses:

Name	Married	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin	Queen Wilhelmina m. Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Queen Juliana	Schwerin Schwerin (Germany)		Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin within the German Empire
Principality of Lippe-Beisterfeld	Queen Juliana m. Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld Queen Beatrix	Detmold, Lippe Detmold, Lippe (Germany)		Principality of Lippe within the German Empire
Amsberg	Queen Beatrix m. Claus von Amsberg King Willem-Alexander	N/A		N/A

the Netherlands

Most of the estates of the family were in the Netherlands in the more populous provinces of northern Brabant, southern Holland, and Zealand, around the delta of the Rhine/Scheldt/Maas rivers, the trading center made by them, and its entrance to the sea. The land itself was secondary to the profit on the commerce that flowed through it and the political influence that accrued with them (see Western Netherlands Commercial Center which developed into Amsterdam Trading Center, which later developed into the Dutch Randstad.).

The family properties in the Netherlands centered around the Barony of Breda. The barony sat on the delta of the Rhine in northwestern Brabant. Before the revolt the main residence of the family outside the Nassau Palace in Brussels was the castle and fortress of Breda. It was as also relatively close to their important function of Viscount of Antwerp. This fortress withstood several sieges during the 80 years war if the Dutch Revolt, but is most famous for being captured in 1624 by the Spanish as immortalized by Velazquez.

The county of Vianden sat high above a tributary of the Moselle that flowed into the trade routes of the Rhine into western Germany and the Netherlands. In the 12th to 15th centuries the counts of Vianden were the mightiest lords of the area between the rivers Rhine, Mosel and Maas. Their territory was in modern Vianden canton, Luxemburg and Bitburg-Prüm, Germany.

William the Silent married as his first wife Anna van Egmont heiress of Maximiliaan van Egmond, Count of Buren. This also included the counties of Leerdam and Lingen. While these lands devolved to Anna’s son Philip William, as he died without heirs, they devolved to the prince of Orange. The hier/eldest son of the prince of Orange was titled “Count of Buren”. It remains one of the subsidiary titles of the Dutch Monarch.

Northern Netherlands/later the Dutch Republic & the Kingdom of the Netherlands

These counties, baronies and lordships are in the official titulature of the monarch of the Netherlands:

