The
House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day
NassauFor further meanings of "Nassau", see Nassau.Nassau is a town located in the German Land of Rhineland-Palatinate. It lies in the Lahn River valley between the cities of Bad Ems and Limburg an der Lahn. Nassau is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Nassau. The city sits on the German-Dutch holiday...
,
Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 federal states of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz....
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
. The lords of Nassau were originally titled Count of Nassau, then elevated to the princely class as princely counts. At the end of the
Holy Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period under a Holy Roman Emperor. The first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was Otto I, crowned in 962. The last was Francis II, who abdicated and dissolved the Empire in 1806 during...
, they proclaimed themselves Duke of Nassau.
All Dutch kings since 1890 and the Grand Dukes of
LuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a small, landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany...
since 1912 have been descended in the female line from the House of Nassau. According to German tradition, the family name is passed only in the male line of succession. The house is therefore, from this perspective, extinct. However Dutch aristocratic customs (and Luxembourg's, which are based on the aforementioned) differ, and do not consider the House extinct.
Origins
Count
Dudo-Henry of LaurenburgDudo-Henry of Laurenburg was Count of Laurenburg in 1093 and is considered the founder of the House of Nassau...
(ca. 1060 - ca. 1123) is considered the founder of the House of Nassau. He is first mentioned in the purported founding-charter of
Maria Laach AbbeyMaria Laach Abbey is a Benedictine abbey situated on the southwestern shore of the Laacher See , near Andernach, in the Eifel region of the Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It is a member of the Beuronese Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation...
in 1093 (although many historians consider the document to be fabricated). The Castle
LaurenburgLaurenburg is a municipality in the Rhein-Lahn district of Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. The town, a health resort situated in the lower Lahn River valley, belongs to the Diez Municipal Association.-History:...
, located a few miles upriver from Nassau on the
LahnThe Lahn River is a -long, right tributary of the Rhine River in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Hesse , and Rhineland-Palatinate ....
, was the seat of his lordship. His family probably descended from the Lords of
LippornLipporn is a municipality in the district of Rhein-Lahn, in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany....
. In 1159, Nassau Castle became the ruling seat, and the house is now named after this castle.
The Counts of Laurenburg and Nassau expanded their authority under the brothers
Robert (Ruprecht) IRobert I of Nassau was from 1123 co-Count of Laurenburg and would later title himself the first Count of Nassau...
(1123-1154) and
Arnold I of LaurenburgArnold I of Laurenburg , an early member of the House of Nassau, was from 1123 co-Count of Laurenburg. The House of Nassau would become an important aristocratic family in Germany, from which are descended the present-day Kings of the Netherlands and Grand Dukes of Luxembourg.-Biography:Arnold was...
(1123-1148). Robert was the first person to call himself Count of Nassau, but the title was not confirmed until 1159, five years after Robert's death. Robert's son
Walram IWalram I of Nassau was the first Count of Nassau, reigning from 1154 to 1198. The House of Nassau would become an important aristocratic family in Germany, from which are descended the present-day rulers of both the Netherlands and Luxembourg.-Early life:Walram was the younger son of Count...
(1154-1198) was the first person to be legally titled Count of Nassau.
The chronology of the Counts of Laurenburg is not certain and the link between Robert I and Walram I is especially controversial. Also, some sources consider Gerhard, listed as co-Count of Laurenburg in 1148, to be the son of Robert I's brother,
Arnold IArnold I of Laurenburg , an early member of the House of Nassau, was from 1123 co-Count of Laurenburg. The House of Nassau would become an important aristocratic family in Germany, from which are descended the present-day Kings of the Netherlands and Grand Dukes of Luxembourg.-Biography:Arnold was...
. However, Erich Brandenburg in his
Die Nachkommen Karls des Großen states that it is most likely that Gerhard was Robert I's son, because Gerard was the name of Beatrix of Limburg's maternal grandfather.
Counts of Laurenburg (ca. 1093-1159)
- ca. 1060 - ca. 1123: Dudo-Henry
Dudo-Henry of Laurenburg was Count of Laurenburg in 1093 and is considered the founder of the House of Nassau...
- 1123-1154: Robert (Ruprecht) I
Robert I of Nassau was from 1123 co-Count of Laurenburg and would later title himself the first Count of Nassau...
- son of Dudo-Henry
- 1123-1148: Arnold I
Arnold I of Laurenburg , an early member of the House of Nassau, was from 1123 co-Count of Laurenburg. The House of Nassau would become an important aristocratic family in Germany, from which are descended the present-day Kings of the Netherlands and Grand Dukes of Luxembourg.-Biography:Arnold was...
