William I "The Silent"
William of Orange Nassau (aka. Willem the Silent), was born at slot Dillenburg, Nassau, the op 24th of April 1533. Son of Juliana von Stolberg-Wenigerode and Willem the Rich of Nassau. He inherited at the age of eleven the title 'Prince of Orange' when his nephew, Ren of Chlon, dies without descendants. He would make name as the Father of the homeland, one of the most renowned patriots the country has ever know.
The Prince was raised Lutheran by his parents. However on the inheritance of the prince-title he was send to Brussels, and raised catholic , under supervision of regent Mary of Hungary. This was a stipulation of Emperor Charles V. Williams Father (William the Rich) had no objections unlike his mother Juliana of Stolberg. However since Mary of Hungary (Emperor Charles sister) was not fundamentally against the reformation, she also agreed in the end. In Brussels William was thought amongst others in; warfare, diplomacy, Latin ,French, German, Italian, Spanish. In 1551 William married Anna of Egmond of Buren, Countess of Buren, Leerdam and Graven. Even though this was not a marriage of love they are not an unhappy couple. She gave him children: Philip-William, Maria and a daughter that died shortly after birth. Anna of Egmond dies the 24th of March 1558.
Phillip II appointed William to regent of the Dutch provinces; Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht, in 1555. In that same year William succeeded his father as Count of Nassau. In 1561 William remarried, with Anna of Saksony, daughter of king Maurits of Saksony. She was raised strictly Lutheran, ugly, and a unpleasant character. There was as you can guess no suggestion of love but it got the prince the support of Saksony, Hessen and the Paltz, and this was also his intention. From this marriage Maurits was born. In 1575 William got himself divorced because of her temper, character, drinking and adultery.
The Spanish rule in the Netherlands was crude and intolerant, especially regarding the protestants. William organized a strong opposition against the Spanish rule which forced King Phillip II to recall the hated cardinal Granvelle in 1564. However alarmed by the Dutch rebelliousness he sent, three years later, the Duke of Alva with an army to the Netherlands. Alva summoned William to the Spanish inquisition. when William declined Alva confiscated all his possessions in the Netherlands. In 1568 William assembled an army and invaded the Netherlands, however by lack of support from his countrymen he was soon defeated
After his defeat against Alva the prince establishes himself in Enkhuizen. Under his leadership the provinces Holland en Zeeland rose up successfully against the Spanish oppressor in 1572 . They pronounced William regent. The prince, officially Catholic, converted to Calvinism, with which he succeeded to have get the protestants and Catholics in one league. Another four years of bloody fights resulted in 16 out of the 17 provinces uniting against the Spanish king when they sign the pacification of Gent on the 8th of November . The five most southern provinces (today Belgium) were however reconquered by the Spanish oppressor. In 1579, at the "Union of Atrecht", these southern states have to swear loyalty to the Spanish rule once more. In reaction to this the northern districts, led by William of Orange, together with some of the Flemish and Babantic cities, signed the Union of Utrecht where they declared to continue their fight against the Spanish.
In 1575 the prince married for the third time. His wife; Charlotte de Bourbon-Montpensier. He found with her love, intimacy, devotion attachment and care. In 1582 an attack on his life was made. He got hurt and she lovingly took care of him. However she took no rest and this proved to be fatal to herself. Her health declined and she died the 5th of May 1582. Willem married in 1583 fort the fourth time. this time with Louise de Coligny, widow of Charles de Téligny. From this marriage Frederik Hendrick of Orange-Nassau was born in 1584geboren. By marrying Louise William hoped to win the French for his case.
The life of the prince was abruptly ended the 10th of July 1587. Prince William was shot to death at the "Prinsenhof" by Balthazar Gerhards. That Thursday night Balthazar Gerards came to the prince with the request to provide him with some travelling documents. Balthazar had two guns, one to kill the prince one to cover his escape. Since he was unable to swim he prepared himself by wearing a life preserver out of a pigs blather in case he had to escape through the canal . He shot the prince appearing from the dining room (the gun was charged with three bullets interconnected by a small chain, but he was caught before he was able to flee. Balthazar Gerards was a fanatic catholic and great admirer of King Philips II , who had offered twenty five thousand crowns for Williams death who he described as: "the plague of the unity of Christianity and enemy of the human race". Balthazar Gerards was executed in a horrendous way. (He was put in a rain barrel which was pierced with nails and rolled through the town and after this quartered.
Different records of this execution exsist however.
William of Orange was buried on August 3rd, 1584, in the New Church in Delft, since the family tomb in Breda was unreachable by Spanish occupation. Since that date the "Nieuwe Kerk" is the last resting place for all the members of the royal family. The regency became heirloom of his son Maurits. William did not succeed to realize his dream, a united Netherlands, but made, with the Union of Utrecht, the basis for the future Netherlands