Name	From	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Barony of Breda Baronie van Breda in Brabant/Staats-Brabant	Van Polanen family	1403 – now - The center of all the Orange-Nassau lands in the Netherlands - 1350 sold by Duke of Brabant to John I, Lord of Polanen, the van Polanens were a cadet of the van Wassenaers - Engelbert I of Nassau married Johanna van Polanen in 1403, making the House of Nassau a large landowner in the Netherlands for the first time. - one of the titles of the Monarch of the Netherlands is still "Baron of Breda",	Breda Breda (Benelux)		The Barony of Breda in 1400 in dark green as part of the Duchy of Brabant in light green. The barony of Breda in northern Brabant in 1645.
Lord of Polanen	Van Polanen family	1403 – now -van Polanen en Polanen Castle (near Monster) & Duivenvoorde Castle -2x Baron: van Breda (see above) and van Herstal -7x heer: van lordship of den Lek , van Geertruidenberg , van de Niervaart & van de Klundert , van Montfoort bij Heeswijk ? , van Naaldwijk , en van Steenbergen	Polanen Duivenvoorde de Lek barony of Herstal Geertruidenberg Niervaart/Klundert Montfoort Naaldwijk Steenbergen JMvanDijk/Sandbox1 (Benelux)		Map of the heerlijkheid van de Lek from van Blaeu 1645. It covered the villages of Lekkerkerk, Krimpen aan de Lek, Krimpen aan den IJssel, Ouderkerk aan den IJssel, Berkenwoude and Stormpolder, and possibly Nieuw-Lekkerland. Geertruidenberg
County of Buren Graafschap Buren in Gelderland	Egmond-Buren	1395 - now - Inherited by the Egmonds. - 1498 made a county. - Inherited by Nassau Family when William the Silent married Anna van Egmont in 1551	Buren Buren (Benelux)		The county of Buren in 1665 south of the Lek branch of the Rhine.
The County of Leerdam Graafschap van Leerdamin Utrecht	Egmond-Buren	c.1279 - now - formed a part of the Vijfheerenlanden domain, -raised County in 1498. - in 1551, inherited by Nassau Family with Acquoy when William the Silent married Anna van Egmont in 1551.	Leerdam Leerdam (Benelux)	Arms of Leerdam with the arms of the Count of Leerdam on the lefthand lion.	Leerdam in the 16th century
The County of Culemborg Graafschap van Culemborgin Gelderland	awarded by States of Gelderland	1748 - 1795 - Given to William IV by the States of Gelderland - Arms of Culemborg Family	Culemborg Culemborg (Benelux)	Arms of Counts of Culemborg	County of Culemborg in the 17th century Municipality today
Barony and city of IJsselstein Baronie IJsselstein in Utrecht	Egmond-Buren	c.1279 - now - created for the Van Amstel family. - in 1363 inherited by the Inherited by Egmonds. - Inherited by Nassau Family when William the Silent married Anna van Egmont in 1551.	IJsselstein IJsselstein (Benelux)		1649 map of IJsselstein in Willem and Joan Blaeu's "Toonneel der Steden"
Lordship and barony of Cranendonck Heerschap en baronie van Cranendonck in Brabant/Staats-Brabant	Egmond-Buren	1072 - 1795 - First mentioned 1223, as Castle Cranendonck, inherited by William van Cranendonck. - inherited by families Van Sevenborn, Van Milberg, Van Schoonvorst, Van Horne and Van Egmond. - 1551 inherited by Oranges when William the Silent married Anna van Edmond.	Cranendonk Cranendonk (Benelux)