- son of Dudo-Henry
- 1148: Gerhard - son (probably) of Robert I
- 1151-1154: Arnold II - son of Robert I
- 1154-1159: Robert II - son of Robert I
Counts of Nassau (1159-1255)
- 1154-1198: Walram I
Walram I of Nassau was the first Count of Nassau, reigning from 1154 to 1198. The House of Nassau would become an important aristocratic family in Germany, from which are descended the present-day rulers of both the Netherlands and Luxembourg.-Early life:Walram was the younger son of Count...
- son of Robert I
- 1158-1167: Henry (Heinrich) I - son of Arnold I, died in Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
during the August 1167 epidemic (after the Battle of Monte PorzioThe Battle of Monte Porzio or Battle of Tusculum was fought on 29 May 1167, Whit Sunday, between the Holy Roman Empire and the city of Rome between a small hill outside the city of Tusculum and the city walls, at a place called "Prataporci", about 15 miles southeast of Rome...
)
- 1160-1191: Robert III
Robert III, the Bellicose was co-Count of Nassau between 1160 and 1191. The House of Nassau would become an important aristocratic family in Germany, from which are descended the present-day Kings of the Netherlands and Grand Dukes of Luxembourg.-Life:Robert was the younger son of Count Arnold I...
, the Bellicose - son of Arnold I
- 1198-1247: Henry II
Henry II the Rich was Count of Nassau between 1198 and 1247. Among his descendants are the present-day rulers of both Luxembourg and the Netherlands.- Biography :...
, the Rich - son of Walram I
- 1198-1230: Robert IV
Robert IV of Nassau was an early member of the House of Nassau. The House of Nassau would become an important aristocratic family in Germany, from which are descended the present-day rulers of the Netherlands and Luxembourg.-Biography:Robert IV was the second son of Count Walram I of Nassau and...
- son of Walram I; from 1230-1240: Knight of the Teutonic Order
- 1247-1255: Otto I
Otto I of Nassau , Count of Nassau was the younger son of Count Henry II of Nassau and Matilda of Geldern.Otto I became the count of Dillenburg, Hadamar, Siegen, Herborn and Beilstein after many years of quarrel with his brother Count Walram II. In the division of 17 December 1255 he received...
; from 1255-1289: Count of Nassau in DillenburgDillenburg is a town in Hesse's Gießen region in Germany. The town was formerly the seat of the old Dillkreis district, which is now part of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis....
, HadamarHadamar is a small town in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany.Hadamar is known for its Clinic for Forensic Psychiatry/Centre for Social Psychiatry, lying at the edge of town, in whose outlying buildings is also found the Hadamar Memorial...
, SiegenSiegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is a Große kreisangehörige Stadt . It is in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in Arnsberg region...
, HerbornHerborn is a historic town on the Dill in the Lahn-Dill district of Hesse in Germany. Before World War I, it was granted its own title as Nassauisches Rothenburg. The symbol or mascot of this town is a bear. Scenic attractions include its half-timbered houses; Herborn is located on the German...
and BeilsteinBeilstein may refer to:*places in Germany:**Beilstein, Württemberg, in Baden-Württemberg**Beilstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, in Rhineland-Palatinate**Beilstein, Hessen*a 2270-metre mountain of the Hochschwab Plateau, Northern Limestone Alps, Styria...
- 1249-1255: Walram II
-Biography:Walram was the elder son of Count Henry II of Nassau and Matilda of Guelders. He was chief cavalry officer in the service of Emperor Rudolf I.In about 1247, Henry II abdicated, passing the reign to Walram's younger brother, Otto...
; from 1255-1276: Count of Nassau in Wiesbaden, Idstein, and Weilburg
In 1255, Henry II's sons,
Walram II-Biography:Walram was the elder son of Count Henry II of Nassau and Matilda of Guelders. He was chief cavalry officer in the service of Emperor Rudolf I.In about 1247, Henry II abdicated, passing the reign to Walram's younger brother, Otto...
and
Otto IOtto I of Nassau , Count of Nassau was the younger son of Count Henry II of Nassau and Matilda of Geldern.Otto I became the count of Dillenburg, Hadamar, Siegen, Herborn and Beilstein after many years of quarrel with his brother Count Walram II. In the division of 17 December 1255 he received...
