| House of Orange-Nassau | |
|---|---|
 | |
 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 | |
| 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.[1]: 10