Lordship and barony of Einhoven Heerschap en baronie van Eindhoven in Brabant/Staats-Brabant	Egmond-Buren	1100 - 1795 - Motte and Bailey castle in 1100. In 1232, Eindhoven was still in the possession of Duke Henry II of Brabant, but the manor of Eindhoven was probably given to Willem, lord of Cranendonck, in 1282. - inherited by various families. The manor was then sold in 1483 to Frederik van Egmont. In 1521 he was succeeded by his son Floris van Egmont, and then his son Maximilian of Egmont in 1539. This went with his daughter Anna of Egmont when she married William of Orange in 1551. Their son was Philip Willem,became lord of Eindhoven in 1558 after the death of his mother. - Since then, the manor has always remained in the possession of the House of Nassau.. See:nl	Eindhoven Eindhoven (Benelux)
Lordship and barony of Acquoy Heerschap en baronie van Acquoy in Gelderland	Egmond-Buren	1551 - present - In 1305 Acquoy is mentioned as part of the property of the lords of Voorne. Bought by Otto van Arkel and added to the Lordship of Arkel. After Acquoy changed hands several times, it was bought by Floris van Egmond, Count of Buren, in 1513. -Through the marriage of Willem of Orange with the granddaughter of Floris van Egmond, Anna van Egmond in 1551, Acquoy, together with Leerdam, became property of the House of Orange and part of the County of Holland. The shire of Acquoy was made a barony in that time. -In 1820 it became part of West Betuwe in Gelderland.	Acquoy Acquoy (Benelux)		Acquoy within West Betuwe
Lordship and barony of Liesveld Heerschap en baronie van Baronie Liesveld in Holland	Bought	1072 - 1795 - created as a lordship 1072. -1548 created a barony by Charles V for Charles van Heemstede. - 1636, bought by William Frederick of Nassau-Dietz.	Liesveld Liesveld (Benelux)
Lordship and city of St Martinsdijk Heerschap van Sint Maartinsdijk in Zeeland	Egmond-Buren	c.1xxx - now - created for the . - Inherited by Philip William from the Egmonds s part of the county of Buren and willed to his brothers. As the only noble left in Zealand, it gave him the position of First Noble in the Zeeland Estates (nl) and the vote for the nobility in the Estates of Zealand (Zealand gov't). in Zeeland	St. Martinsdijk St. Martinsdijk (Benelux)		Map of St. Maartensdijk
Marquisate of Veere and Vlissingen markiezaat van Vlissingen en Kampenveere in Zeeland	Bought	1582 - present -Purchased in 1582 by William the Silent. It was owned by Philip II since 1567, but had fallen into arrears to the province. In 1580 the Court of Holland ordered it sold. William bought it as it gave him two more votes in the States of Zeeland, and as he was the lord, could appoint their magistrates. He already had one vote as First Noble for Philip William, who had inherited Maartensdijk. This gave William effective control of the States of Zeeland. -After William III's death, John William Friso struggled to obtain the marquisate. After his death the States of Zealand tried to ignore the claims of William IV. They abolished the title in 1732 and expropriated its freehold property. -The marquisate was finally restored in 1748, when William IV managed to establish himself as stadtholder of all the Dutch provinces. -It was abolished once again when the Dutch Republic was replaced with the Batavian Republic in 1795. -Restored for the second time in 1814. Since then, it has been held by the kings and queens of the Netherlands as a title, not an office or freehold.|}}	Flushing Veere JMvanDijk/Sandbox1 (Benelux)	Marquis of Veere and Flushing Veere & Flushing	1649 map of Flushing 1681 map of Walcheren
Barony of Cuijk Heerschap en baronie van de stad Grave en het Land van Cuijk. in Brabant/Staats-Brabant	Granted	11th Century - 1795 - 1559 granted to William the Silent -reconquered in 1602 by Maurice of Nassau.	Cuijk Grave JMvanDijk/Sandbox1 (Benelux)	Lord of Cuijk Lord of Grave