, split the Nassau possessions. The descendants of Walram became known as the Walram Line, which became important in the
Countship of NassauNassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later in the German Confederation. Its ruling dynasty, now extinct in male line, was the House of Nassau.-Origins:...
and
LuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a small, landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany...
. The descendants of Otto became known as the Ottonian Line, which would inherit parts of Nassau,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
and the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
. Both lines would often themselves be divided over the next few centuries. In 1783, the heads of various branches of the House of Nassau sealed the
Nassau Family PactThe Nassau Family Pact was a mutual pact of inheritance and succession made in 1783 by princes of the old German noble and sovereign family of Nassau. It confirmed Salic Law to operate in favor of all agnatic lines of the family, divided into first surviving lines which existed in the Middle Ages...
(
Erbverein) to regulate future succession in their states.
Counts of Nassau in Wiesbaden, Idstein, and Weilburg (1255-1344)
- 1255-1276: Walram II
-Biography:Walram was the elder son of Count Henry II of Nassau and Matilda of Guelders. He was chief cavalry officer in the service of Emperor Rudolf I.In about 1247, Henry II abdicated, passing the reign to Walram's younger brother, Otto...
- 1276-1298: Adolf of Nassau, crowned King of Germany in 1292
- 1298–1304: Robert VI of Nassau
- 1298-1324: Walram III, Count of Nassau in Wiesbaden, Idstein, and Weilnau
- 1298-1344: Gerlach I
Gerlach I of Nassau , Count of Nassau in Wiesbaden, Idstein, Weilburg, and Weilnau.-Life:He was a son of Emperor Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg and Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg. In 1344 he abdicated.-Family and children:...
, Count of Nassau in Wiesbaden, Idstein, Weilburg, and Weilnau
Nassau-Weilburg (1344-1816)
Count Walram II began the Countship of Nassau-Weilburg, which existed to 1816. The sovereigns of this house afterwards governed the
Duchy of NassauNassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later in the German Confederation. Its ruling dynasty, now extinct in male line, was the House of Nassau.-Origins:...
until 1866 and from 1890 the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The branch of Nassau-Weilburg ultimately became rulers of
LuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a small, landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany...
. The Walram line received the lordship of
Merenberg- Location :Merenberg lies on the southern edge of the Westerwald between the district seat of Limburg and Weilburg.- Neighbouring communities :Merenberg borders in the north on the community of Mengerskirchen, in the east on the community of Löhnberg, in the south on the town of Weilburg, in the...
in 1328 and
SaarbrückenSaarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city sits at the heart of a metropolitan area that bounds westwards to Dillingen and northeastwards to Neunkirchen, in which most of the people of the Saarland live....
(by marriage) in 1353.
Counts of Nassau-Weilburg (1344-1688)
- 1344-1371: John I
John I of Nassau-Weilburg was Count of Nassau-Weilburg from 1355 to 1371.John I was the second son of Count Gerlach I of Nassau-Wiesbaden and Agnes of Hesse, granddaughter of Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse. On Gerlach I abdication in 1346, John and his brothers divided the family lands...
- 1371-1429: Philipp I of Nassau-Weilburg
Count Philipp I of Nassau-Weilburg , was Count of Nassau in Weilburg in 1371-1429.He was a son of Count John I of Nassau-Weilburg and Johanna of Saarbrücken.-Family and children:...
, and (from 1381) Count of Saarbrücken
- 1429-1492: Philipp II
- 1429-1442: John III
- 1492-1523: Louis I
- 1523-1559: Philipp III
- 1559-1593: Albrecht
- 1559-1602: Philipp IV
- 1593-1625: Louis II, Count of Nassau-Weilburg and in Ottweiler, Saarbrücken, Wiesbaden, and Idstein
- 1625-1629: William Louis, John IV and Ernst Casimir
- 1629-1655: Ernst Casimir
- 1655-1675: Frederick
- 1675-1688: John Ernst
Johann Ernst von Nassau-Weilburg was Count of Nassau Weilburg and an Imperial Generalfeldmarschall....
Princely counts of Nassau-Weilburg (1688-1816)
- 1688-1719: John Ernst
Johann Ernst von Nassau-Weilburg was Count of Nassau Weilburg and an Imperial Generalfeldmarschall....
