William the Silent

William the Silent
Portrait by Adriaen Thomasz. Key, c. 1570–1584
Prince of Orange
Reign15 July 1544 – 10 July 1584
PredecessorRené
SuccessorPhilip William
Stadtholder of Friesland
In office
1580–1584
Preceded byGeorge de Lalaing
Succeeded byWilliam Louis of Nassau-Dillenburg
Stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland
In office
1572–1584
Preceded byMaximilien de Hénin-Liétard
Succeeded byMaurice of Nassau
In office
1559–1567
MonarchPhilip II of Spain
Preceded byMaximilian of Burgundy
Succeeded byMaximilien de Hénin-Liétard
Stadtholder of Utrecht
In office
1572–1584
Preceded byMaximilien de Hénin-Liétard
Succeeded byAdolf van Nieuwenaar
In office
1559–1567
MonarchPhilip II of Spain
Preceded byMaximilian of Burgundy
Succeeded byMaximilien de Hénin-Liétard
Born24 April 1533
Dillenburg, County of Nassau, Holy Roman Empire
Died10 July 1584(1584-07-10) (aged 51)
Delft, County of Holland, Dutch Republic
Spouse
(m. 1551; died 1558)
(m. 1561; div. 1571)
(m. 1575; died 1582)
(m. 1583)
Issue16
HouseBorn into the House of Nassau; founder of the Orange-Nassau branch; ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands
FatherWilliam I, Count of Nassau-Siegen
MotherJuliana of Stolberg-Werningerode
SignatureWilliam the Silent's signature
Military service
Battles/wars

William the Silent or William the Taciturn (Dutch: Willem de Zwijger;[1][2] 24 April 1533 – 10 July 1584), more commonly known in the Netherlands[3][4] as William of Orange (Dutch: Willem van Oranje), was the leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs that set off the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. Born into the House of Nassau, he became Prince of Orange in 1544 and is thereby the founder of the Orange-Nassau branch and the ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, he is also known as Father of the Fatherland (Latin: Pater Patriae; Dutch: Vader des Vaderlands).

A wealthy nobleman, William originally served the Habsburgs as a member of the court of Margaret of Parma, governor of the Spanish Netherlands. Unhappy with the centralisation of political power away from the local estates and with the Spanish persecution of Dutch Protestants, William joined the Dutch uprising and turned against his former masters. The most influential and politically capable of the rebels, he led the Dutch to several successes in the fight against the Spanish. Declared an outlaw by the Spanish king in 1580, he was assassinated by Balthasar Gérard in Delft in 1584.

  1. ^ Abelous, Louis David (1872). William the Taciturn. Translated by Lacroix, J. P. The Library of Congress catalogued with subject "William I, Prince of Orange (1534–1584). New York: Nelson & Phillips; [etc.]
  2. ^ John Whitehead Historian, Oxford, Oriel College, weblog page about William I Once I was a clever boy
  3. ^ "Willem van Oranje". Canon van Nederland (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Hoe wordt Willem van Oranje vader des vaderlands?". NPO Kennis (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 October 2021.