Name	From	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Lordship of Baarn, Soest en Ter Eem Hoge Heerschap van Baarn, Soest en Ter Eem in Utrecht	Bought	1674 - present -The "lordship of the Zoestdijck" was purchased in 1674 by Stadtholder Willem III from the Amsterdam regent family De Graeff. -The States of Utrecht elevated Baarn, Soest and Ter Eem to high lordship in the same year. William III built the hunting palace of Soestdijk there. -After the battle for the inheritance of William III, Baarn, Soest and Ter Eem came into the possession of William IV and then his son Willem V in 1732. In 1795, Baarn, Soest and Ter Eem were confiscated by the Batavian Republic. -In 1815, the State donated Soestdijk Palace to King Willem II as a thank you for his efforts at the Battle of Waterloo. -The palace became property of the Dutch State in 1971, although Juliana and Bernard lived their until their death.	Baarn Soest Ter Eem JMvanDijk/Sandbox1 (Benelux)	Baarn Soest Ter Eem	Baarn Soest
Lordship of Bredevoort Heerschap van Bredevoort in Gelderland	Conquered	1697 - present - Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange conquered Bredevoort in the year 1597 on the Spanish occupation. -The Spanish reconquered the city in 1606, but Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange liberated the garrison and citizens who had retreated in the Castle of Bredevoort. -In the rampjaar ("disaster year") 1672 Bernhard von Galen reconquered the city and occupied city and herrschaft for almost two years. -In 1697 William III of England received the city and herrschaft from the States of Gelderland. From that day until 1795 the city and herrschaft was a personal belonging to the House of Orange-Nassau. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands is still Lord of Bredevoort.	Bredevoort Bredevoort (Benelux)		Bredevoort
Lordship of Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe Heerschap van Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe in Brabant/Staats-Brabant	Granted by Charles V	1518 - present - Awarded to Henry III of Nassau-Breda by Emperor Charles V in 1518. - 1567 confiscated by King Philip II of Spain. Reconquered by Maurice of Nassau. - in 1732 was inherited by King Frederick William II of Prussia. In 1754 given by King Frederick II of Prussia to Prince William V.	Zwaluwe Zwaluwe (Benelux)		Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe
Lordship of Het Loo (meaning "The Lea: field, clearing, meadow") Heerschap van Het Loo in Gelderland	Bought	1684 - present -Bought in 1684 by William III, it was owned before that by the Bentinck family. It came with the lordships of Apeldoorn, Beekbergen en Loenen. William was primarily interested in the hunting in the area. The palace he built primarily functioned for him as a hunting lodge. - In 1694 the States of Gelderland awarded William the high and low justice for the lordship. - When Wiliiam III died, the high and low lordship immediately expired. It was awarded again in 1748 to William IV. - William IV inherited it in 1732 in the settlement William III's inheritance. - It is now the property of the Dutch Royal Family. - The original Kasteel Het Oude Loo is the home of Princess Margriet.	Het Loo Het Loo (Benelux)		Hooge en Lage Het Loo with Het Loo Palace
Lordship of Zevenbergen and Turnhout Heer van Zevenbergen en Turnhout in Brabant/Staats-Brabant	Granted by Philip IV	1647 - present -Given by King Philip IV of Spain to Amalia van Solms-Braunfels, wife of Prince Frederick Henry, and then to William III. - In the settlement over William III's estate in 1732 these lordships went to Willem IV and then his sone William V. - Lost to the French in 1794 and restored after 1815. In 1830 Turnhout found itself on the Belgian side of the border.	Zevenbergen Turnhout JMvanDijk/Sandbox1 (Benelux)	Turnhout Zevenbergen	Turnhout Zevenbergen
Lordship of Willemstad Heer van Willemstad in Brabant/Staats-Brabant	Granted by the States	1583 - present -The current name was first used in 1639 as Willemstat, and refers to William the Silent who fortified the settlement in 1583. -The settlement used to be known as Ruigenhil, and was located at a strategic location along the Hollands Diep. In 1587, the fortifications were completed, and Willemstad received a heptagon (seven sided) shape with seven bastions.	Willemstad Willemstad (Benelux)		Willemstad by Blaeu Willemstad
Free Lordship of Ameland Erf- en vrijheer van Ameland in Friesland	Bought	1708 - present - Ameland is one of the Frisian islands. It remained a free lordship until the ruling family, Cammingha, died out in 1708. - After that, the mother of the the Frisian stadtholder John William Friso, Prince of Orange, bought it for her son, and he became lord of Ameland. - After him, his son the stadtholder of all the Netherlands, William IV, Prince of Orange, and his grandson, William V, Prince of Orange.	Ameland Ameland (Benelux)		Ameland
Lordship of Borculo & Lichtenvoorde Heer van Borculo en Lichtenvoorde in Friesland.	Bought	1776 - present -The lordship of Borculo & Lichtenvoorde was bought in 1776 by William V from the Polish Prince Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski. - In 1795 it was confiscated by the Batavian Republic, and restored in when the Oranges were restored. - As many of these lordships were owned by the Bronkhorst Family as part of their lordships of Bronkhorst and Batenburg, you will see their arms, shown to right. Family of Borculo	Borculo Lichtenvoorde JMvanDijk/Sandbox1 (Benelux)	Van Bronkhorst Lordship of Borculo Lordship of Lichtenvoorde	Lordship of Borculo in 1741 Lordship of Lichtenvoorde in 1741 The County of Zutphen in the Duchy of Gelderland showing all the Orange possessions: Borculo, Lichtenvoorde, Breedevoort and Wisch
Lordship of Montfort Heer van Montfort in Generality Lands - Upper Guelders of the States (Staats-Opper-Gelre	Awarded	1647 - present -The manor of Montfort was founded by Hendrik III of Guelders. -It was given by Philip IV of Spain to Stadtholder William II in 1647. After his death, Montfort came to William III. - After the battle for the inheritance of William III, Montfort came into the possession of King Frederick William I of Prussia in 1732. His son Frederick II 'the Great' sold it again to Stadtholder William V in 1769.	Montfort Montfort (Benelux)	Lordship of Montfort	Lordship of Montfort Lordship of Montfort in 1623