- 1719-1753: Charles August
- 1753-1788: Charles Christian
- 1788-1816: Frederick William
- 1816: Wilhelm, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg and Duke of Nassau - Nassau-Weilburg merged into Duchy of Nassau
Dukes of Nassau (1816-1866)
- 1816-1839: Wilhelm
- 1839-1866: Adolf
Adolphe I, Grand Duke of Luxembourg was the last Duke of Nassau, and the fourth Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
In 1866,
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
annexed the Duchy of Nassau as the duke had been an ally of Austria in the Second Austro-Prussian War. In 1890, Duke Adolf would become
Grand Duke Adolphe of LuxembourgAdolphe I, Grand Duke of Luxembourg was the last Duke of Nassau, and the fourth Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
.
Grand Dukes of Luxembourg (from the House of Nassau-Weilburg) - 1890-Present
- 1890–1905: Adolphe
Adolphe I, Grand Duke of Luxembourg was the last Duke of Nassau, and the fourth Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
- 1905–1912: William IV
- 1912–1919: Marie-Adélaïde
align=right|-|Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg was a daughter of Grand Duke William IV of Luxembourg and Marie Anne of Portugal...
- 1919–1964: Charlotte
Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg was the second daughter of William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his wife Marie Anne of Portugal...
- 1964–2000: Jean
Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg ruled Luxembourg from 1964 to 2000. He is the father of the current Grand Duke, Henri, and the son of Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma...
- 2000–present: Henri
Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the head of state of Luxembourg. He is the eldest son of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. His maternal grandparents were King Leopold III of Belgium and Astrid of Sweden...
From a
morganatic marriageA morganatic marriage is a type of marriage which can be contracted in certain countries, usually between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
, contracted in 1868, descends a family, see
Count of MerenbergCount of Merenberg is the title bestowed in 1868 by the reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, George Victor, upon the morganatic wife and male-line descendants of Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm of Nassau , who married Natalia Alexandrovna Pushkina , former wife of Russian General Mikhail Leontievich...
, which in 1907 was declared non-dynastic. Had they not been excluded from the succession, they would have inherited the headship of the house in 1912.
Counts of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein (1344-1775)
- 1344-1370: Adolf I of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein
- 1370-after 1386: Gerlach
- 1370-1393: Walram II
- 1393-1426: Adolf II
- 1426-1480: Johann
- 1480-1511: Adolf III
- 1511-1558: Philipp I
- 1558-1566: Philipp II, Count of Nassau-Idstein
- 1566-1568: Balthasar, Count of Nassau-Idstein
- 1568-1596: Johann Ludwig I
- 1596-1599: Johann Philipp
- 1596-1605: Johann Ludwig II
- 1605-1625: Ludwig II
- 1629-1677: Johann, Count of Nassau-Idstein, and (from 1651) in Wiesbaden, Sonnenberg, Wehen, Burg-Schwalbach and Lahr
- 1677-1721: Georg August Samuel, Prince of Nassau-Saarbrücken-Idstein (1688-1721)
- 1721-1728: Friedrich Ludwig, Count of Nassau-Ottweiler (1680-1728), and in Rixingen (1703-28), and in Wiesbaden, Idstein, etc (1721-28)
- 1721-1723: Karl Ludwig
- 1735-1775: Karl
Counts of Nassau-Saarbrücken (1429-1799)
- 1429-1472: John II
- 1472-1545: John Louis I
- 1545-1554: Philipp II
- 1559-1602: Philipp IV
- 1602-1625: Louis II, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken and Ottweiler
- 1629-1640: Wilhelm Ludwig, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken and Ottweiler
- 1640-1642: Kraft
- 1640-1690: Johann Ludwig, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken and (1659-80) in Ottweiler, Jungenheim, and Wцllstein
- 1659-1677: Gustav Adolf
- 1677-1713: Ludwig Kraft
- 1713-1723: Karl Ludwig
- 1735-1768: Wilhelm Heinrich, Prince
- 1768-1794: Ludwig
- 1794-1799: Heinrich Ludwig
Counts of Nassau-Usingen (1659-1816)
- 1659-1702: Walrad, Prince
- 1702-1718: Wilhelm Heinrich
- 1718-1775: Karl
- 1797-1803: Karl Wilhelm
- 1803-1816: Friedrich August
The Ottonian Line
- 1255-1290: Otto I
Otto I of Nassau , Count of Nassau was the younger son of Count Henry II of Nassau and Matilda of Geldern.Otto I became the count of Dillenburg, Hadamar, Siegen, Herborn and Beilstein after many years of quarrel with his brother Count Walram II. In the division of 17 December 1255 he received...
