Stadtholder Frederik Hendrik
Frederick Hendrick van Orange-Nassau was born in Delft in 1584 as only son of the marriage between William of Orange and Louise de Coligny, his fourth wife. In 1625 he succeeded his half-brother Prince Maurits, as stadtholder. Maurits also handed over the command of the armies to Frederick Hendrick and asked him to get married and to secure the line of the dynasty.. On the 4th of April 1625 Frederick Hendrick married Amalia von Solms-Braunfelt, she was a lady of the court of Frederick of Palts, the 'Winter king' of Bohemia. Out of this marriage five children were born: the later Stadtholder William II in 1626 followed by four daughters.
Frederick Hendrick ruled over Holland in the "Golden century". The republic was in the height of its power and suffered little if not from religious or political conflicts. Culture flourished with painters like Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Jan Steen. Amsterdam was the financial centre of Europe. Frederick Hendrick is mainly known as the city-forcer, the name palace-builder would however not be unsuitable either. He lived like a king and had several palaces built; besides "House Honselaarsdijk" he build "Paleis Noordeinde", "Nieuwburch" in Rijswijk and started the construction of "Huis ten Bosch" which was finished by Amalia of Solms in his honour. He also showed lots of interest in the castles in Breda, Buren, Dieren en IJsselstein. His love for culture he must have inherited from his mother Louise de Coligny. "House Honselaarsdijk" became also know as "little Versailles" after the palace in Versailles built by Louis XIV, de Sun King.
Prince Frederick Hendrick and his cousin Duke Ernst Casimir van Nassau started in 1626 an offensive against the Spanish. Ernst Casimir's branch of the family would later inherit the title prince of Orange due to Willem III dying without descendants. In 1629 Frederick Hendrick confiscated castle Maurick in Vught as his headquarters. He drives the Spanish out of the city of "'s Hertogenbosch" and is therefore called the 'de stedendwinger' (city forcer). Apart from 's Hertogenbosch, he also took; Sas van Gent, Venlo, Roermond, Maastricht, en Rijnberk. Finally in1637 he conquered Breda in the last Spanish bulwark in the southern Netherlands. An attempt to take over Antwerp in that same year failed. The borders of the future Netherlands were slowly beginning to show..
Frederick Hendrick realised the importance of connections with other powers if he was to win the war against Spain. As abled diplomat he organized financial support from France and closed a pact with the English by arranged marriage of his son William II to Mary Steward, daughter of the English King Charles I. At long last, in 1646, Frederick Hendrick started peace negotiations with Spain. This would result in 1948 (after his death) in the "peace of Munster". This madean end to the 80 year war. Frederick Hendrick died in the Hague in 1647. The title, Prince of Orange,passed on to his son William II.