These lordships are not in the official titulature of the monarch of the Netherlands, but are cited on the board in the picture.

Name	From	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Lordship & Bannership of Wisch Heerlijkheid & Bannerij van Wisch in Gelderland	lords of Wisch via House of Limburg-Stirum through House of Nassau-Siegen (1646)	House of Limburg-Stirum 1646 – now - The Wisch family were Ministerialis. They were rewarded with the lordship by the Bishop of Munster. - The holder was also a bannerlord, which made them higher in the local aristocracy, but obligated them to military service. - The lordship passed into the House of Limburg-Stirum, and then by marriage in 1646 between Count Henry of Nassau-Siegen and Maria Magdalena of Limburg-Stirum. - When all the lines of Nassau died out the current Royal line of Nassau-Dietz inherited all the titles and lands.	Wisch Wisch (Benelux)	Lordship of Wisch Nassau-Siegen showing Wisch	The lordship of Wisch in 1741
Lordship of :Dinteloord & Prinsenland Heerlijkheid van Dinteloord en Prinsenland in Brabant/Staats-Brabant		1605-present - Before the dyking and draining of the polder the area was called Dinteloord and was part of the lordship of Steenbergen. - As lord of Steenbergen (see above), Philip William, prince of Orange, in 1606 erected the area as a seperate lordship named 'Prinsenland'. - Between 1606 tot 1997 the area was an seperate municipality: Dinteloord and Prinsenland]. After that, the municipalities were reorganized and Dinteloord and Prinsenland was merged with Steenbergen. - The monarch of the Netherlands still retains the title.	Prinsenland Prinsenland (Benelux)	Lordship of Prinsenland 2 versions of the arms	The lordship of Prinsenland in the upper Left
Lordship of Colijnsplaat Heerlijkheid van Colijnsplaat in Zeeland		1598-present - The village was first mentioned in 1489 as "het gors Colinsplate", and means "sand bank belonging to Colijn". The sand bank was diked in 1598. - Colijnsplaats developed after the Oud Noord-Bevelandpolder was created in 1598. The village contains a ring road around the church.	Colijnsplaat Colijnsplaat (Benelux)		The lordship of Colijnsplaat Colijnsplaat in the town of Noord-Beveland
Lordship of Scherpenisse Heerlijkheid van Scherpenisse in Zeeland	Egmond-Buren	1551-present - The name Scherpenisse is first mentioned in 1203 as Scarpenesse. -Scherpenisse was one of the five islands that would together form the island of Tholen. The village arose near a dammed side channel of the Oosterschelde. -The area became property of the House of Orange in 1551 from Anna of Egmont & Buren	Scherpenisse Scherpenisse (Benelux)	Lordship of Scherpenisse Town of Scherpenisse	Scherpenisse in the municipality of Tholen

the Southern Netherlands/later the Spanish & Austrian Netherlands, and the Kingdom of Belgium

While not as substantial as their interests in the northern Netherlands, the estates in the southern Netherlands were in the more populous provinces, in this case Brabant (most importantly Antwerp) around the river systems that ultimately flowed to the sea through the commercial entrepot of Antwerp. Again, the land itself was secondary to the profit on the commerce that flowed through it and the political influence that accrued with them (see Southern Netherlands Commercial Center which developed into Antwerp Trading Center, which later developed into the Belgian Flemish Diamond.).