, Count of Nassau in Siegen, Dillenburg, Beilstein, and Ginsberg
- 1303-1343: Henry, Count of Nassau in Siegen, Ginsberg, Haiger, and the Westerwald, and (1328-1343) in Dillenburg, Herborn, and Beilstein
Emicho I,
Counts of Nassau-Dillenburg
- 1303-1328: Johann, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg in Beilstein and Herborn, and (from 1320) in Katzenelnbogen
- 1328-1343: Heinrich
- 1343-1350: Otto II
- 1350-1416: Johann I
- 1416-1420: Adolf
- 1420-1448: Johann II
- 1420-1442: Engelbert I
- 1442-1451: Hendrik II
- 1448-1475: Johann IV
- 1475-1504: Engelbert II
- 1504-1516: Johann V
- 1516-1538: Hendrik III
Count Henry III of Nassau-Dillenburg-Dietz , Lord of Breda, Lord of the Lek, of Diest, etc. was a count of the House of Nassau....
- 1538-1559: William I
William of Nassau , was a count of Nassau-Dillenburg from the House of Nassau. He was called William the Rich....
- 1559-1606: John VI
- 1606-1620: William Louis
William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg was Count of Nassau-Dillenburg from 1606-1620, and stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe. He was the eldest son of John VI, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg.William Louis served as a cavalry officer under William the Silent...
- 1620-1623: George
- 1623-1662: Louis Henry, Prince from 1652
- 1662-1701: Heinrich
- 1701-1724: Wilhelm
- 1724-1739: Christian
Counts of Nassau-Hadamar
- 1303-1334: Emicho I, Count of Nassau in Driedrof, Estenau, and Hadamar
- 1334-1364: Johann
- 1334-1359: Emicho II
- 1364-1369: Heinrich
- 1620-1653: Johann Ludwig, Prince 1650
- 1653-1679: Moritz Heinrich
- 1679-1711: Franz Alexander
Nassau-Siegen
The branch of
Nassau-Siegen was a collateral line of the House of Nassau, and ruled in
SiegenSiegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is a Große kreisangehörige Stadt . It is in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in Arnsberg region...
. The first Count of Nassau in Siegen was Count Henry of Nassau-Siegen (d. 1343), the elder son of Count
Otto I of NassauOtto I of Nassau , Count of Nassau was the younger son of Count Henry II of Nassau and Matilda of Geldern.Otto I became the count of Dillenburg, Hadamar, Siegen, Herborn and Beilstein after many years of quarrel with his brother Count Walram II. In the division of 17 December 1255 he received...
. His son Count Otto II of Nassau ruled also in
DillenburgDillenburg is a town in Hesse's Gießen region in Germany. The town was formerly the seat of the old Dillkreis district, which is now part of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis....
.
In 1606 the House was separated from the House of Nassau-Dillenburg. After the main line of the House became extinct in 1734, Emperor Charles VI transferred the county to the
House of Orange-NassauThe House of Orange-Nassau , a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — since William I of Orange organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years'...
.
Counts and Princes of Nassau-Siegen
- 1606-1611 John I
Count John VII of Nassau was Count of Nassau in Siegen and Freudenberg as John I. He was the second son of Count John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg and his wife Elisabeth of Leuchtenberg.-Family and children:...
- 1611-1623 Henry
- 1623-1638 John II
- 1638-1674 George Frederick
- 1674-1679 John Maurice
John Maurice of Nassau was count and prince of Nassau-Siegen.He was born in Dillenburg...
- 1679-1691 William Maurice
- 1691-1699 John Francis Desideratus
- 1699-1707 William Hyacinth
- 1707-1722 Frederick William Adolf
- 1722-1734 Frederick William
Counts and Princes of Nassau-Dietz
- 1606-1632: Ernst Casimir
Ernst Casimir I of Nassau-Dietz was count of Nassau-Dietz and Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe....
- 1632-1640: Henry Casimir I
Henry Casimir I of Nassau-Dietz was count of Nassau-Dietz and Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe.He was the eldest son of Ernst Casimir of Nassau-Dietz and Sophia Hedwig of Brunswick-Lüneburg....
- 1640-1664: William Frederick, Prince from 1650
- 1664-1696: Henry Casimir II, Prince of Nassau-Dietz
- 1669–1702: John William Friso, Prince of Nassau-Dietz (after 1702, Prince of Orange)
Orange-Nassau
The
House of Orange-NassauThe House of Orange-Nassau , a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — since William I of Orange organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years'...
stems from the Ottonian Line. The second person was Engelbert I, who offered his services to the
Duke of BurgundyDuke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks.-Bosonid dynasty:...