Name	From	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Burgrave (Viscount) of Antwerp Burgraaf van Antwerpen in Brabant	lords of Heinsberg	- title from the Margraviate of Antwerp(nl) as an inheritable office by the lords of Heinsberg. -It passed down through several families until finally inherited and traded for by Engelbrecht II of Nassau-Breda in 1499. -The most famous holder was William the Silent. -It was a center for the Dutch Revolt before its recapture by the Spanish and confiscation of the position by Philip II in 1567. -Subsequently in the Low countries, the rank of burggraaf evolved into the nobility synonymous with viscount. The title "Viscount of Antwerp" is still claimed by the reigning monarch of the Netherlands as one of its subsidiary titles.	Antwerp Antwerp (Benelux)		City of Antwerp in 1572 looking up the Scheldt at its height as the entrepôt of Western Capitalism
Lordship and barony of Diest Heerschap en baronie van [[:nl:Titels van de Nederlandse koninklijke familie#Baron van Diest|Diest] in Brabant	lords of Heinsberg	1499 - 1795 -Engelbrecht II of Nassau-Breda became baron in 1499, through an exchange of territories with Duke William IV of Gulik (see Antwerp below). -Confiscated 1567, given back to Philip William in 1596. After Maurice, it was claimed by the Catholic John VIII of Nassau-Siegen, which was recognized in 1625 (see other lands of the Nassaus in Spanish Netherlands). Returned to prince of Orange in 1648 with Peace of Munster. -orig arms of Lords of Diest: changed in the 1500's to the ones shown at right.	Diest Diest (Benelux)
Lordship and of Zichem Heerschap van nl:Titels van de Nederlandse koninklijke familie#Burggraaf van Antwerpen [[:nl:Zichem|Zichem] in Brabant	lords of Heinsberg	1499 - 1795 -Part of inheritance that brought the Burgraviate of Antwerp (see above)	Zichem Zichem (Benelux)		Zichem in Flemish Brabant
Lordship and barony of Warneton Heerschap en baronie van Waasten in County of Hainaut (now Hainaut Province)	House of Luxembourg	1511 - 1795 -The barony of Warneton (called Waasten in Dutch) was mentioned as a seigneury as early as the 13th century. -It was a possession of the House of Luxembourg. Louise Francisca of Savoy, the first wife of Henry III of Nassau-Breda, was the daughter of Mary of Luxembourg-Ligny. -Henry III received the manor in 1511. Also confiscated as other Nassau lands in the Southern Netherlands by Philip II. Returned with the Peace of Munster in 1648.	Warneton Warneton (Benelux)

These lordships are not mentioned in the titulature, but are shown on the board of Lordships:

Name	From	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Lordship and barony of Meerhout Heerschap en baronie van Meerhout in Brabant			Meerhout Meerhout (Benelux)
Lordship and barony of Vorst Heerschap en baronie van Vorst in Brabant			? ? (Benelux)	which are the arms of the Lords of Diest above

the Duchy of Luxembourg/later the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Name	From	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
County of Vianden Graafschap Vianden in Luxembourg	Lords of Sponheim	approx. 1100 - approx 1566 - Founded and Acquired by the Lords of Sponheim 915 – 1125 - Inherited by Nassau Family 1417 from Elisabeth van Sponheim-Kreuznach. -Subsidiary lordships: St. Vith(nl) , Bűtgenbach , Dasburg , Grimbergen arms: // - seized by Philip II of Spain in 1567. Awarded to Philip William, and then the catholic house of Nassau-Siegen. Returned to Oranges with peace of Munster in 1648. -Confiscated by the French in 1786.	Vianden St. Vith Bütgenbach Dasburg Grimbergen JMvanDijk/Sandbox1 (Benelux)		The region around Vianden in 1400. Vianden is in light green surrounded by the the duchy of Luxembourg in light brown. In the 12th to 15th centuries the counts of Vianden were the mightiest lords of the area between the rivers Rhine, Mosel and Maas.

Franche-Comté (Free County of Burgundy)

Main article: fr:Maison de Chalon-Arlay § Principaux châteaux forts du Jura

Franche-Comté was controlled by the King of Spain, so the princes of Orange lost control of the lands that they had inherited from the previous princes of Orange, the House of Chalon-Arlay, the Viscountship of Besançon and lordships of Chalons itself, Arlay, Nozeroy. By the time the King of France had conquered the county of Burgundy, the prince of Orange (William III) was at odds with the King, Louis XIV.

Name	From	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Baron of Arlay Baron de Arlay	House of Chalon-Arlay	- 1544 - 1795 -In the thirteenth century the barony of Arlay, on the borders with the Bresse region, passed into the dynasty of the counts of Châlons, the preeminent noblemen in the south of the Franche-Comté. They controlled the exploitation of salt mined at Salins. - Their heirs became Princes of Orange in the early fifteenth century, when Jean III de Chalon-Arlay married the heiress of the Principality of Orange -It passed to Rene of Chalons and his heir William the Silent and the house of Nassau. Confiscated by Philip II in 1567, but restored with the Peace of Munster in 1648. Fell to the inheritance of William IV from William III. -The title baron of Arlay is still held by Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.	Arlay Arlay (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté)	Barons of Arlay & Barons of Chalons-Arlay (after 1256)	Map of County of Burgundy showing Arlay, 1716
Baron of Nozeroy Baron de Nozeroy	House of Chalon-Arlay	- 1544 - 1795 -In the thirteenth century the barony of Arlay, on the borders with the Bresse region, passed into the dynasty of the counts of Châlons, the preeminent noblemen in the south of the Franche-Comté. They controlled the exploitation of salt mined at Salins. - Their heirs became Princes of Orange in the early fifteenth century, when Jean III de Chalon-Arlay married the heiress of the Principality of Orange -It passed to Rene of Chalons and his heir William the Silent and the house of Nassau. Confiscated by Philip II in 1567, but restored with the Peace of Munster in 1648. Fell to the inheritance of William IV from William III. -The title baron of Nozeroy is still held by Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.	Nozeroy Nozeroy (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté)	Barons of Nozeroy	County of Burgundy at the end of the XVth Century showing Nozeroy
Baron of Orpierre Baron de Orpierre	House of Chalon-Arlay	- 1544 - 1702 - 1349 left to Jean II de Chalon-Arlay, prince of Orange by his cousin. - With the death of William III († 1702), went to the French contenders for William's inheritance: François-Louis de Conti († 1709) and then his son Louis-Armand de Conti († 1727. - United to the crown of France in April 1731, attached to the province of the Dauphiné in 1734.	Orpierre Orpierre (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur)	Barons of Orpierre	Location of Orpierre
Viscount of Besançon Vicomté de Besançon	House of Chalon-Arlay	- 1184 - 1795 -Imperial Free City 1184, independent Imp Free City 1290 -The Burgrave (Viscount) functioned as an office in other burgraviates in the Empire's other Free Cities. -Confiscated 1567, given back to Philip William in 1596. After Maurice, it was claimed by the Catholic John VIII of Nassau-Siegen, which was recognized in 1625 (see other lands of the Nassaus in Spanish Netherlands). Returned to prince of Orange in 1648 with Peace of Munster. -The office of viscount was the same as the rank of burgrave in the Holy Roman Empire, of which the County of Burgundy as part of .	Besançon Besançon (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté)	Viscounts of Besançon	County of Burgundy at the end of the XVth Century showing Nozeroy

Name	From	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Chalon Comte de Chalon Did these go to the Nassaus?		10th century–1401 - 1401, the last count died -his heir Odo of Thoire-Geneva sold the comté to Count Amadeus VIII of Savoy. -members of the Genevan House protested, and the House of Chalons (and, after its extinction, the House of Orange-Nassau) remained the strongest claimant.	Geneva Geneva (France)	Counts of Chalons

Switzerland

Name	Timespan	Map	Coat of Arms	Historic Map
Count of Geneva (titular) Comté de Genève	10th century–1401 - 1401, the last count died -his heir Odo of Thoire-Geneva sold the comté to Count Amadeus VIII of Savoy. -members of the Genevan House protested, and the House of Chalons (and, after its extinction, the House of Orange-Nassau) remained the strongest claimant.	Geneva Geneva (France)	County of Geneva