, married a Dutch noblewoman and inherited lands in the Netherlands, with the barony of Breda as the core of the Dutch possessions.
The importance of the Nassaus grew throughout the 15th and 16th century. Hendrik III of Nassau-Breda was appointed
stadtholderA Stadtholder in the Low Countries was a medieval function which during the 18th century developed into a rare type of de facto hereditary head of state of the thus "crowned" Dutch Republic...
of
HollandRotterdam
The Hague
Haarlem
Dordrecht |} Holland is a name in common usage given to a region in the western part of the Netherlands. The name 'Holland' is also often informally used to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands...
,
ZeelandZeeland , also called Zealand in English and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg...
and
UtrechtUtrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands, and is located in the center of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest...
by
Charles V, Holy Roman EmperorCharles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556...
in the beginning of the 16th century. Henry was succeeded by his son,
René of ChâlonRené of Châlon , also known as Renatus of Châlon, was a Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Gelre....
-Orange in 1538, who was, as his full name stated,
Prince of OrangePrince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the Principality of Orange, now in southern France.It is carried by members of the House of Orange-Nassau, as heirs to the crown of the Netherlands, and is also seen carried by the pretenders by members of the House of Hohenzollern...
. When René died prematurely on the battlefield in 1544 his possessions passed to his cousin, William I of Orange. From then on the family members called themselves "Orange-Nassau." After the post-Napoleonic reorganization of Europe, the head of House of Orange-Nassau gained the title "King/Queen of the Netherlands".
House of Orange-Nassau
- 1544-1584: William I
William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born into the House...
, also Count of Katzenelnbogen, Vianden, Dietz, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
- 1584-1618: Philip William
Philip William, Prince of Orange . He was the eldest son of William the Silent, who played an important role during the Dutch Revolt, by his first wife Anna van Egmont...
, also Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
- 1618-1625: Maurice
Maurice of Nassau , Prince of Orange , son of William the Silent and Princess Anna of Saxony, was born at the castle of Dillenburg...
, also Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
- 1625-1647: Frederick Henry
Frederick Henry, or Frederik Hendrik in Dutch , was the sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel from 1625 to 1647.-Early life:...
, also Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
- 1647–1650: William II
William II, Prince of Orange was sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands from 14 March 1647 until his death....
, also Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
- 1650–1702: William III
William III was a sovereign Prince of Orange by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland, and as William II over Scotland...
, also Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam, Lord of IJsselstein and (from 1689) King of England, Scotland, and Ireland
House of Orange-Nassau-Dietz
- 1702-1711: John William Friso, also Prince of Nassau-Dietz, Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
- 1711–1751: William IV
William IV, Prince of Orange and Nassau-Dietz was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands....
, also Prince of Nassau-Dietz, Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
- 1751–1806: William V
William V Batavus, Prince of Orange and Nassau-Dietz was the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and between 1795 and 1806 he led the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile in London. He was succeeded by his son William I.-Earliest years:...
, also Prince of Nassau-Dietz, Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
- 1806-1815: William VI
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
, also Prince of Fulda and Count of Corvey, Weingarten and Dortmund; in 1815 became King William I of the Netherlands
Kings and Queens of the Netherlands (from the House of Orange-Nassau-Dietz)
- 1815-1840: William I
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
, also Duke and Grand Duke of Luxemburg and Duke of Limburg
- 1840-1849: William II
William II was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg from 7 October 1840 until his death.-Early life and education:...
, also Grand Duke of Luxemburg and Duke of Limburg
- 1849-1890: William III
William III was from 1849 King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg until his death and the Duke of Limburg until the abolition of the Duchy in 1866.-Early life:William was born in Brussels as son of William II of...
, also Grand Duke of Luxemburg and Duke of Limburg
- 1890-1948: Wilhelmina
Wilhelmina was queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
Following German laws, the House of Orange-Nassau(-Dietz) is extinct since the death of Wilhelmina (1962), contradicting to Dutch laws.
- 1948-1980: Juliana
Juliana was Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from her mother's abdication in 1948 to her own in 1980.-Early life:...
- 1980-Present: Beatrix
Beatrix has been the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 30 April 1980, when her mother, Queen Juliana, abdicated.-Early life:...
Sources
See also
- Kings of Germany family tree. The Nassaus were the 9th dynasty to rule Germany and were related by marriage to all the others.