Residences of the House of Orange

• 
  Hotel de Nassau in Brussels painted 1658 (former residence)
• 
  Breda Castle in North Brabant, Beschryving der stadt en lande van Breda (The Hague 1744)
• 
  Royal Palace of Amsterdam (official ceremonial residence)
• 
  Noordeinde Palace, The Hague (working offices of the Monarch)
• 
  Huis ten Bosch palace, The Hague
• 
  Het Loo Palace
• 
  Soestdijk Palace
• 
  Schloss Oranienstein (former residence)

Standards

Main articles: Royal Standard of the Netherlands, Flag of the Netherlands, and List of Dutch flags

The Dutch Royal Family also makes extensive use of royal standards that are based on their coats of arms, but not identical to them (as the British Royal Family does). Some examples from the Royal Family's website are:

The standards of the ruling king or queen:

• 
  Royal Flag of the Netherlands (1815–1908)
• 
  Royal Flag of the Netherlands (1908–2013)
• 
  Royal Standard of the Netherlands

The standards of the current sons of the former Queen, now Princess Beatrix and their wives and the Queen's husband:

• 
  Royal Standard of the Princes of the Netherlands (Sons of Queen Beatrix)
• 
  Standard of Claus von Amsberg as Royal consort of the Netherlands
• 
  Standard of Princess Maxima of the Netherlands
• 
  Standard of Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands

A fuller listing can be found at the Armorial de la Maison de Nassau, section Lignée Ottonienne at the French Wikipedia.

See also

For further about the Dutch Monarchy and the Dutch Royal House:

• Dutch monarchy
• House of Nassau
• Prince of Orange
• Principality of Orange
• Orange Institution
• William III of England

Traditionally, members of the Nassau family were buried in Breda; but because that city was in Spanish hands when William died, he was buried in a new crypt in the New Church, Delft. The monument on his tomb was originally very modest, but it was replaced in 1623 by a new one, made by Hendrik de Keyser and his son Pieter. Since then, most of the members of the House of Orange-Nassau, including all Dutch monarchs have been buried in that church. His great-grandson William the third, King of England and Scotland and Stadtholder in the Netherlands, was buried in Westminster Abbey

• Crypt of the House of Orange-Nassau in Delft
• Burial Monument to William the Silent
• Crypt of the Frisian Nassaus in Leeuwarden
• Crypt of the Nassau-LaLecqs in Ouderkerk aan den IJssel
• Crypt Bijl de Vroe in Loenen aan de Vecht
• Original Crypt of Netherland Nassaus in Breda
• Crypt of Engelbrecht II van Nassau in Breda
• Crypt of the Nassau-Bergens in Bergen
• Crypt of the Nassau-Siegens in Siegen

In Robert A. Heinlein's 1956 science fiction novel Double Star, the House of Orange reigns over - but does not rule over - an empire of humanity that spans the entire Solar System.

• Hofstra University

Literature

• Herbert H. Rowen, The princes of Orange: the stadholders in the Dutch Republic. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988.
• John Lothrop Motley, "The Rise of the Dutch Republic". New York: Harper & Brothers, 1855.
• John Lothrop Motley, "History of the United Netherlands from the Death of William the Silent to the Synod of Dort". London: John Murray, 1860.
• John Lothrop Motley, "The Life and Death of John of Barenvelt". New York & London: Harper and Brothers Publishing, 1900.
• Petrus Johannes Blok, "History of the people of the Netherlands". New York: G. P. Putnam's sons, 1898.
• Jonathan I. Israel, "The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall, 1477–1806" Oxford University Press, 1995. ISBN 0-19-820734-4
• Pieter Geyl, "Orange and Stuart 1641-1672" Phoenix Press, 2002>
• Mark Edward Hay, 'The House of Nassau between France and Independence, 1795–1814: Lesser Powers, Strategies of Conflict Resolution, Dynastic Networks', The International History Review, 38/3 (2016), 482-504

External links

• Dutch Royal House – official website